APY Lands

The Hon. F. PANGALLO (15:16): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs a question about the appointment of a general manager to the APY lands.

Leave granted.

The Hon. F. PANGALLO: In reply to a question I asked the minister in April about the process to appoint a new general manager to the APY lands, the minister said:

Much of the rest of the factual scenario that the honourable member has set out I believe to be substantially correct—that is, that the current general manager is not going on after the recruitment process that occurs has been finalised.

Those comments were in part due to the fact the government had decided not to approve the renewal of the contract of the incumbent general manager, Richard King, and advertised for the position. Yesterday, when I asked you another question on the topic after a number of concerns had been raised with me about the probity of the selection process, you said:

The correspondence we have received from the duly elected APY Executive is for the reappointment of Mr King. That is the subject of discussion between the government, which approves the terms and conditions, and the APY Executive.

My questions to the minister are:

1. Have you made a decision yet on whether you will agree to the APY lands board's recommendations to reappoint Mr King and, if so, on what grounds, given your decision earlier this year not to renew that contract?

2. How is it possible to appoint Mr King, given Mr King did not apply for the position when it was advertised?

3. What were the recommendations of the board to reappoint Mr King and what reasons were given as to why shortlisted applicants were rejected?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Attorney-General, Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector) (15:18): I thank the honourable member for his question. I note his genuine interest in this area. I will remind him, though, as I outlined yesterday, that the government does not appoint the person to this position. I think the questions had amongst them about the government advertising for this position. I want to make it very clear once again: pursuant to the Anangu Pitjantjatjara Yankunytjatjara Land Rights Act 1981, it is not the government that makes the appointment, it's not the government that advertises for this position, it is APY themselves through their duly elected executive board. The government has a role in either approving or not approving the terms and conditions of whoever it is that APY themselves decide to put up.

As I said yesterday, I have received correspondence from the newly elected board. In late August I think there were elections for the newly elected, I think 12-person, APY board. It is up to APY to decide who to put forward to me. It is up to them to decide what their processes are. The recruitment process that they had in train under the old board was not one that the government put in place; that was one that the previous APY board put in place.

In relation to the question that was asked: have I made a decision to appoint someone? No, I haven't. I don't appoint anyone—that is very clear under the act. Have I made a decision to approve terms and conditions? No, I haven't; I have asked for further information.