SEAN-PAUL STEPHENS APPOINTED INDEPENDENT DIRECTOR OF ECONOMIC JUSTICE AUSTRALIA
BY TANGIORA HINAKI AND KALMIA SAMBO
Sean-Paul Stephens says his new role with Economic Justice Australia is a chance to support national reform while bringing governance experience shaped by years of working alongside First Nations communities.
Stephens is the CEO of the Ngarluma Yindjibarndi Foundation and has recently been appointed as an independent director of Economic Justice Australia.
He said his work in Ieramugadu-Roebourne and across the Pilbara had shown him the real impact of unfair systems.
“I think we see every day what happens when we don’t have economic justice and we don’t have a fair and equitable system, access to social security and other forms of economic wellbeing,” Stephens said.
“I was really drawn to Economic Justice Australia because of their mission to see a fair social security system across Australia.”
Stephens has worked with Ngarluma people in the Pilbara for the past decade, as well as with First Nations communities in the Northern Territory and Victoria.
He said those experiences had made it clear that access to economic justice remained unequal for many Aboriginal people.
“It doesn’t take much to spend time in communities like Ieramugadu and see that access to economic justice is not fair and hasn’t been working, and reform is required,” he said.
As an independent director, Stephens said his role was not to represent one group or community, but to support the board with governance, strategy and risk management.
“The role of an independent is, It’s an independent person that comes in, and he’s not there to represent members or a specific cohort of people, but to support the board in its governance journey.”
Stephens said good governance was the backbone of strong organisations, from large corporations to small not-for-profits.
EJA Board
“Governance is critical. You get your governance right, it is the backbone for everything else,” he said.
“My job here is to support the governance journey of Economic Justice Australia, so their amazing CEO and team can get after the great work that they do.”
Stephens said many Pilbara listeners would already know the term independent director through Prescribed Body Corporates and Aboriginal organisations across the region.
He said independent directors played an important role in supporting strong decision-making, conflict management and organisational wellbeing.
“An independent director doesn’t necessarily always need to be a whitefella,” he said.
“We just want to make sure it’s understood that the independent director’s role is governance and bringing that level of independent expertise that is so critical for the governance of an organisation.”
Stephens encouraged more people with governance experience to consider putting their hand up for independent director roles.
“I would encourage a lot of people out there to put their hand up for the independent director roles if you have that independent governance expertise,” he said.
Stephens will sit alongside First Nations leader Bettina Cooper, who is also an independent director with Economic Justice Australia.