Chief Minister Natasha Fyles has contradicted herself on radio, claiming that the Cabinet Office provided the ICAC with documents related to allegations that a senior public servant manipulated a Cabinet submission, but then bizarrely claimed he did not have the documents.

Ms Fyles has faced criticism for not turning over documents commissioner Michael Riches had requested from former chief minister Michael Gunner related to a “serious allegation” that a public officer had altered a Cabinet document and misled Cabinet.

Mr Gunner had claimed he could not release the documents due to Cabinet confidentiality, Mr Riches said in a recent report to Parliament, despite his Cabinet potentially being misled by the unnamed public servant.

The Opposition CLP has repeatedly called on Ms Fyles to hand over the documents to clear the air and said today she is losing credibility after her contradictory comments.

In a confusing explanation, Ms Fyles told two different stories while attempting to connect the release of the documents to an ongoing review of the ICAC Act.

Under the ICAC Act, the ICAC cannot compel a person to provide Cabinet documents, which remain confidential under long-standing parliamentary conventions for 30 years, unless that privilege is waived. While the ongoing review is not expected to focus on that matter specifically, governments have in the past released documents if in the public interest.

“We did allow him to look at that document to see if it was what he believed it was,” Ms Fyles claimed.

ABC Radio presenter Jo Laverty sought clarification.

“So just to be clear, the Commissioner Michael Riches said that the request to look at this particular document was declined, and you’re saying that you made it available for him to look at?” she asked.

“So my understanding is that the Cabinet Office and the ICAC spoke around the documents to ascertain what information he’d been given – but that was what I was provided with,” Ms Fyles replied.

“If he’s saying in that report that he hasn’t seen it, then that’s, that’s his view. And that’s of course, correct.

“But what I’m saying is, explaining to your listeners, the interaction between the two pieces of legislation that there’s a presently a review, so into the future, is there a way that we can overcome this, but also, you know, Cabinet Office tried to allow him to have materials that he could utilise to help him with his investigation.”

Fyles infers ICAC report wrong, CLP say documents need to be released

Mr Riches’ report to Parliament, tabled a day after Mr Gunner resigned from politics triggering the Fannie Bay by-election, stated that he had “received material in respect of a different matter” and that Ms Fyles did not raise a claim of parliamentary privilege for that particular matter.

However, Ms Fyles suggested that Mr Riches’ report was incorrect and that the matter was the same matter as the one he approached Mr Gunner about.

“My understanding and recollection of this was that it was around this specific situation, and I don’t think it was as simple that Michael [Gunner] didn’t want to hand it over,” she said.

“I think there was, it was quite clear that the previous chief minister didn’t want to hand it over. It was something that within the first few weeks of becoming the Chief Minister, I was made aware of, and there has been some work done and the continuation of that was, was between Cabinet Office and the ICAC.”

That is not what Mr Riches report to Parliament said.

Mr Riches did not respond to the NT Independent’s questions but told the ABC that there were “two entirely separate matters” and that he would be “pleased” to hear from the government if they want to provide the documents he initially requested from Mr Gunner.

Opposition Leader Lia Finocchiaro said Ms Fyles has lost credibility with her confusing and contradictory explanation.

“Even Natasha Fyles can’t keep track of her pathetic excuses,” she said.

“Natasha Fyles has lost all credibility when in one breath she claimed the ICAC has the cabinet document and in another claims she doesn’t know what the document is or whether he has it.

“Natasha Fyles must provide the ICAC what he needs to investigate this serious allegation of misleading cabinet.

“Different leader, same dodgy government. This is yet another reason why people need to use the Fannie Bay by-election to send Labor a message – no more excuses.”