At a rally in Alice Springs last year, Warren Williams admitted to previously hitting his wife, but says "everyone deserves a second chance". (ABC News: Xavier Martin)
In short:
Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price has called on the federal government to intervene in the Central Land Council after revelations about the criminal history of its chair Warren Williams.
It's been revealed Mr Williams has a string of convictions including assault and contravening domestic violence orders, dating between 2008 and 2015.
Mr Williams said he had been open about his past and his experience taught other men that "change is possible" and "their mistakes don’t have to define them".
The chair of a prominent Northern Territory land council has pleaded for a "second chance" after Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price raised concerns the organisation was "being run by someone with a serious criminal history".
Central Land Council (CLC) chairman Warren Williams, who was appointed to the role in September last year, opened up about his criminal past at a domestic violence rally in Alice Springs in December.
"It was 30 years ago, I hit my wife and I did some time in that old cell, 10 months," he said at the time.
"[That] was the last drinking episode that I had. From then on, my life completely changed."
Police records recently provided to a Senate committee show Mr Williams has a string of convictions dating between 2008 and 2015, including for assault, being armed with an offensive weapon and several instances of contravening domestic violence orders.
It comes after Senator Price, a month prior to the rally, requested a police history check for Mr Williams and CLC deputy chair Barbara Shaw in a question on notice to the Senate Finance and Public Administration Legislation Committee.
Aboriginal men and boys led a march through Alice Springs in December in response to a landmark domestic violence coronial inquest. (ABC News: Charmayne Allison)
The CLC, which represents about 24,000 Aboriginal Territorians, responded on January 22 with police records for Mr Williams, saying it had "not sought a police history check for the deputy chair".
Family and domestic violence support services:
If you need help immediately call emergency services on triple-0
- 1800 Respect National Helpline: 1800 737 732
- Women's Crisis Line: 1800 811 811
- Men's Referral Service: 1300 766 491
- Lifeline: 131 114
In a statement on Tuesday, Senator Price called on Indigenous Australians Minister Malarndirri McCarthy to intervene as she had with the Anindilyakwa Land Council (ALC).
Senator McCarthy froze funding for the ALC in August last year after it failed to "sufficiently respond" to recommendations from an audit into its governance following claims of mining royalty misuse.
"This is yet another example of the racism of low expectations this government applies when it comes to Indigenous organisations and leaders," Senator Price said.
"We simply wouldn’t stand for this in any other organisation."
Jacinta Nampijinpa Price says "we must expect better of our Indigenous leaders". (ABC News)
In a statement to the ABC, Mr Williams said he regretted his mistakes but had "worked hard to make up for them" over the past decade.
He referred to an Australian Story interview with Senator Price which aired on ABC TV on Monday and detailed her history of drug abuse.
"As Senator Price has revealed this week, everyone deserves a second chance," Mr Williams said.
"For me, like Senator Price, giving up alcohol helped make me the person I wanted to be.
"My mistakes are now teaching others that they can choose a better life too."
Aboriginal men march against DV
Photo shows Marchers take to the streets holding signs
Mr Williams said he drew on his own experience when talking to men in behaviour change workshops.
"Men need to see that change is possible," he said.
"I teach them that their mistakes don't have to define them."
Central Australian Aboriginal Congress' male health manager Michael Liddle said Mr Williams had been "fearless" in sharing his story "with the people that can benefit from it most".
"I've known Warren for 30 years and worked with him for 10," he said in a statement.
"He has been successfully rehabilitated and has not had a drink for more than 10 years.
"He will drive all night to get to [men's behaviour change] sessions because he knows that his lived experience is what those men need to see and hear.
"Do you know how hard it is for Aboriginal men to get up and talk about violence? When will people stop damning those men who do?"
Warren Williams was appointed the CLC chair in September 2024. (ABC News: Xavier Martin)
Senator Price said she accepted Mr Williams' comments at the rally "may have been unprompted and a genuine disclosure" but that "we must expect better of our Indigenous leaders".
She also reiterated her calls for an inquiry into land councils and other statutory authorities.
"It's not just the instance of someone with this history having a position of power in a land council but the circumstances that allow for it to happen," she said.
It comes as Senator Price is being sued by CLC chief executive Lesley Turner who claims he was defamed in a media release put out by her office.
Malarndirri McCarthy said she expected "strong governance and accountability from all land councils". (ABC News: Che Chorley)
Senator McCarthy said the CLC was an "independent statutory body" and that she did not have powers to appoint or remove chairs of land councils.
"My agency has written to the Central Land Council to ensure it remains compliant with its contractual and legislative obligations," she said in a statement.
 "The chair of the Central Land Council is elected by its members and is ultimately accountable to them."