'Cocaine sex scandal' cover-up continues as Gunner’s office refuses FOI application | NT Independent

‘Cocaine sex scandal’ cover-up continues as Gunner’s office refuses FOI application

by | Feb 3, 2022 | News, NT Politics | 0 comments

The Chief Minister’s Office has blocked a Freedom of Information application into its handling of the ‘cocaine sex scandal’, which sought documents relating to when the Chief Minister first became aware of an email that detailed explicit messages and allegations about a senior staffer, an MLA and a sex worker.

The refusal to release the information comes almost a year after the FOI application was originally filed.

The FOI application sought information relating to how a crucial email sent from the NT Independent on February 15, 2021 that detailed explicit messages between MLA Mark Turner, senior adviser Kent Rowe and their mistress was handled internally, when it was actually received by Mr Gunner’s director of communications Maria Billias and who it was forwarded to.

Mr Gunner had claimed last year that a “server fault” had caused the email to be delayed and that his office was unaware of its contents for days.

The email contained quotes and descriptions of text messages referencing drug use by the woman, graphic sexual comments and references to explicit pictures exchanged between the senior staffer and woman, as well as discussions of drug use between the pair, among other matters. The email also provided messages that showed Mr Turner was aware of the woman’s cocaine use, but it has not been alleged that Mr Turner used drugs himself.

Mr Gunner denied the existence of any evidence that Mr Turner and Mr Rowe acted inappropriately during parliamentary sittings on February 16, 2021, after the email had been sent that detailed the specifics of the messages the day before.

Most of the contents of the email were later reported, but it remains unclear what Ms Billias and Mr Gunner’s communications team did after receiving the email and who was involved in working with Mr Turner to mitigate the political damage from the scandal, as well as whether any staffer was involved in helping Mr Turner attempt to solicit a false statement from his mistress.

The NT Independent originally filed the FOI application in February 2021, seeking proof of receipt of the email by Ms Billias including the date and time, who it was forwarded to, all internal communications and ministerial briefings concerning the matter, as well as all emails and text messages referencing the email.

Mr Gunner’s office originally delayed the release for weeks before claiming in late March of last year that the information could not be disclosed because the matter was under investigation by the Independent Commissioner Against Corruption.

The NT Independent re-filed the application after the Office of the ICAC confirmed they had dropped their investigation last November.

Repeated delays releasing public information before outright refusal

After delaying the release of the information two more times, the Office of the Chief Minister refused its release outright on Friday, on the grounds that the material requested involves “media matters that do not relate to a public sector agency nor to any specific legislation or program administered” by the NT Government.

“As the information that you have requested is not connected with the Chief Minister’s responsibilities as the holder of that office, it is not subject to the access and correction rights under Part 3 of the (Information) Act,” stated the unsigned decision letter by an unnamed government “information officer”.

The NT Independent has called for an internal review of the decision on the grounds that ministerial advisers are paid with public funds through the Department of Chief Minister & Cabinet, that they are routinely the subject of expenditure costs reporting during Estimates hearings and that they do not have immunity from the Information Act.

The appeal also asserts that Mr Gunner is responsible and has made repeated public comments about the email in Parliament and in local media.

Following the internal review process, the matter may be pursued with the Office of the Information Commissioner.

The Gunner Government was first elected in 2016 on a platform of restoring integrity to government, that included pledges to improve the Northern Territory’s Freedom of Information processes, including to “strengthen the presumption in favour of disclosure”, reduce processing times and scrapping fees below $2000.

“These reforms will make it easier, cheaper and faster for Territorians to access information about how their government operates,” Mr Gunner wrote in the “Restoring Integrity to Government” paper in 2016.

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