The angel on Jim Jefferies' left shoulderon June 5, 2025 at 8:20 pm
We have friends starting a new political party here in the NT. It’s called: Change For Better or CFB for short.
Exactly this kind of thing happened to their founder, ex-NT Government whistleblower Ferg Ferguson.
Here’s how to change the poisonous workplace culture in the NT Government which rewards, supports, encourages and enables wannabes and imposters like Andrew Shirkman and all like him: make them pay for all their own legal messes.
Behaviour would change overnight. Boom!
One of the CFB party’s promises is to deny SFNT/Government legal assistance and any outsourced legal assistance to the managers/bosses/executive/heads of Dept/whoever is bullying you from a position of power, people like Andrew Shirkman.
They bully and harass and threaten and destroy the reputations of hard working staff, the staff member suffers, the staff member then usually has to engage lawyers out of their own pocket to fight for compensation or to repair their reputation or get their HDAs that the Chief Minister’s husband Sam Burke gets in increments so he doesn’t have to apply for jobs and is reminded via emails from the Chief Executive of the Chief Minister and Cabinet Office.
A nice concierge service if you can afford it, Mr Burke!
The bullying manager/head of Dept then gets literally millions of dollars of free legal help, we’ve seen the bills over the years.
Armies of Government funded lawyers attack the employee while the manager sits back and watches.
After the NT Government makes the employee fight to the end, trying to destroy the employee financially in the process, Government almost always settle before all their dirty laundry and dirty tactics are exposed in a public court hearing.
Here’s the cherry on the turd cake:
Any settlement money the employee win comes out of the tax payer pot, a pot the employee has paid into with their hard earned dollars!
All the money spent trying to destroy the employee also comes out of that same tax payer pot the hard working employee has paid into!
The Government or outsourced legal practitioners all get paid very well thank you very much and the cause of the problem, Andrew Shirkman in this case, also gets paid very well thank you very much. Sometimes that employee has already lost their job and is getting paid nothing while all this unfolds.
Fair? Certainly not. Anyone trying to change it? Certainly not.
Bullies like Andrew Shirkman pay NOTHING towards their legal case nor anything towards any settlement money.
Ferg was almost bankrupt by his fights, but he refused to give up and the Government settled his multiple cases 10 minutes into his final big hearing at the Anti-Discrimination Commission to stop all their dirty laundry being aired.
He got all his money back but was forced to resign his permanent job. He also went on to study law because of it.
If CFB was in charge, Andrew Shirkman would have got ZERO HELP from the Government, actually they would have given his free legal help to Maria Rust. And when Shirkman lost he would have to pay all his own legal fees as well Maria’s legal bills AND any settlement damages paid to her.
This is what the NT Government does to employees when the shoe is on the other foot, then tries to make sure the poor employee can’t get a decent reference so they find it difficult to be employed in the future.
Has the ALP or the CLP offered to redress this imbalance by denying bullies legal assistance? Nope. They love the status quo. Only CFB would change it.
Has the ALP or the CLP offered to assist Maria Rust? Nope. They love the status quo. Only CFB would change it.
Has the ALP or the CLP even acknowledged this is grossly unfair and is only empowering bullies like Andrew Shirkman? Nope. They love the status quo. Only CFB would change it.
Has the ALP or the CLP spoken about changing this system as a way to encourage positive workplace behaviour in the future? Nope. They love the status quo. Only CFB would change it. ~~
We all saw or heard the pantomime Public Accounts Committee from yesterday I’m sure. If you didn’t then please read the NT Independent article about it.
Has the ALP or the CLP complained that the Committee was wound up too early so as not to properly investigate anything? Nope. They love the status quo. Justine Davis have. CFB would change that so there is no more embarrassing pantomime.
Has the ALP and the CLP done anything to stop the rot, stop the rampant nepotism and deal with the financial-tick infestation currently thoroughly embedded in the NT Government system? Nope. They love the status quo. Only CFB would change it. And probably Justine Davis.
CFB would create retrospective legislation to claw back that money from Shirkman.
It’s not difficult to do: either create new legislation or extend backwards the statue of limitations for a specific set of offences so you catch Shirkman’s cases against Maria Rust and any others who may come forward.
Think it can’t be done? Wrong.
