Chief Minister Natasha Fyles and her senior adviser have been referred for investigation into possible criminal conduct, including allegedly “advancing secret personal interests” and other potential offences, in relation to her senior adviser’s consultancy company acting as the registered lobbyist for Tamboran Resources and Ms Fyles’ breaches of the ministerial code of conduct for not immediately divesting her shares in another gas company.

Former police officer and current independent MLA Mark Turner made the referral on Tuesday to the ICAC, in which he urged the NT Police’s input on the investigation, which he said was necessary to ensure government “operates in a manner that is consistent with the public good” following Labor Cabinet ministers repeatedly ignoring their obligations to investigate the Chief Minister’s multiple breaches of the public’s trust.

“It is imperative that elected officials and public servants adhere to the highest standards of conduct,” Mr Turner said in a statement.

“The public deserves a government that operates with transparency, integrity, and accountability. When these standards are potentially compromised, every responsible officeholder must take necessary actions to address the situation, regardless of the potential challenges or repercussions.

“Despite repeated attempts to address these concerns through official channels, the Cabinet has yet to provide acknowledgement or response. This silence has only amplified the need for transparent and independent scrutiny.”

Mr Turner added that the issues referred for investigation include “potential conflicts of interest” and multiple alleged breaches of different NT Government acts. He said he had received confidential legal advice that also pointed to “potential violations under specific sections of the Criminal Code Act”, including advancing secret personal interests.

He urged in the referral for ICAC Michael Riches to liaise with NT Police Commissioner Michael Murphy to investigate the “financial arrangements” between Ms Fyles, her senior adviser Gerard Richardson and his consultancy company Brookline Advisory.

The NT Independent revealed last week that federal records showed Mr Richardson’s consultancy company is the registered lobbyist for Tamboran Resources, a gas company the government has supported in moving ahead with fracking operations in the Beetaloo Basin and pledged government land at Middle Arm for Tamboran to build a massive LNG plant that it has already signed MOUs with international gas giants to utilise.

That conflict of interest was raised on the national stage, with federal independent teal MP Monique Ryan calling for a “full investigation” into Ms Fyles’ office last week, saying “voters have the right to expect their politicians and their advisers make decisions in the public’s best interests, not their own”. The federal Greens were also critical of Ms Fyles’ conduct, calling it “alarming and outrageous”.

“This isn’t just a back door into Parliament and influencing political decisions, it’s rolling out the red carpet for Tamboran to have all the information they need to get their way on Beetaloo,” Greens Senate Leader Larissa Waters said.

Questions were also raised by a national integrity expert about how exactly Ms Fyles used taxpayer cash to hire Mr Richardson through the same company that is the registered lobbyist for Tamboran for high-level political advice, which Mr Turner also raised with the ICAC.

Ms Fyles has refused to say how much the contract is valued at, if it had gone to public tender and who authorised the expenditure.

The NT Independent also revealed last month that Ms Fyles had an undisclosed number of shares in gas giant Woodside that she later claimed she was keeping so “they might grow for the kids”, adding “let’s see where those 169 shares go one day”.

However, the next day she divested the shares after being informed by Mr Turner in a letter that she was in breach of the ministerial code of conduct that forbids ministers from holding shares in companies that could create a conflict of interest. Woodside has an interest in a proposed carbon capture and storage hub at Middle Arm as well as interests in the offshore Sunrise Gas project in the Bonaparte Basin in the Timor Sea.

Ms Fyles also appears to have breached the Legislative Assembly (Disclosures of Interests) Act by not reporting shares in BHP between the years of 2017 and 2020 while a minister, as well as failing to disclose on her Register of Members’ Interests forms that her husband is a senior employee of CareFlight – a company awarded millions in taxpayer-funded health contracts while Ms Fyles was Health Minister.

Fyles won’t say if she will stand down while investigation is conducted

Ms Fyles’ office did not respond to the NT Independent’s questions about her and Mr Richardson being referred to the ICAC and police on Tuesday.

Ms Fyles has not commented publicly on Mr Richardson advising her while his company lobbies for Tamboran, but a spokeswoman and Deputy Chief Minister Nicole Manison both tried to justify Mr Richardson’s conflict by suggesting he was not directly working for Tamboran, despite his two-person consultancy firm being the registered lobbyist.

Ms Manison said it was “absolutely appropriate” for him to continue advising Ms Fyles while his company is the registered lobbyist for the gas company.

She also raised further concerns about probity in Cabinet by failing to answer if Mr Richardson had been in Cabinet meetings where gas decisions were being discussed.

Independent Commissioner Against Corruption Michael Riches, who does not comment on ongoing investigations, issued a general statement on Friday to mark International Anti-Corruption Day, suggesting that everyone must be “alive to the risks that create opportunities for corruption”. He also spoke of general principles to guard against corruption, including having proper “checks and balances” in place for public servants and ministers.

“Decisions must be, and must be seen to be, made without improper influence or motives,” he said in the statement last week. “To support good decision making, senior decision makers, including Ministers, must have the benefit of frank and fearless advice provided by impartial public servants and, in turn, those public servants must be able to give such advice without fear of personal repercussion.”