APY Lands General Manager

The Hon. F. PANGALLO (15:22): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs a question about the APY lands.

Leave granted.

The Hon. F. PANGALLO: In May I asked the minister about the selection process to appoint a new general manager to the APY lands to replace controversial figure Mr Richard King, who had been in the position since 2015, after the government decided not to renew his contract. Mr King's tenure had been shrouded in controversy, including being sacked by the APY lands board in 2018 and losing Supreme Court bids to hold an Ombudsman's investigation into the conduct that led to his sacking. Mr King still kept his $200,000-plus-a-year job, receiving a 12-month contract extension, which expired on 31 March this year.

It has been put to me that there are serious allegations now of improper conduct in the selection process to find his replacement, with calls for an integrity investigation. My questions to the minister are:

1. Has he received complaints?

2. Is the government now considering reappointing Mr King to the position?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Attorney-General, Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector) (15:23): I thank the honourable member for his question and his interest in this area. Just so that we are very clear about the process for appointment for a position like this, the honourable member in his explanation and question talked about the government appointing the general manager. I want to be very clear that the government absolutely does not do that. The government does not appoint a general manager.

The Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Land Rights Act makes very clear the process: it is the board that appoints the general manager. The government either approves or does not approve the conditions that are set down with that appointment. Governments of both persuasions have had the board appoint in the past to the position the individual the honourable member mentions, Mr King—under the former Labor government and under the former Liberal government. The government does not make that decision; it is the board that is elected at APY elections that makes that decision.

I think it was in August of this year there were further elections for the APY Executive, and new members have taken up their role on the APY Executive. I don't recall receiving any correspondence in relation to what the honourable member refers to—any allegations in relation to the process—but it will be up to that new executive board to decide on the process for how they appoint a general manager. It is not up to the government to appoint or indeed, in fact, to decide the process on the appointment of the general manager. The only role the government has, and it is quite clear under legislation, is to comment on the terms and conditions of that appointment.