Jumping ship aka resigning wouldn’t help you get away with anything Mr Shirkman. Think you’re smart eh? CFB are smarter, trust us.
It’s how Donald Chump was charged and ultimately found guilty of sexual assault when New York brought in new legislation which extended the statute of limitations backwards to catch more people from a longer time ago:
Has either the ALP or the CLP suggested this might be a good way for the tax payer pot to be replenished with the millions spent to support Andrew Shirkman and others like him? Nope. They love the status quo. Only CFB would change it.
You want things to really Change For Better? You need to support them and vote for it.
PS: Shirkman, you owe the NT money. The new debt collectors and pest eradicators: CFB are coming for it.
I agree, for the most part, but keep in mind the accused perpetrator is also innocent until proven guilty. This right is ubiquitous in our legal system, applying to all people, yet too often we see it overlooked for the sake of stoking public outrage or simple political gamesmanship. Coppers being suspended without pay is another example, and it needs to stop.
Jason – This motion passed at the Mataranka Country Liberal Party February 2024 Central Council –
“An incoming Northern Territory Country Liberals Government will amend sections 47 (2) (b) and 49E (2) (b) in the Public Sector Employment and Management Act (NT) and sections 76A and 84G of the Police Administration Act (NT) to ensure that suspensions of employees and or NT police officers will be with pay.
Executives of an NT public service Agency or executives of the NT Police Force will not have arbitrary and or discretionary options to selectively differentiate who is suspended without pay and or with pay.”
Moved: Lucio Matarazzo Seconded: Marie Land.
——————-
Why are you not getting stuck into your CLP Politician mates in NT Parliament who are docile and are not willing to make the professional best practice changes needed in the Northern Territory. Start holding your CLP Politician mates in NT Parliament to account or else the Northern Territory will never improve.
May I also suggest that you also read this this court decision about Andrew Kirkman
The angel on Jim Jefferies' left shoulderon June 6, 2025 at 1:08 pm
No NT Government Depts work like that when they ‘substantiate’ complaints against employees just because it suits them.
Shirkman was caught on tape.
We know of an NT teacher who lost his job because a fellow colleague lied about seeing him bash a kid. When he was forced to hire his own private investigator, they found that the lying colleague’s claimed line of sight was behind a brick wall. He eventually uncovered many other lies and was reinstated but it cost him a fortune and the liars spent nothing.
Do a search for this term: ‘Phil Brennan public apology ntnews’ (still works in NT Health Dept)
Do a search for this term: ‘Hylton Hayes bully abc’ (note the personal best friend connection to Eva Lawless)
More than 2 million dollars between them to openly try to destroy Ferg after his whistleblowing over a number of years.
There are ways to make sure bullying managers/executives etc don’t get a free ride at the tax payers expense and there are ways to create and encourage lawful and normal behaviour in the workplace. We believe they go hand in hand.
We think that removing this completely unfair one sided protection away is a good way to start.
In this Andrew Shirkman case, another NT Government arm called the OCPE making findings in contradiction of the Court does not make Shirkman ‘innocent’.
He owes Maria Rust and the NT people money. And an apology.
CFB would also publish all legal costs incurred by NT Government in each year: how much was spent, which legal firms benefitted most, names of cases, people involved, outcomes, etc with the aim of reducing legal action, partly this would encourage better workplace behaviour if things were generally much more open.
You think Alastair Shields From The Public, after watching him choke and splutter at publishing a set of crappy little DWC minutes, would be on board with this kind of idea?
You think the ALP or the CLP would publish this kind of information? {insert your choice of negative answer here].
I wasn’t paid out after bullying by Shirkman’s evil twin 2016-21 NTG DCM CEO Jodie Ryan who colluded with 2016-19 NTG ALP Gunna’s CoS Alf Leonardi & 2016-21 NTG Newscorp Editor Matt Williams who colluded against those living at the Waterfront who alleged money laundering & bullying via the DWC who used surveillance, breaching privacy laws & media codes of conduct & unethically engaging the Darwin DPP lawlessly. I WILL NOT COMPLY. (Go to Linked-In if this comment is deleted)
Let this be a lesson for people litigating against the NT GOV!
They pay out, handsomely, right at the end.
The drain must be huge with all the taxpayers money being poured down on a regular basis.
