Interim Territory Coordinator Stuart Knowles was awarded a high-paying, four-year contract by Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro on Thursday that was not publicly recruited, and comes amid unresolved concerns over how animal abuse charges against him were dropped by another public servant he currently works with, after Mr Knowles expressed fears about losing his government job in late 2015 over the charges.
The NT Independent revealed on Thursday that Ms Finocchiaro, who previously said she was not aware of the animal cruelty charges, was notified in 2023 about the cover-up of the investigation by a whistleblower in an email that detailed how current chief executive of Mining and Energy Alister Trier had the charges dropped against Mr Knowles, despite Mr Knowles admitting to the animal cruelty charges.
Ms Finocchiaro avoided questions for days around the perception of favours being done for public service mates and the potential for the dropped charges to be used to coerce the Territory Coordinator, after the NT Independent revealed the matter last week.
Opposition Labor Leader Selena Uibo said in Parliament on Thursday that Ms Finocchiaro’s appointment of Mr Knowles without advertising the role or holding an independent hiring process had also failed the public’s trust.
“It has been revealed today, Chief Minister, that you have also known about the animal abuse charges against Mr Knowles since 2023, despite denying knowledge of it in Parliament yesterday,” she said.
“At a time when Territorians are deeply concerned with integrity of hiring practices of government, do you really think that this passes the pub test? And how can Territorians have faith in your word or in your judgment?”
Ms Finocchiaro said she met with Mr Knowles Thursday morning “to catch up on the really important reformations that they are doing to the Territory” and said again that she had “no recollection” of the email from the whistleblower outlining the animal abuse charges in 2023 – 18 months before she selected him as the interim Territory Coordinator.
She added that former chief minister Natasha Fyles had also received the whistleblower email and dismissed it, that included other allegations of misconduct in the Department of Primary Industries under Mr Trier.
“So, in effect, Natasha Fyles didn’t even think it met the threshold of looking into,” she said. “This had all been looked at [by statutory authorities]. Mr Knowles has apologised, he has moved on, he has rectified the issue. There wasn’t even a fine issued.”
The email stated there was no fine issued because Mr Trier had the charges dropped.
Despite calls for a proper investigation into the potential for coercion of the most powerful public servant in the Territory in connection to the animal abuse charges, Ms Finocchiaro has refused to comment.
Knowles’s background unclear, Chief Minister appears to have plagiarised quote about his talents
Ms Finocchiaro has also continually refused to say how Mr Knowles was selected and what the vetting process involved, defending him on Wednesday as “a man of [the] utmost integrity”.
He was appointed interim Coordinator in November 2024, through a process that was also not publicly advertised.
Sources in the CLP have had difficulty explaining where Mr Knowles came from and how he was awarded the Territory Coordinator role, which provides him unprecedented powers to overrule environmental and other safeguard legislation to approve and fast-track development of projects deemed important to the Territory’s economy.
His LinkedIn profile was previously reduced to not include all his employment history.
The NT Independent understands Mr Knowles is a diesel mechanic by trade, having finished his apprenticeship while in the military in the 1990s. Then, in 2012, Mr Knowles said he was a “senior adviser” in the Chief Minister’s Office, but nobody the NT Independent spoke with remembered him and could not explain what he did there.
Mr Knowles previously said he started work at Inpex in 2014, while on leave from his then public service job in the Department of Business. He was still employed by the NT Government and on leave without pay in late 2015 when four of his dogs were seized by animal welfare officers suffering severe tick infestations and other injuries.
A news article on website consultancy.com.au in September 2024, stated that he had joined Scyne Advisory in Darwin as a “senior member” after “abruptly resigning from his role as local Inpex managing director earlier this year”.
A quote attributed to Scyne Advisory said: “Stuart has extensive experience across both private and public sectors, and brings a wealth of local knowledge to our team through his deep connections and understanding of the Northern Territory’s unique challenges and opportunities.”
Ms Finocchiaro was quoted in a statement on Thursday about Mr Knowles’s four-year contract using the exact same lines:
“Stuart has extensive experience across both private and public sectors and brings a wealth of local knowledge through his deep connections and understanding of the Northern Territory’s unique challenges and opportunities,” she said.
It is unclear if Mr Knowles is still employed by Scyne Advisory and the nature of his role there.
Ms Finocchiaro’s office declined to release Mr Knowles’s salary, but it is estimated to be more than $400,000. The Chief Minister’s office stated there was a “formal assessment process” undertaken to assess Mr Knowles for “consideration of Executive Council to make a recommendation to the Administrator of the Northern Territory”, which was finalised on Thursday.
ABC NEWS ARTICLE by respected ABC Journo Jano Gibson ,21-2- 2021 , about the ALP MLA Turner Cocaine Misleading Parliament story (one of many Labor Cocaine stories about it “Snowing on the fifth floor”).
“Today, the CLP Member for Brennan, Marie-Clare Boothby, moved a motion to refer Mr Turner to the Privileges Committee for contempt of the Legislative Assembly.”
“Ms Boothby said her most serious concern was that the Member for Blain had told parliament last week that he had the support of the Chief Minister in making his statement.”
Ms Boothby urged all MLAs to vote in favour of her motion to protect the integrity of the Legislative Assembly.”
Wheres the worlds best and most qualified Attorney General now?
Will she defend protect box!the integrity of the Legislative Assembly now that her Photo Shopped Boss has materially misled Parliament?
Will she refer her Boss to the Privileges Committee for lying in Parliament?
Whats a buck tooth, qualified Receptionist of a Financial Advisory firm, to do?
LiaR Finocchiaro:
“If you think someone’s allegedly done something wrong, why don’t you walk over to the DPP and let them know”
~Please please someone report her/them to the NT Police and the DPP as per her arrogant and condescending advice above to Justine Davis MLA.
~Use: accessories after the fact, NT Criminal Code Act s13 or abuse of office – improper conduct s80 or s77 corruption.
You can report fraud, corruption or ‘other’ here, anonymously online to NT Police:
https://crimestoppersnt.com.au/make-a-report/#main-content
~They will keep delivering shit sandwiches like this to us for as long as we are willing to do nothing about it. Don’t waste time whinging on social media, report them to the Police, let them do the work.
~Calling all current and future whistleblowers: grab as much information as you can, leak it, copy it, set up temporary email accounts (not using your home or any identifiable internet connection) and email your stuff to journalists, use secure messaging app Signal to photograph documents and send them to NTIndependent and TransparentNT blog and others, give copies to the Police, share it with the DPP. Set it freeeeeeee!
~It’s one of the best ways to get any accountability from these LiaRs and privileged crooks. Take the decision making out of their control.
Is Lia playing with the full deck, how can someone be so oblvious to public opinion and integrity in public office. As for Boothby her lack of intellect is astounding.
CM’s Office stated there was a “formal assessment process” undertaken to assess Mr Knowles for “consideration of Executive Council to make a recommendation to the Administrator of the NT” which was finalised on Thursday. Surely, such a ‘formal process’ includes every detail including salary? After all the Administrator apparently finalised ‘the deal’ on Thursday. Therefore, why a public process inclusive of ‘cost’ continues to be hidden from PUBLIC knowledge. Remember: Transparency / Accountability?? Is it the C.M. or Administrator’s denial of “Public right to know”?