PM Transcripts

j AUSTRALIA
PRIME MINISTER
FOR MEDIA 12 JANUARY 1989
The Government proposes to recommend to the Governor-General
the appointment of the Honourable J H Muirhead QC to be the
next Administrator of the Northern Territory.
It is expected that Mr Muirhead, who was nominated by the
Northern Territory Government, will take office in the
middle of the year. He will succeed His Honour Commodore
Eric Johnston AM OBE who has been Administrator of the
Northern Territory since 1980.
Commissioner Muirhead will continue to head the Royal
Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody until
approximately the end of April.
I wish to take this opportunity to express the Government's
great appreciation for the work that has been done by Mr
Muirhead and to wish him well in his future appointment.
The interim report into Aboriginal deaths in custody
prepared by Commissioner Muirhead is a significant
contribution towards the resolution of the difficult issues
into which the Royal Commission is inquiring. Relevant
Commonwealth and State Ministers are making arrangements for
early consideration and implementation of Mr Muirhead's
recommendations. I am writing to State Premiers and to the Chief Minister of
the Northern Territory about appropriate successor
arrangements to ensure that the Royal Commission is able to
complete its important inquiries.