We have friends starting a new political party here in the NT. It’s called: Change For Better or CFB for short.
Exactly this kind of thing happened to their founder, ex-NT Government whistleblower Ferg Ferguson.
Here’s how to change the poisonous workplace culture in the NT Government which rewards, supports, encourages and enables wannabes and imposters like Andrew Shirkman and all like him: make them pay for all their own legal messes.
Behaviour would change overnight. Boom!
One of the CFB party’s promises is to deny SFNT/Government legal assistance and any outsourced legal assistance to the managers/bosses/executive/heads of Dept/whoever is bullying you from a position of power, people like Andrew Shirkman.
They bully and harass and threaten and destroy the reputations of hard working staff, the staff member suffers, the staff member then usually has to engage lawyers out of their own pocket to fight for compensation or to repair their reputation or get their HDAs that the Chief Minister’s husband Sam Burke gets in increments so he doesn’t have to apply for jobs and is reminded via emails from the Chief Executive of the Chief Minister and Cabinet Office.
A nice concierge service if you can afford it, Mr Burke!
The bullying manager/head of Dept then gets literally millions of dollars of free legal help, we’ve seen the bills over the years.
Armies of Government funded lawyers attack the employee while the manager sits back and watches.
After the NT Government makes the employee fight to the end, trying to destroy the employee financially in the process, Government almost always settle before all their dirty laundry and dirty tactics are exposed in a public court hearing.
Here’s the cherry on the turd cake:
Any settlement money the employee win comes out of the tax payer pot, a pot the employee has paid into with their hard earned dollars!
All the money spent trying to destroy the employee also comes out of that same tax payer pot the hard working employee has paid into!
The Government or outsourced legal practitioners all get paid very well thank you very much and the cause of the problem, Andrew Shirkman in this case, also gets paid very well thank you very much. Sometimes that employee has already lost their job and is getting paid nothing while all this unfolds.
Fair? Certainly not. Anyone trying to change it? Certainly not.
Bullies like Andrew Shirkman pay NOTHING towards their legal case nor anything towards any settlement money.
Ferg was almost bankrupt by his fights, but he refused to give up and the Government settled his multiple cases 10 minutes into his final big hearing at the Anti-Discrimination Commission to stop all their dirty laundry being aired.
He got all his money back but was forced to resign his permanent job. He also went on to study law because of it.
If CFB was in charge, Andrew Shirkman would have got ZERO HELP from the Government, actually they would have given his free legal help to Maria Rust. And when Shirkman lost he would have to pay all his own legal fees as well Maria’s legal bills AND any settlement damages paid to her.
This is what the NT Government does to employees when the shoe is on the other foot, then tries to make sure the poor employee can’t get a decent reference so they find it difficult to be employed in the future.
Has the ALP or the CLP offered to redress this imbalance by denying bullies legal assistance? Nope. They love the status quo. Only CFB would change it.
Has the ALP or the CLP offered to assist Maria Rust? Nope. They love the status quo. Only CFB would change it.
Has the ALP or the CLP even acknowledged this is grossly unfair and is only empowering bullies like Andrew Shirkman? Nope. They love the status quo. Only CFB would change it.
Has the ALP or the CLP spoken about changing this system as a way to encourage positive workplace behaviour in the future? Nope. They love the status quo. Only CFB would change it.
~~
We all saw or heard the pantomime Public Accounts Committee from yesterday I’m sure. If you didn’t then please read the NT Independent article about it.
Has the ALP or the CLP complained that the Committee was wound up too early so as not to properly investigate anything? Nope. They love the status quo. Justine Davis have. CFB would change that so there is no more embarrassing pantomime.
Has the ALP and the CLP done anything to stop the rot, stop the rampant nepotism and deal with the financial-tick infestation currently thoroughly embedded in the NT Government system? Nope. They love the status quo. Only CFB would change it. And probably Justine Davis.
CFB would create retrospective legislation to claw back that money from Shirkman.
It’s not difficult to do: either create new legislation or extend backwards the statue of limitations for a specific set of offences so you catch Shirkman’s cases against Maria Rust and any others who may come forward.
Think it can’t be done? Wrong.
Jumping ship aka resigning wouldn’t help you get away with anything Mr Shirkman. Think you’re smart eh? CFB are smarter, trust us.
