NT Indigenous treaty commissioner Mick Dodson has lost the confidence of the chief minister following allegations he publicly threatened a woman.

May 22, 2021

Professor Mick Dodson can’t continue as the Northern Territory’s Indigenous treaty commissioner until allegations he verbally abused two women are cleared up, Chief Minister Michael Gunner says.

The former Australian of the Year has been accused of verbally threatening an Aboriginal woman during an ugly incident at an interstate football game in Darwin in January.

The 71-year-old is also alleged to have called a second woman offensive names during an angry exchange at a casino five months before he was appointed to the role.

Prof Dodson has not admitted the allegations, and through his lawyer says he doesn’t remember the first incident but agreed the alleged conduct was disgraceful.

Mr Gunner says he strongly condemns threatening or aggressive behaviour towards any individual, particularly from senior officials.

“I’ve formally expressed my concern to (Prof Dodson) about recent allegations he behaved in a threatening and derogatory way towards a number of women,” he said in a statement late on Friday.

Mr Gunner said the women making the allegations needed to be heard and Prof Dodson had the right to defend himself.

“However, I do not believe that the role of the treaty commissioner can be filled and the work of the role progressed while these allegations are ongoing,” he said.

“I, along with the minister for treaty (Selena Uibo), have therefore lost confidence in the commissioner to perform his role.”

It’s understood Prof Dodson agreed to resign after receiving Mr Gunner’s letter.

The Yawuru man was named the Australian of the Year in 2009 for his work advocating for the rights of Indigenous Australians.

As a barrister specialising in native title and human rights, he assisted the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody in the 1980s.

In 1993, he was appointed as Australia’s first Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner, a post he held until 1998.

He was appointed NT’s Treaty Commissioner in February 2019.

Earlier in the week, Prof Dodson’s lawyer Mr De Silva said his client had been receiving treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder, which stems from his childhood.

“Upon being advised of the incident Prof Dodson’s immediate response to the complainant’s representatives was to agree with their description of the alleged conduct as being disgraceful,” he said.

Prof Dodson’s role as NT treaty commissioner is to consult with Aboriginal people and develop a framework for future treaty negotiations.

He is understood to be paid $290,000 annually and can only be removed from the role by a vote of parliament or resigning.