A two-hour hearing into the potential misuse of taxpayer money and other misconduct at the Darwin Waterfront Corporation has been quickly scheduled for Tuesday by a CLP-dominated parliamentary committee, following a referral from the Opposition last week, but the committee has yet to seek internal documents from the corporation as evidence to inform its investigation, the NT Independent understands.
Darwin Waterfront Corporation chair Patrick Bellot has offered confidential briefings to select elected officials about the Waterfront scandal, but has declined the NT Independent’s request to share his “briefing” with the public, amid concerns the information he has offered has not been independently verified and could be a breach of his duties under the Corporations Act.
UPDATED: Opposition Leader Selena Uibo last night referred “potential fraud and gross conflicts of interest” at the Darwin Waterfront Corporation involving the Chief Minister’s husband to Parliament’s public accounts committee, citing “serious allegations involving significant sums of public money”.
EXCLUSIVE: Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro has defended hiring former low-level bureaucrat and one-time gas lobbyist Stuart Knowles as the Territory Coordinator, claiming on radio that he was hand-selected for the role without going through a public recruitment process because of his “vast experience” in the government and private industry and for his record of delivering “major projects”, but his work background suggests neither claim is accurate, the NT Independent can reveal.
The Finocchiaro CLP Government has passed reforms to the NT Sacred Sites Act, with Opposition and crossbench MLAs accusing the government of amending the legislation to help their “mates build a hotel at the Darwin Waterfront”, while others have criticised the lack of consultation with traditional owners.
EXCLUSIVE: Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro’s claims that she was unaware of criminal animal abuse charges against Territory Coordinator Stuart Knowles before she appointed him have been seemingly contradicted by a May 2023 email sent to her from a whistleblower, detailing the animal abuse investigation cover-up and other alleged misconduct concerning current Mining and Energy CEO Alister Trier, who ordered the charges against Mr Knowles be dropped.
UPDATED: Treasurer Bill Yan has handed down the Finocchiaro CLP Government’s first budget this morning that will see more big spending and increased debt, with next year’s deficit alone estimated to be $1.31 billion and the Territory’s net debt projected to blow out from its current $10.5 billion figure to $14 billion within three years.
EXCLUSIVE: The animal abuse investigation into Territory Coordinator Stuart Knowles was suddenly terminated by current Mining and Energy CEO Alister Trier while he was CEO of Primary Industries, the NT Independent can reveal, raising concerns about the perceived favour and the potential for coercion of the most powerful public servant in the Northern Territory.
ANALYSIS: While some argue a federal election result should not be used to criticise the Territory Chief Minister, the Country Liberal Party itself made it a referendum on Lia in Solomon and the results were damning, raising serious concerns for the party and its elected members’ political futures.
Territory Coordinator Stuart Knowles’s history of cruelty to animals is of no concern to the Chief Minister or some of the biggest private companies that deal with the NT Government, with Lia Finocchiaro ruling out any action being taken against Mr Knowles over revelations his dogs were seized by animal welfare officers after suffering severe tick infestations and other health issues, while concerns over his suitability for the role have been raised.
EXCLUSIVE: Animal welfare officers seized four dogs registered to Territory Coordinator Stuart Knowles from his rural Darwin property in late 2015 after they were discovered suffering from severe tick infestations and other health problems, a government animal abuse investigation report obtained by the NT Independent shows.
EDITORIAL: The CLP Government’s decision to ignore serious instances of improper conduct at the taxpayer-funded Darwin Waterfront Corporation when faced with documented evidence has sent a message to the entire NT Public Service: Go ahead and do your worst, this CLP Government will cover it up. It also shows why our latest government-in-crisis cannot perform its basic function of keeping the public safe and maintaining the public’s trust in its institutions.
