Northern Territory Attorney-General Chansey Paech has been referred to the NT's corruption watchdog for allegedly failing to declare a potential conflict of interest with the organisation servicing Alice Springs town camps.
Independent Member for Araluen, Robyn Lambley, said she took steps yesterday to refer Mr Paech to the NT Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC).
She said she had asked the commission to investigate whether or not Mr Paech had given Tangentyere Council preferential treatment, without declaring a conflict of interest.
Mr Paech has close family connections with people who have been involved with the running of Tangentyere for a number of years.
Ms Lambley said she felt she had a "mandatory responsibility" to report Mr Paech.
"I've been watching Minister Paech for many years, waiting for him to declare this conflict of interest he has, and to remove himself from all government business involving Tangentyere Council," she said.
"He's failed to do so."
'Baseless' allegations
Mr Paech refuted Ms Lambley's allegations.
"[Her] allegations about me are baseless, and she knows it," he said.
"The ICAC was not established to be used as a tool for political point-scoring.
"While Ms Lambley continues to be self-serving and disruptive, my Territory Labor Government colleagues and I are getting on with doing what's best for Territorians."
Ms Lambley said she "hadn't come to this point overnight".
"I've been talking to lots of people in the community, many people whom I don't necessarily have a lot to do with have approached me over the last six months in particular," she said.
"The perception by many ... is that Minister Paech has preferred Tangentyere, he's given them preferential treatment, he's been involved in a lot of funding decisions for Tangentyere."
She said some people were concerned his stance on liquor restrictions across the NT had been influenced by his connections at the council.
Intervention-era grog bans were lifted in July last year, with the NT Government repeatedly claiming they were "race-based policies".
But the territory government this week announced it would reinstate the bans, amid an escalating alcohol-fuelled crime wave across Central Australia.
"The fact that he backed Tangentyere Council in lifting the alcohol restrictions that were in place for many years at most of the town camps – I just found that irrational," Ms Lambley said.
"And I felt that also indicated that he wasn't thinking clearly, that his judgement was possibly being clouded by his very personal connections to Tangentyere Council."
Tangentyere Council was contacted for comment.
