EDITORIAL: It is “absolutely appropriate” Nicole Manison told Territorians this week for the Chief Minister’s most senior adviser to also run a consultancy company that lobbies for the gas industry, and in so doing, proved just how corrupt, incompetent and morally compromised this government is.

The NT Independent revealed this week that Fyles’ senior adviser Gerard Richardson’s company Brookline Advisory is the registered lobbyist for Tamboran Resources, the gas company pre-approved to frack the Beetaloo Basin, which was also promised government land to build a massive LNG plant at the proposed Middle Arm industrial precinct.

What this latest scandal shows us is that both Natasha Fyles and her deputy Nicole Manison are completely unfit to hold the high offices they currently occupy.

They have shown that they clearly do not understand probity at the highest level, that they fail to grasp the sanctity of Cabinet confidentiality, and that they fundamentally lack the understanding of the public importance of their roles.

There is no way to defend hiring a man whose company is a gas industry lobbyist to be your most senior political adviser, which Fyles did knowingly and brazenly with taxpayer cash. The idiocy it takes to try to defend it shows just how ethically challenged Fyles and Manison are and how they cannot be trusted to run the government.

We shouldn’t have to write this, but just so Fyles, Manison and the rest of the Labor Cabinet understand clearly: the public rightfully expects its politicians to make decisions that are in the best interests of Territorians, free from influence from vested interests who aim to profit off those decisions.

The appearance now that this is not happening is detrimental to the basic functioning of our democracy. On this International Anti-Corruption Day, let us all remember that public institutions need to be seen to be making decisions without improper influence or motives and that the advice they receive must be provided by impartial public servants.

Fyles has been compromised by this latest fiasco so badly the only way she can even remain in the role of Chief Minister is to sack Gerard Richardson immediately and apologise to the public…but we’re beyond that now.

She no longer has the trust of the public and the necessary credibility to lead the Northern Territory. We spoke a few weeks back about the self-inflicted fresh cream pie to the face that ruined her political career – this week has only caked on more – and again she did this all to herself. She is done, whether she wants to admit it or not.

The gravity of this situation does not resonate with the Chief Minister or her Deputy. They honestly believe there is nothing wrong with a person giving the Chief Minister advice whose company stands to profit off her decisions.

They both think it’s “absolutely appropriate”.

What’s next, tobacco lobbyists making health policy?

Instead of doing the right thing, her office once again did what it does when faced with scandal this week: delay, deny, cover-up and accept no responsibility.

The spin machine went into overdrive, taking two days to respond, finally producing lines that must have come from Richardson himself, telling the public he has “provided assurances” he won’t capitalise off his inappropriate dual roles.

“He does not do work for Tamboran and does not do any work for anyone based in the Northern Territory other than the government,” an unnamed staffer said.

He doesn’t work for Tamboran, but his company of two people, including him, does. How stupid do they think the public is?

We know he is providing the Chief Minister with high-level strategic political advice at the same time the company he is co-director of is profiting off its relationship with Tamboran – the largest gas player in the Beetaloo Basin region – which stands to make more off future NT Government decisions. How does Fyles respond when early next year Tamboran, surprise, surprise, is given the official green-light to start fracking the Beetaloo?

Cabinet compromised by Fyles’ adviser

There was more to Manison’s bizarre claim on Wednesday that it was “absolutely appropriate” for Richardson to be advising the Chief Minister that has not been reported by the media, who for their own reasons, have not properly examined the latest serious breach of the public trust (the publicly-funded ABC Darwin and its editor John McElhinney ignored the story outright).

Manison was directly asked if Richardson had attended Cabinet meetings, but refused to answer, telling reporters that “the only people who make decisions in the Cabinet room are Cabinet ministers”.

Richardson has clearly been present at Cabinet meetings, as our sources have said, and which Manison confirmed by her non-answer. He also has access to the most sensitive documents in our government and has a client who would very much be interested in those plans and what decisions might be made and what they might need to do to benefit from those decisions.

How could they let a gas company lobbyist have access to Cabinet and its documents?

This is so serious it goes to the heart of our democracy and Fyles is completely oblivious to it all.

It’s enough to make you sick to your stomach.

Fyles should also be questioning the great political advice she has received from Richardson, who before working for Gunner, lost the un-losable 2019 election for Bill Shorten.

Remember just three weeks ago, Fyles found her profound lack of judgment leading her into hot water when we disclosed her shares in gas giant Woodside Energy.

It appears the lobbyist for Tamboran told Fyles to get out there and defend her Woodside shares; which tells you all you need to know about this government’s inability to deal with conflicts of interest. “Tell ’em you’re keeping the shares that your Granny gave you for your kids and that there is no conflict of interest.”

So that’s exactly what she tried to do.

Then she, and presumably Richardson, were made aware that she had in fact breached the ministerial code of conduct by not divesting the shares last year when she became aware of them.

So the next day, she was forced to do the right thing – the action she should have taken all along – and announced she was divesting the shares.

As expected, she accepted no responsibility for her own error, blamed an independent federal Senator and “those who wish to bring the Territory down” and said she was only divesting the shares “to end this distraction”.

Questions around hiring process of political genius Richardson

The other issue as raised by the Centre of Public Integrity’s director Geoffrey Watson, is exactly how Fyles used taxpayer money to hire Richardson to provide her with that genius political advice.

This is not dissimilar to the scam Gunner and his mates pulled on Territorians by stealing taxpayer cash to fund their 2020 re-election campaign, which is currently under investigation by the ICAC and which involves other ministers, staffers, brothers-in-law and even Gerard Richardson himself, who was heavily involved in that campaign, but the extent of his involvement in the scam is currently unknown.

Did Richardson’s taxpayer-funded contract through Brookline earlier this year go to tender? If not, why not? How much are taxpayers paying the lobbyist to advise the Chief Minister? Who approved the contract?

Fyles clearly knew when she hired Richardson through Brookline that he had connections to the gas industry, in fact, she told us all back in August that she hired him to help her sell the industry to the public.

“What I’m articulating to the community is why we need the resources and how we’re growing the economy to achieve that,” she told ABC Radio presenter Jo Laverty when asked why she hired him.

The Chief Minister hired a gas lobbyist with taxpayer money to tell her how to sell the industry to the public.

This is so wrong on so many levels and an absolute breach of the public’s trust.

Natasha Fyles’ latest lack of judgment needs to be the catalyst for her to follow her mate Michael Gunner and resign as Chief Minister.

That would be the easy way out for her. She also needs to be investigated by a proper authority and held accountable for breaching the public’s trust once again in the worst way imaginable.