CLP Attorney-General Marie-Clare Boothby released a secret ICAC report in Parliament Thursday that probed the NT Police’s and DPP’s pursuit of former children’s commissioner Colleen Gwynne for hiring a mate for a senior job, finding the previous Labor government entered into an undisclosed payout deal with Ms Gwynne after her trial was aborted, but before the DPP could appeal the judge’s decision.
The ICAC’s report into Police Commissioner Michael Murphy’s improper conduct in hiring a mate for a senior police executive role has contradicted Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro’s account of events, raising more questions about why she chose not to take any action against the commissioner for more than a week and initially remained silent on the scandal.
Territorians will pay for a high-priced Melbourne lawyer to defend senior government executive Andrew Kirkman’s actions at an upcoming Federal Circuit Court hearing in Darwin, after another court found he threatened to blackmail a female staffer and inflicted a mental health injury on her while engaging in “aggressive” and “threatening” behaviour in 2021.
The Opposition says it will be demanding answers from Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro when Parliament resumes Tuesday morning, calling for the release of the full Operation Apollo report and for her to explain why a so-called “educational tool” for the public service has been kept secret, while Ms Finocchiaro said on Monday she was still waiting for advice from the ICAC before tabling the report in Parliament. That and other issues are expected to dominate this week of parliamentary sittings.
Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro has pledged to release the ICAC’s full Operation Apollo report in Parliament on Tuesday, which will provide the public with its first look at the details around suspended police commissioner Michael Murphy’s improper conduct and the extent of the investigation.
EXCLUSIVE: Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro maintained yesterday that she was not aware Acting Police Commissioner Martin Dole was on the same tainted hiring panel as Michael Murphy until Monday, but the NT Independent can reveal she was informed of the matter on Saturday, during a discussion with the NT Police Association concerning her appointment of Mr Dole to the top job and likely knew about it before then.
Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro has finally ordered an independent inquiry into executive appointments in the NT Police, despite claiming two days ago that she had no concerns about cronyism in the police force, with all executives appointed by disgraced commissioner Michael Murphy remaining in their roles while the inquiry is carried out.
UPDATED: Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro has added more uncertainty and instability in the NT Police, claiming on Monday morning that she only today became aware Acting Police Commissioner Martin Dole was on the same mismanaged hiring panel as Michael Murphy to appoint a senior role, despite being asked about it on Sunday and being given a briefing by the ICAC late last month, adding that she holds “no concerns” about a culture of cronyism in the NT Police.
Police Commissioner Michael Murphy will not be referred for a criminal investigation into his proven improper conduct, Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro said at her first press conference since moving to terminate his contract, but again refused to explain why she did not take action as soon as she became aware of Mr Murphy’s improper conduct.
Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro has finally told Police Commissioner Michael Murphy to resign, stating he has “lost the confidence of the Government”, but it appears he has been placed on leave while his contract is terminated, according to an unusual Saturday night statement from her office.
ANALYSIS: The Chief Minister’s handling of the ongoing Murphy scandal undermines the confidence every Territorian needs to have in its highest elected official and in its police commissioner, raising serious questions about her lack of action. The cover-up is always worse than the crime, as this debacle proves again.
The NT Police Association has called for Police Commissioner Michael Murphy to resign, following revelations he engaged in misconduct and failed to manage a serious conflict of interest by hiring a mate for a senior role, which has “ignited widespread frustration and anger” within the police rank-and-file, who are once again questioning the integrity of their leadership.
