Former chief minister Michael Gunner is scheduled to deliver a keynote address on behalf of his new employer Fortescue Future Industries at the NT Resources Week conference Wednesday morning in Darwin, amid an ongoing NT ICAC investigation into allegations his office misused public funds during the 2020 election.

Mr Gunner resigned suddenly as chief minister in May 2022 and was employed by Fortescue Future Industries exactly six months after leaving office, in accordance with parliamentary rules forbidding a former minister from working for a company with interests relating to ministerial portfolios for six months.

He said at the time that he had resigned to spend more time with his young family, but it was later revealed he was also under investigation by the NT ICAC over allegations his office coordinated the use of taxpayer funds to pay for party campaign flights to remote communities on polling days during the 2020 general election.

Mr Gunner, now FFI’s director of Australia-West, will deliver the speech on Wednesday morning at the NT Resources Week conference entitled “Australia’s energy transition and the race to real zero” at 9:50am, shortly after his former “wing woman” and Mining and Industry Minister Nicole Manison kicks off the conference with a ministerial address.

FFI did not respond to questions about the speech or if FFI chairman Andrew Forrest was aware Mr Gunner is under investigation for alleged corruption.

The company said at the time of the appointment that Mr Gunner’s role would be establishing a new office in Darwin and leading a team tasked with exploring “job creating project opportunities” in the NT and WA.

To that end, Mr Gunner brought his former media adviser Cameron Angus to FFI, as well as former policy adviser Chris Langworthy.

Mr Gunner said the job with FFI was “for the children” and would allow him to “make a meaningful contribution to the world”.

However, his environmental record as chief minister for six years was criticised by the Environment Centre NT.

“Territorians can’t forget the devastating legacy of climate-wrecking projects that the former chief minister leaves behind,” co-director Kirsty Howey said last October.

“No one has pushed harder for new fossil fuel development in the Territory than Mr Gunner.”

Mr Gunner was a major player in securing funding from the Federal Government for the controversial Middle Arm Industrial precinct while chief minister, with the precinct recently announced as the subject of a Senate inquiry.

The NT Government is hosting “delicious canapes and refreshing drinks” at Parliament House tonight from 5:30pm as a welcome reception where conference participants can “meet and network with fellow attendees and hear from some of our keynote speakers”, an ad promoting the reception stated.

The NT Resources Week conference will coincide with three different conferences, including Mining the Territory, SEAAOC and the Environmental Management and Decarbonisation Forum.

Other speakers over the next two days include federal Resources Minister Madeleine King, former federal minister Mathias Cormann, Shadow Resources minister Susan McDonald, Tivan chairman Grant Wilson, NT Industry, Tourism and Trade chief executive Shaun Drabsch, NT gas taskforce chair Alister Trier, NAIF chief executive Craig Doyle and dozens of professional industry CEOs and executives.