Federal Labor’s Murray Watt attacks Tracey Hayes’ appointment as the new head of NAIF

Federal Labor’s spokesman for Northern Australia, Senator Murray Watt, has attacked the appointment of Territory businesswoman Tracey Hayes as NAIF chair, accusing the Morrison government of ‘appointing another mate’.

Territory businesswoman Tracey Hayes has been appointed the new chair of the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility (NAIF). Picture: Helen Orr

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FEDERAL Labor’s spokesman for Northern Australia, Senator Murray Watt, has attacked the appointment of Territory businesswoman Tracey Hayes as chair of the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility (NAIF), accusing the Morrison government of “appointing another mate”.

“Under the cover of lockdowns across Northern Australia, National Party Minister Keith Pitt has appointed former Country Liberal Party candidate Tracey Hayes as the new chair of the NAIF board – a part-time role paid nearly $120,000 per year,” Senator Watt said.

“It should be no surprise the Minister has appointed another national mate, given the recruitment process for this highly-paid role was a sham.”

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Ms Hayes, who is a former NT Cattlemen’s Association chief executive, serves on the Australia Indonesia Institute board and the National Drought and Flood Response and Recovery Agency advisory board.

She was one of two Territorians named on the new NAIF board, alongside Darwin project management specialist Stephen Margetic.

Mr Watt was critical of the appointment process pointing to recent Senate Estimates hearings where departmental officials said: There was no competitive process for the appointment, and potential candidates were selected solely by the minister and his office.

Resources, Water and Northern Australia Minister Keith Pitt said Ms Hayes and board members had the credentials to lead the $5 billion NAIF through its next phase.

Since it started operations in 2016, NAIF has committed $2.9 billion in finance for projects, however Mr Watt says only $342 million has been released from the fund.