It’s how Donald Chump was charged and ultimately found guilty of sexual assault when New York brought in new legislation which extended the statute of limitations backwards to catch more people from a longer time ago:
https://www.jurist.org/news/2022/11/trump-sued-under-new-york-law-extending-statute-of-limitations-in-sexual-assault-civil-cases/
Has either the ALP or the CLP suggested this might be a good way for the tax payer pot to be replenished with the millions spent to support Andrew Shirkman and others like him? Nope. They love the status quo. Only CFB would change it.
You want things to really Change For Better? You need to support them and vote for it.
PS: Shirkman, you owe the NT money. The new debt collectors and pest eradicators: CFB are coming for it.
I agree, for the most part, but keep in mind the accused perpetrator is also innocent until proven guilty. This right is ubiquitous in our legal system, applying to all people, yet too often we see it overlooked for the sake of stoking public outrage or simple political gamesmanship. Coppers being suspended without pay is another example, and it needs to stop.
Jason – This motion passed at the Mataranka Country Liberal Party February 2024 Central Council –
“An incoming Northern Territory Country Liberals Government will amend sections 47 (2) (b)
and 49E (2) (b) in the Public Sector Employment and Management Act (NT) and sections
76A and 84G of the Police Administration Act (NT) to ensure that suspensions of employees
and or NT police officers will be with pay.
Executives of an NT public service Agency or executives of the NT Police Force will
not have arbitrary and or discretionary options to selectively differentiate who is suspended
without pay and or with pay.”
Moved: Lucio Matarazzo
Seconded: Marie Land.
——————-
Why are you not getting stuck into your CLP Politician mates in NT Parliament who are docile and are not willing to make the professional best practice changes needed in the Northern Territory. Start holding your CLP Politician mates in NT Parliament to account or else the Northern Territory will never improve.
May I also suggest that you also read this this court decision about Andrew Kirkman
https://localcourt.nt.gov.au/sites/default/files/decisions/maria_rust_v_northern_territory_of_australia_2024_ntwhc_2.pdf
No NT Government Depts work like that when they ‘substantiate’ complaints against employees just because it suits them.
Shirkman was caught on tape.
We know of an NT teacher who lost his job because a fellow colleague lied about seeing him bash a kid. When he was forced to hire his own private investigator, they found that the lying colleague’s claimed line of sight was behind a brick wall. He eventually uncovered many other lies and was reinstated but it cost him a fortune and the liars spent nothing.
Do a search for this term: ‘Phil Brennan public apology ntnews’ (still works in NT Health Dept)
Do a search for this term: ‘Hylton Hayes bully abc’ (note the personal best friend connection to Eva Lawless)
More than 2 million dollars between them to openly try to destroy Ferg after his whistleblowing over a number of years.
There are ways to make sure bullying managers/executives etc don’t get a free ride at the tax payers expense and there are ways to create and encourage lawful and normal behaviour in the workplace. We believe they go hand in hand.
We think that removing this completely unfair one sided protection away is a good way to start.
In this Andrew Shirkman case, another NT Government arm called the OCPE making findings in contradiction of the Court does not make Shirkman ‘innocent’.
He owes Maria Rust and the NT people money. And an apology.
CFB would also publish all legal costs incurred by NT Government in each year: how much was spent, which legal firms benefitted most, names of cases, people involved, outcomes, etc with the aim of reducing legal action, partly this would encourage better workplace behaviour if things were generally much more open.
You think Alastair Shields From The Public, after watching him choke and splutter at publishing a set of crappy little DWC minutes, would be on board with this kind of idea?
You think the ALP or the CLP would publish this kind of information? {insert your choice of negative answer here].
Fixing yet another Labor scandal, how many more to be uncovered?
I wasn’t paid out after bullying by Shirkman’s evil twin 2016-21 NTG DCM CEO Jodie Ryan who colluded with 2016-19 NTG ALP Gunna’s CoS Alf Leonardi & 2016-21 NTG Newscorp Editor Matt Williams who colluded against those living at the Waterfront who alleged money laundering & bullying via the DWC who used surveillance, breaching privacy laws & media codes of conduct & unethically engaging the Darwin DPP lawlessly. I WILL NOT COMPLY. (Go to Linked-In if this comment is deleted)