Jobs for mates cry as CLP fills health post

Health Minister John Elferink decreed on Monday that the plum position of Health Complaints Commissioner will now be filled by his chief of staff and former CLP health minister Stephen Dunham.

Health Minister John Elferink decreed on Monday that the plum position of Health Complaints Commissioner will now be filled by his chief of staff and former CLP health minister Stephen Dunham.

The appointment was made without a standard public ­recruitment process.

The position became available after current commissioner Lisa Coffey – the girlfriend of former top cop John McRoberts – did not seek another five-year term in the senior post.

Labor public employment spokeswoman Lynne Walker called the appointment of Mr Dunham “another blatant case of jobs for the boys”.

“It’s been a hallmark of the CLP Government from day one to appoint mates to jobs,” she said.

“It’s clear the CLP care more about looking after their mates than looking after ­Territorians.”

Mr Dunham was the member for Drysdale from 1997 to 2005, serving as health minister for three years and later as senior adviser to four health ministers. He also spent years as a public servant.

The Health and Community Services Complaints Commission provides assistance to Territorians to resolve complaints about health, disability and aged services in the NT. The position is viewed as more of an oversight body than an internal one. The commissioner also makes recommendations to improve services based on investigations into complaints.

Mr Elferink said he was “happy and proud” to announce the new job for his mate. “He knows the NT like the back of his hand and he knows the health system like the back of his hand,” he said.

“Right person for the job.”

When questioned over whether the job was advertised, Mr Elferink said cabinet had made the decision to hire Mr Dunham internally. “That was well within the authority of cabinet to do so,” he said.

The CLP’s last big unadvertised appointment from within was Adam Giles’ chief of staff Ron Kelly, who was named chief executive of the Department of Mines and Energy earlier this year.

There was no information available for why Ms Coffey didn’t seek another term.

Mr Dunham is expected to start on June 11, with an estimated salary of $250,000.