CLP Education Minister Jo Hersey says she will now disclose the gift of a free luxury jet flight to a boozy brunch paid for by a wealthy Katherine businesswoman, after breaching the Disclosures Act by failing to report the gift, with the Opposition calling for the Minister to be reprimanded for flouting NT disclosure laws on multiple occasions.
The NT Independent revealed on Thursday that Ms Hersey had taken the luxury jet with six other women between Darwin and Katherine after attending a “bottomless” high tea at the Hilton, photos of which she inexplicably posted to her official, taxpayer-funded social media account in early December, while tagging a private air charter company.
After repeatedly refusing to explain who paid for the flight, Ms Hersey admitted last evening that the flight was paid for by a “friend”, who the NT Independent understands to be local aviation company owner and mango farmer Tina Niceforo, who owns the $8 million jet the Minister was on, along with a green Lamborghini and various other jets with her husband Nino Niceforo.
Under the Disclosures Act, Ms Hersey as an elected official is obligated to disclose “sponsored travel” and gifts “exceeding $300 in nature”.
She also has 28 days to update her register of members’ interests with any material changes, which Ms Hersey failed to do for the flight, as well as for divesting her Telstra shares, which she claims was also done in December. Ms Hersey maintained the shares past the August election despite Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro ordering her then-opposition members to divest all their shares early last year.
Opposition Leader Selena Uibo said Ms Hersey should have “come clean” about the nature of the flight and who paid for it earlier, while also questioning the optics of the Minister jet-setting to high tea while her Katherine constituents struggle with cost of living pressures.
“At best, Jo Hersey is completely out of touch, while families in her electorate struggle with the cost of groceries and fuel,” Ms Uibo said.
“At worst, she is deceiving Territorians about this luxury brunch flight and about her share portfolio.
“Lia Finocchiaro promised Territorians that all of her Ministers would divest their shares in early 2024. Jo Hersey’s register of interests still lists her as holding shares [as of Wednesday] almost a year on and despite her promising to divest them when she was caught months ago. Lia must demonstrate leadership by appropriately reprimanding Minister Hersey for breaching the Disclosures Act and misleading Territorians.”
Ms Finocchiaro said she had personally directed Ms Hersey to divest her Telstra shares again late last year after the issue was reported in all local media.
But the register of interests on Wednesday showed she still held the shares, despite claiming she had updated her register.
“Both have subsequently occurred,” Ms Finocchiaro said, referencing the divestiture of the shares and related disclosures.
“There are clear expectations on all elected members and I have reminded my colleagues of these obligations.”
Ms Finocchiaro added that she was assured that “no taxpayer funds were used” for the private jet brunch at the Hilton, but did not respond to a question about whether the Minister would be reprimanded for the breaches of the Disclosures Act.
Ms Hersey last night said she would be disclosing the flight as a gift in accordance with the law.
“I will disclose the flight as a gift on the register given it could be perceived by the public as a conflict of interest,” she told the NT Independent in an email.
“To be clear, the flight was paid for by a close friend for a personal trip with several friends. Not one taxpayer dollar was spent.
“As a member of Parliament for nearly five years, and now as a Minister, I have always acted with integrity, and I will continue to do so.”
Ms Hersey’s office said the updated register of interests was “signed and sent” to the Clerk’s office on Wednesday, after the NT Independent raised the failure to update the register and failure to disclose the flight.
Tina Niceforo (Pic: Facebook)
Questions have also been raised about the Minister promoting Tindal Air on her official Facebook page about the flight and high tea, after receiving the free flight, which could also breach policies for elected officials.
ASIC records show Tindal Air is owned by pilot Bryan Thompson. However, CASA records show the plane used for the flight is owned by Niceforo Aviation, based in Katherine, with Tindal Air listed as the registered operator of the plane.
Niceforo Aviation has expressed interest concerning government contracts in the past, according to government tenders online, and Tindal Air was awarded a $20,000 select contract through DIPL last year to provide emergency evacuation flights for flood-displaced residents of Kalkarindji and Yarralin, while also expressing interest concerning other government contracts.
Ms Niceforo did not respond to requests for comment, but said on Facebook that Ms Hersey was a “personal friend that was invited on my personal jet at my expense”.
“NT Independent be care [sic] what you write. I find this very poor reporting without facts.”
The NT Independent had repeatedly asked Ms Hersey who paid for the flight before the first article, but the Minister refused to divulge that information, claiming only that “no taxpayer money was spent” while not offering any evidence.
Congratulations Chief Minister
-in putting a Qualified Hair Dresser in charge of one quarter of the Government, which is the Education Department!
-in putting a zero qualified nobody in charge of the total Government expenditure and economic future of the Treasury!
Crooks will only admit guilt when the evidence is stronger than the lie.
Entitled TWATS!
Where are all the commenters from yesterday???
Free gifts to a Minister or a MLA is perfectly acceptable?
Ironically donations from the Donators who may or may not have defrauded a particular $60 million scheme, is perfectly acceptable!
I helped my local butcher and his wife in the family court, get a contact order to see their grandchildren. As a loyal client of his fine food for over 15 years, l knew l had to find another butcher. Why? Because good grateful humans can’t seem to thank you enough, and l knew he would never charge me correctly ever again. I helped because l wanted too and that was it. They got to see their grandchildren and l never did find a better butcher!
Unfortunately as a public official Jo knew better, her choice to accept a favour, when we all accept nothing comes for free, is unforgivable!
I would have respected this minister had she fessed up, sadly it’s another CLPALP tactic of deny until you can’t deny any longer, and this trait is unbecoming of such prestigious positioning as public figures
You have to shake off that Stockholm Syndrome, Chris.
Seriously, her friend took her on her plane. Why should she have to declare that as a gift.
