Health Minister John Elferink defends his appointment of former workmate Colleen Gwynne as Children’s Commissioner

HEALTH Minister John Elferink has appointed former workmate Colleen Gwynne as the Children’s Commissioner.

Attorney-General John Elferink speaks to the media during a press conference on the rise of child abuse in the Northern Territory.

COLLEEN Gwynne has been appointed the Territory’s Children’s Commissioner – it’s a role which will require her to scrutinise the youth policies she has just helped the Government to write.

Health Minister John Elferink, who once worked in the police force with Ms Gwynne, did not advertise the job.

Ms Gwynne most recently worked in the Territory bureaucracy and helped establish the NT Child Abuse Taskforce.

Mr Elferink, who took heat earlier this week for appointing his mate and chief of staff Stephen Dunham as the Health and Community Service Commissioner, said Ms Gwynne was not a mate appointment, but rather the best person for the job.

“She’s not a mate in that sense,” he said. “I have seen the quality of her work in the police force and drafting youth justice policy. She is someone I have high regard for.”

Asked why the Government did not go through a public advertising process, Mr Elferink said: “The Territory Government is unashamedly in favour of hiring Territorians.”

READ: ELFERINK SLAMMED FOR JOB FOR MATES

But Labor called the appointment typical of the CLP’s “we know best mentality”.

“The CLP have failed the credibility test once again and have shown they cannot be trusted to follow proper processes for our independent bodies,” said Lauren Moss.

Ms Gywnne was appointed acting commissioner after Howard Bath stepped down from the role last year.

The NT News understands Ms Gwynne took an absence from her position to work on drafting the youth justice policy as staying on would have created a conflict of interest.

Her appointment will require her to now scrutinise the very policy she helped create.

“There is no conflict with an author of policy later implementing that policy,” Mr Elferink’s spokeswoman said.

“It’s important to note all public servants have a code of conduct, which includes declaring any conflicts of interest. We are confident Ms Gwynne would do so if necessary.”

Ms Gwynne will take up the role of Children’s Commissioner once the appointment is finalised by the Administrator, the Government said.