The chair of one of the Northern Territory's Aboriginal land councils has defended his position, following calls from the federal opposition for his removal from his elected position.
The Central Land Council (CLC), which represents some 24,000 remote Indigenous Territorians, voted former deputy Warren Williams into the top position in September last year, replacing Matthew Palmer.
Mr Palmer was ousted from the position after the land council lost confidence in him.
Under parliamentary privilege this week Shadow Minister for Indigenous Australians Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price questioned Mr Williams' suitability for the position in light of historical convictions, including incidents of domestic violence, and called on Indigenous Australians Minister Malarndirri McCarthy to intervene or for Mr Williams to resign.
Senator McCarthy responded by pointing out that the CLC is an independent statutory body and that she does not appoint or remove the chairs of land councils.
"The chair of the Central Land Council is elected by its members and is ultimately accountable to them," she said.
The region’s biggest health provider, the Central Australian Aboriginal Congress (CAAC), defended Mr Williams, a Warlpiri man.
“This isn’t news. For many years this man has openly used his story as a tool teaching Aboriginal men that positive change is possible,” the CAAC’s Male Health Manager Michael Liddle said.
“Finding men like Warren Williams is incredibly hard. He will drive all night to get to the sessions because he knows that his lived experience is what those men need to see and hear," the Alyawarre man said.
Senator Nampijinpa Price's demands also appeared in an article in The Australian newspaper this week, which questioned Mr Williams' eligibility for the role in light of his convictions, which date between 2008 and 2015 and include assault and being armed with an offensive weapon.
The information was provided to a senate committee after a request from Senator Price.
Mr Liddle said the convictions, which Mr Williams has spoken about publicly, were not reflective of his character.
"I’ve known Warren for 30 years and worked with him for ten. He has been successfully rehabilitated and has not had a drink for more than ten years," he said.
"Any violent behaviour is long in the past, and he is now a great example to show Aboriginal men that permanent change is possible.
“He stood up at our DV March in December, in front of a group full of mostly strangers, and told them about the journey he has taken – the responsibility he has taken – for his actions."
Senator Nampijinpa Price herself acknowledged that Mr Williams had spoken publicly of his history, but insisted he was unfit for his role as CLC chair.
"Mr Warren Williams, who has publicly said that he doesn't agree with me, that is all very well - he's entitled to his own opinion of course - but he has also said that he is 'sick' of my continued attacks on land councils and other organisations," she told the Senate.
"Well, maybe if they didn't have chairmen who had a history of domestic violence and maybe if they had removed these people or knew of their backgrounds before putting them in these places of leadership, I would stop calling them out."
Referring to Senator Price's own admission on the ABC's Australian Story of her past struggles with substance abuse, Mr Williams asked for forgiveness of his "mistakes".
"As Senator Price has revealed this week, everyone deserves a second chance," he said.
"I regret things I did in the past and have worked hard to make up for them. For the past decade, I’ve been on a better path, helping others and working to prevent domestic violence in our communities.
"Men need to see that change is possible. I teach them that their mistakes don’t have to define them. If I can change, they can too."
Senator Nampijinpa Price has been a virulent critic of many of the leaders of the Central Land Council.
The Warlpiri Celtic woman has repeatedly called for a broad audit of land councils, (NT land councils are regularly reviewed by the national audit office already), "and the Aboriginal industry more broadly" across the country.
The senator is also currently embroiled in a defamation suit brought by the CLC chief executive Les Turner after comments she made to the NT News, which the paper has since withdrawn and apologised for.
Senator Price has said there was "substantial truth" in her remarks.
In October Labor accused Senator Nampijinpa Price of misusing her position by trying to obtain minutes from a CLC meeting through the Senate.
Labor Senator Anthony Chisholm said the government couldn't support a motion asking for the minutes as they didn't have them and said Senator Nampijinpa Price had "chosen to play politics with this matter".
"It is clear that the motions being sought today by Senator Nampijinpa Price are an attempt to use the Senate to further a personal vendetta in relation to the leadership of the CLC, and that is something that the senator should explain," Senator Chisholm said.
"This is particularly improper and concerning whilst Senator Nampijinpa Price is being sued for defamation by the CEO of the CLC."
In 2023, the council condemned
Last year the CLC defended itself from , claims the CLC called "untrue".
