The Labor Government needs to come clean to Territorians over its misappropriation of taxpayer money to fund its 2020 election campaign instead of hiding behind new staff guidelines, the Opposition CLP says, while the Chief Minister says she has not been informed yet of what the ICAC’s investigation will reveal, but would not denounce party figures’ actions.
The NT Independent revealed on Tuesday that Eva Lawler had rewritten ministerial staff guidelines in response to a written question about what she would do to ensure that taxpayer’s money would not be used by Labor for campaign purposes this year, which was already forbidden by caretaker rules and which may have violated laws when it was carried out by Labor during the 2020 campaign.
The new staff guidelines appear to put more responsibility on staff for their ministers’ actions, as well as spell out that political activities cannot be undertaken by staff during work hours, that staff must “act at all times with integrity” and the “highest standards of conduct”, as well as specifically stating that the use of public resources is not permitted for political activities.
However, Ms Lawler stopped short on Tuesday of publicly rebuking those Labor figures involved in the 2020 election scandal, including at least one who is currently employed in her office.
“My background in leadership tells me that if people have very clear instructions and clear details, it makes it easier for everybody,” she said. “So, I sat down with my chief of staff, we provided those guidelines. So, it’s very clear about what you can and can’t do.”
Asked why nobody from Labor had been held accountable for their actions during the 2020 election campaign, Ms Lawler said she could not comment on the ongoing ICAC investigation.
She added that she has not been informed of what the investigation found or when it might be released publicly.
“That was, as I said, at the previous election,” she said. “I’m making sure that my candidates, my current Members of the Legislative Assembly, are very clear around what they can and can’t do.
“I think Lia Finocchiaro and the CLP Opposition should be making sure that their governance is also tidy and clear.”
Ms Finocchiaro said her office would adhere to the new ministerial staff rules.
“But given Labor’s history, I have no confidence that Labor will,” she said.
“Labor have still not answered for the alleged misuse of taxpayer funds during the last Territory election. Territorians want to see the ICAC investigation concluded before the August election.
“These guidelines are just another exercise in saving face and faking distance with her predecessors.”
Ms Finocchiaro added that Ms Lawler’s attempts to distance herself from her Labor Government’s actions in 2020 were “desperate”, considering she was one of the “architects of their failures” including cutting the ICAC’s budget as Treasurer.
“For a Government that was elected on the promises of integrity and transparency they have been anything but,” she said.
The NT Independent revealed in November 2021 that then-chief minister Michael Gunner’s office orchestrated more than $40,000 of taxpayer-funded flights throughout the 2020 campaign period, including some to marginal electorates in remote communities on polling days, approved by Mr Gunner’s brother-in-law and then-deputy chief of staff Ryan Neve, in breach of rules established to prevent the use of public funds for party-political campaigning.
The NT Independent investigation, which relied on internal government documents obtained through Freedom of Information laws, also revealed that Mr Neve and other Labor staffers remained in taxpayer-funded positions while running Labor’s 2020 re-election campaign against established protocols and while conducting blatant party political business through personal and government email accounts.
Nobody has been held accountable to date.
ICAC Michael Riches has declined to comment on where his investigation stands currently and if it will be released before the August general election.
Independent MLA Robyn Lambley revealed Mr Gunner and his office were under investigation by the ICAC for the misappropriation of public funds in May 2022, the day he resigned as chief minister. Ms Lambley had planned to publicly announce the investigation two days before Mr Gunner’s resignation, but delayed that at the request of the ICAC.
Facts are facts, why does it take the ICAC so long to get a couple of receipts. Possible political inteference. If this is not resolved before this year’s election, ICAC should be dismantled and replaced with the ETIICU (Effective timely investigations into Corruption Unit).
An High Court Judge needs to be at the head and an high level of accountability needs to be the basis of this organisation’s Mandate with no political affiliations.
Mr. Riches do your job.
Sir, you have not dealt with ICAC! ICAC is a marketing organization.
Its job is to simply announce ” The Territory has a ICAC”
They do not investigate anything and hand the complaints directly to the offending Department to investigate itself!
Do not lodge any complaints with ICAC, expose it via the media instead
We all wish Micheal Ritchies the best with his studies in his quiet office with his bored quiet staff, twiddling their thumbs.
No I have never dealt with ICAC but I have dealt with the NT Govt for over 40 years. The last 20m have shown nothing but total incompetence at every level and I am no genius. God help us.
If the ICAC people were paid on results they would all starve.
On the contrary, they are paid handsomely, to sit in that office and use their training and experience to do nothing.
2019 October – So glad NTG ALP CM Gunner’s BFF Lissie Radcliffe, Dan Andrew’s CoS, sacked myself & other OCM staff to replace us with child rapists like ALP President Kent Rowe who helped organise secretive illegal architecture to win the 2020 NT Election.
With paedo Kent still in the calaboose, who will organise the 2024 NT ALP espionage plan to win the 2024 NT Election.
Sorry you chose to work for corrupt bosses whose only ambition is their (and their families’) riches. We should never allow people under 50 to be politicians. Wisdom comes with life experience, look at fancy Chancey, Robyn Moss, Pottsy, Natasha, etc. No brains, no qualifications, no wisdom. Ultimately no future for the NT even though the young voters already know everything. So sad that we are dragged down to this level of incompetence in everything. So the Principal will save us but she isn’t no Henry Gray, not even close.
What are the KPIs for ICAC?
ICAC = Independent Cant Act Commission.