NT Department of Children and Families chief executive Brent Warren has left the role suddenly, less than a year after being appointed by Minister Robyn Cahill with no explanation provided, which comes amid massive turmoil and controversy in the department.
A 60-year-old Fannie Bay man and a 75-year-old Gunn man were arrested as part of separate investigations into the online sexual exploitation of children, while a third person from Humpty Doo had their home raided and devices seized for further investigation, NT Police said.
The NT’s two major political parties will be sweating on Monday night when three generations of the Territory’s independent MLAs meet for a public panel discussion about what independents can achieve in Parliament and what voters fed up with current politicians following their parties’ interests instead of the interests of the people can do to bring about change.
Mining and Energy Minister Gerard Maley did not publicly disclose that his sister-in-law works for the company he and his government colleagues helped arrange a special land deal for that could see a massive data centre in the Darwin rural area built, the ABC reported Tuesday, while the Chief Minister has remained silent over the failure to publicly disclose.
The NT News’ coverage of gas development in the Beetaloo Sub-basin was the focus of national scrutiny Monday night as Media Watch criticised the newspaper’s reporting as “cheerleading for gas companies and the government” that has repeatedly failed to provide the whole picture, while noting the paper takes in untold amounts of advertising money from industry and the CLP Government. All of it has raised questions over whose interests the newspaper is serving.
The Labor Opposition Leader’s office paid Michael Gunner’s brother-in-law more than an MLA earns to help develop policy for the party shortly before he took an oil and gas lobbyist role earlier this year, the NT Independent can reveal, while the Opposition Leader has refused to explain if proper procurement processes were followed for the secret consultant job paid for by taxpayers.
Australian Nursing and Midwifery Federation NT boss Heidi Crisp has been elected unopposed as the Unions NT president.
NT Police are investigating multiple armed disturbances in Ngukurr over the weekend that saw a 14-year-old boy airlifted out of the community Saturday afternoon after being speared in the back, police said.
St John Ambulance NT contributed to the deaths of two elderly Darwin residents due to massive delays in ambulance services arriving when they fell in separate incidents, with both waiting on the floor for more than five hours for medical assistance despite being prioritised, the Coroner has found.
CLP Minister Steve Edgington has publicly said he will not run for One Nation at the next federal election in the Territory when asked on Wednesday, but the NT Independent can reveal he engaged in talks with a senior party figure about leaving the Finocchiaro CLP Government to have a tilt with Pauline Hanson’s party. Mr Edgington’s advances are likely to destabilise leadership and relationships within Cabinet two years into the CLP’s term, a party source said.
A man was struck and killed by a white Toyota Hilux while crossing Berrimah Road around 9:30pm Wednesday night, NT Police said, as the investigation into the crash and the man’s identity continues, which occurred just before a separate three-vehicle crash at Coolalinga that trapped a man inside his vehicle.
Former NT Police officer Clint Sims has been appointed one of two deputy police commissioners under a six-month “trial” of the dual-role model that was previously used for years in the executive, with Acting Deputy Commissioner Travis Wurst staying on despite recently withdrawing his application for the permanent job for “personal reasons”, which comes amid ongoing turmoil in senior police leadership.
