Media Release: Did Minister Over-ride Selection Process to Provide Heritage Role to Liberal Mate?
Did Minister Over-ride Selection Process to Provide Heritage Role to Liberal Mate?
6 April 2026
Independent Member for Nelson Meg Webb today accused the Rockliff Liberal Government of deliberately providing partial and misleading answers to the serious questions surrounding the appointment of former Liberal candidate Stephen Parry to the position of Tasmanian Heritage Chair following recent revelations under Right to Information disclosures released to the Mercury newspaper.
“My questions in Parliament last month and the RTI information expose disturbing inconsistencies and gaps, raising serious questions Minister Madeliene Ogilvie, must answer,” Ms Webb said.
“In response to my questions, the Minister failed to disclose the fact there were two advertising rounds for this position, only providing some of the relevant information relevant to the second round in September last year from which Mr Parry emerged as the successful candidate.
“Now we learn there was a previous round in January last year with five candidates applying.
“A Government spokesperson is reported as saying the Department recommended a second round. However a Departmental Ministerial Minute dated 30 September and released under RTI information states that, ‘on 8 September 2025, you requested that NRE Tas re-advertise the Council Chairperson vacancy via a new EOI process.’
“Which one is it Minister? Did you request a second advertising role for this position as stated in the RTI documents, or did the Department formally recommend a second round was necessary?”
Ms Webb said The Mercury has reported Mr Parry sent the Minister his CV in September.
“Did he do so before or after the Minister requested on 8 September the THC Chair vacancy be re-advertised?
“This begs the question why this role was readvertised after the initial recruitment process was apparently well-progressed. Were there no appropriate candidates in the first round, or was it reopened simply to allow Mr Parry to put himself forward?
“We now know the THC chair vacancy was originally advertised on January 18 last year with five applications received, none of whom were Mr Parry. That process then stalls.
“Then, seemingly out of the blue, following his unsuccessful tilt for State Parliament Mr Parry emails his CV to the Minister in September the same month there is a decision to readvertise the THC Chair role, despite that not being publicly advertised until October.”
Ms Webb said it is highly unusual and inappropriate for an applicant for a statutory role to go behind the formal recruitment process, which is purposefully at arm’s length from the Minister, and send their CV directly to the Minister.
“Crucial questions must be answered on whether Mr Parry sent his CV to the Minister’s Office unsolicited and whether it was to seek consideration for this specific role or more broadly for any role that may be available.”
Ms Webb also said the Minister did not disclose that of the final shortlist of candidates in the second round, the successful applicant was the sole male candidate out of four which were referred to the Minister for consideration, with the non-successful candidates all appearing to provide strong governance, leadership and heritage experience.
“The RTI documents indicate a number of short-listed candidates deemed suitable for appointment, some of whom appear to be demonstrably better qualified than Mr Parry.
“How can the Minister justify this captain’s pick?”
Ms Webb said the appointment of Mr Parry is certainly under a cloud.
“If close political connections are the magic ingredient to securing statutory roles in this state, we will undoubtedly deter and miss out on good candidates who will simply not bother to put their hand up.
“It is also a bad look in this instance, after explicit efforts to encourage well-qualified women to apply, to see the only male short-listed candidate land the job.
“Community expectation is that key publicly-funded roles are allocated with integrity, to the best qualified candidate. It is time for the Minister to come clean and fully explain this highly questionable appointment,” Ms Webb said.
View Meg’s question to the Minister for Heritage, and the Minister’s response provded to the Legislative Council, dated 12 March 2026. here:
