Tourism Minister Marie-Clare Boothby has refused to comment on whether she recently approved a new contract for Darwin Waterfront Corporation chief executive Alastair Shields, including when she approved it and how much the new contract is costing taxpayers for his part-time, two-day-a-week gig that last cost $116,000 a year, while the Minister is still waiting for a “briefing” from government officials about concerns of misconduct at the corporation.
The ongoing use of police watch houses for long-term prisoners could start affecting the police’s ability to make arrests on a nightly basis, the union representing police said, with the practice continuing despite Corrections Minister Gerard Maley’s claims that transfers were finalised last month.
The NT’s Director of Public Prosecutions has referred an 82-page investigation report into the conduct of five senior NT Police officers who lied about racist awards the TRG produced back to the ICAC, raising a perceived conflict of interest for the acting-ICAC, who was involved in high-level political meetings relating to the Yuendumu shooting in 2019 while a senior public servant.
Department of Children and Families chief executive Emma White suddenly announced on Friday she is leaving the role, while her partner who led the department’s office of domestic, family and sexual violence reduction also announced she is leaving, but the Minister has refused to comment on the high-profile departures.
EDITORIAL: Recent revelations of alleged misconduct and misuse of public resources at the Darwin Waterfront Corporation has implicated those who held positions at the highest levels of the NT Public Service and government, but the CLP has repeatedly refused to order an independent investigation for their own reasons.
Former Labor minister Matthew Bonson has been appointed chief executive officer of the controversial Anindilyakwa Land Council, which is currently under investigation by the National Anti-Crime Commission, the organisation has announced.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has declared a re-elected Labor government will end the lease of the Darwin Port to Chinese-owned Landbridge Group, making the snap announcement as Opposition Leader Peter Dutton was on his way to Darwin to announce today that a Coalition government would also return the port to Australian control.
Darwin Council committed at least 16 “significant” failures of governance under two different pieces of legislation when sealing its secret deal with developer DCOH to build a 21-storey hybrid civic centre-officer tower, lawyers acting for nearby residents have said, with council now asked to hand over hidden documents relating to the development to help inform a potential Federal Court challenge to prevent the building being constructed.
UPDATED: A 34-year-old male school employee in Darwin has been charged with sexual intercourse with a young person, who attended the school where the man worked, NT Police said Friday. The school at the centre of the alleged offending has now been identified.
EXCLUSIVE: Darwin Waterfront Corporation chief executive Alastair Shields advocated for his mate Andrew Kirkman’s sister Jodie Ryan to be given more than $44,000 of taxpayer money to continue sitting on the waterfront board after she resigned as the NT’s head public servant, a new secret memo has revealed, raising further questions about undisclosed conflicts of interest at the DWC and the possible misuse of public resources.
Palmerston’s NT PGA Championship is back as part of the PGA Tour of Australasia and will be televised for the first time, while the Finocchiaro Government is taking credit for the broadcast but has not disclosed the costs to taxpayers.
The Darwin RSL’s plans for old Admiralty House in the city have been approved by the government, with the veteran’s group saying they hope to open its new social club there in four months.
