CLC CEO Les Turner on panel which hired now-disgraced Yipirinya School principal Gavin Morris
A land council chief executive locked in a defamation battle with a NT senator, which a now-disgraced principal was dragged into, was on the panel which recommended the principal be hired in the first place, documents reveal.
Les Turner, chief executive of the Central Land Council, was on the panel which recommended hiring now-disgraced former Yipirinya School Gavin Morris to begin with, newly tabled documents reveal.
Mr Turner, then interim chief executive, sat on the panel alongside Pauline Schober, Sheralee Taylor, Zania Liddle, and Margaret Fenbury in 2021.
This was revealed in an interview report, which was tabled in NT Parliament on Thursday night by Education Minister Jo Hersey.
Of all the panel members, Mr Turner was the only member who did not recuse himself over a conflict of interest.
There is no suggestion there was any conflict of interest on Mr Turner’s behalf, as the other panel members recused themselves due to associations with other candidates.
Nor is it suggested Mr Turner knew, or ought to have known, about any wrongdoing by Morris when he was hired for the job.
The interview report states Morris – who was found guilty of aggravated assault in October this year – “demonstrated good knowledge and experience against the essential selection criteria”.
Morris, who was charged with five counts of aggravated assault in August last year but found guilty on four counts, “had a good handle on and was across the issues associated with education for Indigenous people i.e. westernised curriculum,” according to the document.
The panel recommended Morris be appointed principal at Yipirinya School.
“Gavin talked about his vision for the school. He provided extensive examples of his leadership capabilities in schools and outside of schools in the community,” the document states.
“He provided examples of his in-depth knowledge of working with governance boards and councils.”
An independent report into Yipirinya School, sent to the school last December while a redacted version was tabled in parliament on Tuesday, states Morris gave himself an $85,000 pay rise, with approval of the board.
He was being paid $360,000 while principal of Yipirinya School, the report states.
Morris is no longer employed at the school, and after being found guilty, his name came up in an unrelated defamation case between Mr Turner and NT Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price.
On the first day of the high profile trial, Mr Turner’s barrister Sue Chrysanthou alleged the senator was involved in a plot to replace Mr Turner with Morris in a “coup”.
The alleged “coup” involved former CLC chair Matthew and Morris, Ms Chrysanthou told the federal court, further labelling Morris an “intermeddler” in the alleged plot.
Ms Price denied this claim when giving evidence, with findings in the defamation trial due to be delivered at a later date.
Morris will be sentenced in Alice Springs on December 8.
Mr Turner was contacted for comment, but did not respond by time of publication.
Originally published as CLC CEO Les Turner on panel which hired now-disgraced Yipirinya School principal Gavin Morris
