EXCLUSIVE: CLP Education Minister Jo Hersey took a luxury private jet between Katherine and Darwin to attend a boozy, “bottomless” high tea at the Hilton Garden Inn Darwin in early December, but she claims no taxpayer money was expended despite posting photos of the jaunt on her government-funded social media account, which comes as the Minister was also caught out misleading Territorians about her disclosable interests.
Jetstar will offer direct seasonal service between Darwin and the Gold Coast in late June, after receiving an undisclosed amount of taxpayer cash to operate the service.
The CLP Government and the Labor Opposition have not ruled out supporting independent MLA Justine Davis’s calls for a parliamentary inquiry into the rorting of a government Indigenous employment scheme that saw an estimated $60 million fraudulently obtained by up to 146 Territory contractors.
The CLP Government will plunge the Territory into further debt rather than find necessary cost savings of $450 million a year, with Treasurer Bill Yan proclaiming the move “responsible action to repair the budget”.
Latest highlights include the Federal Government splashing $24 million for infrastructure projects across the Territory, the NT Government falling behind on meeting its housing build goals, and the Darwin rental market tightening as demand increases. Also making resource news is Tanami Gold reporting promising drilling findings at the Jims gold mine.
An independent MLA has called for a full parliamentary inquiry into how $60 million was stolen from Territory taxpayers through the Indigenous Employment Provisional Sum scheme, with only $900,000 recovered and two small-time contractors jailed for rorting $300,000, while larger companies suspected of obtaining millions were never charged.
UPDATED: Airnorth is launching direct flights between Cairns and Alice Springs, with an undisclosed subsidy from taxpayers, while tickets started being sold on Monday for the first flight on April 14.
EXCLUSIVE: The staggering amount of money believed stolen by NT construction companies through the government’s flawed Indigenous Employment Provisional Sum scheme has finally been released, following the conclusion of multiple investigations into the troubled program that ended with only two small-time contractors going to jail, with the NT Government recovering less than 1.5 per cent of the total funds it suspected were rorted.
EXCLUSIVE: Investigations into the largest known fraud ever perpetrated in the Northern Territory have ended with only two small-time contractors convicted of defrauding the Indigenous Employment Provisional Sum scheme, that saw potentially tens of millions of taxpayer money rorted by dozens of NT construction companies.
Treasurer Bill Yan is taking the crumbling Territory economy on the road through the NT next week – with special guest Under Treasurer Tim McManus – in an effort to explain to Territorians how the CLP Finocchiaro Government is planning “to fix the economic mess”.
Darwin Council’s proposed 21-storey civic centre building that will be co-owned by a private developer has been criticised as an “horrifically expensive” cost for the council per square metre, but the Lord Mayor has said it is good value for money, while a residents’ petition has been launched to stop the project.
Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro has called for more “accountability” from major airlines after Virgin Australia indefinitely suspended its direct flights between Darwin and Adelaide during the upcoming tourism season.