@Sarah,,,,really Sarah, your happy your elected officials who will make long range decisions about the Territory’s future, have no understanding of their responsibilities and duties as Politicians? Morals and ethics even?
What you call a free gift ,I could call lobbying or bribing a Minister.
I don’t want to denigrate the Minister in question but What Was She Thinking?
Would you be concerned
– if the friend , in this scenario, won a government tender after this?
– if every other Government tender seeking business started showering the Ministers with “gifts” as is common in 3rd world nations?
This is a interesting ABC article to put some perspective on the current scenario:
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-11-29/nt-ministers-get-exclusive-qantas-chairmans-lounge-memberships/104595904
…”the gift of a free luxury jet flight TO a boozy brunch…”
and
“… Hersey had taken the luxury jet… between Darwin and Katherine AFTER attending a “bottomless” high tea at the Hilton”
So actually 2 flights if the above is accurate
Politicians are all the same. Ethical politics is an oxymoron. They can’t/won’t lie straight in bed. It is all about securing their pension and very very rarely about securing a bright future for constituents. We pay these people to spend our taxes and make our laws. All they do is line their pockets and obfuscate any accountability.
The first sign of corruption is virtual nobodies meteoritic rise to power. They are carried up to the table by their sponsors and then every decision is made by the most influential lobbyist (the one with the deepest pockets). They are put in charge of critical government services and bottomless pits of taxpayers money. They only have to survive 2 elections and they are set for life. There is zero accountability and zero transparency. Only once they are faced with unequivocal evidence in the public forum will any admission be accepted, but still there is rarely accountability.
Every effort of a politician is to “control the narrative”. Obfuscation, deception, misdirection and lies are the tools of the politician. If a public servant is accused of a fraction of what these politicians and Executive level public servants have been proven to have done, they are swiftly crucified and beaten down.
Lia is stuck between a rock and hard place. If she takes action on this, she must also accept accountability on herself.
“The standard you walk past, is the standard you accept.” – Lieutenant General David Morrison, the former Chief of the Australian Army.
Having the Northern Territory become a substandard and a deficient jurisdiction is not the answer to best practice governance.
The facts are that all NT Politicians and NT Ministers of the Northern Territory Government are bound by –
Legislative Assembly (Members’ Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards) Act (NT) 2008
https://classic.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/nt/consol_act/lacocaesa2008560/
and the
Legislative Assembly (Disclosure of Interests) Act (NT) 2008 .
https://classic.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/nt/consol_act/laoia2008473/
Northern Territory Public Servants employed in the NT Public Service are are bound by –
https://ocpe.nt.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/379329/code-of-conduct-for-the-northern-territory-public-sector.pdf
5.4 Conflict of interest
Public sector officers must:
5.4.1 avoid any perceived, potential or actual
conflicts of interests between their personal
interests and their public duties
5.4.2 ensure their personal or financial interests do
not influence or interfere, or be perceived to
influence or interfere, with the performance
of their duties or role
5.4.3 ensure the interests of family, friends or
associates do not influence or interfere, or
be perceived to influence or interfere, with
the performance of their duties and/or role
5.4.4 disclose in writing to the CEO or
Agency head any perceived, potential or
actual conflict of interest at the earliest
opportunity, and comply with any lawful and
reasonable direction by an authorised officer
to manage the conflict of interest
5.4.5 disclose a declaration of bankruptcy to their
CEO at the earliest possible opportunity
——————————————-
In the year 2011 the NT Public Service Code of Conduct Employment Instruction number 12 stated –
20. Acceptance of gifts and benefits
Judgement and responsibility
20.1. The acceptance of gifts or benefits by Public Sector Officers is an area requiring sound judgement. Benefits include offers of cash, gifts, free travel, substantial hospitality, accommodation or entertainment. Accepting such gifts or benefits is a matter of judgement for the individual Public Sector Officer concerned who must be satisfied that his or her responsibilities will not in any way be compromised or appear to be compromised by acceptance. The Public Sector Officer will bear personal responsibility for any decision to accept a gift or benefit.
Guiding principles
20.2. In deciding whether to accept gifts or benefits, a Public Sector Officer will be guided by the following principles:
a) a Public Sector Officer must not solicit or accept any gifts or benefits, the receipt or expectation of which might in any way tend to influence, or appear to tend to influence, the Public Sector Officer in his or her official capacity;
b) in the event that any substantial gift, offer or suggestion of such is made directly or indirectly to a Public Sector Officer, the facts shall be reported at the first opportunity to the Chief Executive Officer;
c) a Public Sector Officer must avoid all situations in which the appearance may be created that any person or body, through the provision of hospitality or benefits of any kind is securing, or attempting to secure, the influence or favour of the Public Sector Officer; and
d) a Public Sector Officer must take all reasonable steps to ensure that his or her spouse, children or dependents, or staff members, are not the recipients of benefits which could give the appearance of an indirect attempt to secure the influence or favour of a Public Sector Officer.
…………………………..
20.4. A Chief Executive Officer may issue agency guidelines/policy regarding the acceptance of gifts and benefits by Public Sector Officers, consistent with the Code. These should give consideration to the following:
a) the relationship of the agency to the donor;
b) the primary business of the donor;
c) the likelihood of further contact with the donor;
d) whether the gift is being accepted as part of a formal exchange of gifts between official representatives of the Northern Territory and another Government;
e) the possible adverse consequences to the Northern Territory’s interests which may result from the acceptance or refusal of a gift; and
f) the type of gift or benefit which in the context of the agency’s operations can be seen as inconsequential or trivial.
There were NO taxpayers funds involved.
The minister declares the gift.
We all move on.
Ministers are allowed to have a life outside politics.
Jo Hersey has done so much for Katherine that if her friends wish to socialize with her then so what.
Move on NT Independent.