Chief Minister Natasha Fyles has finally admitted damage has been done to the Howard Springs workers’ camp after weeks of denials and public contradictions by her own ministers – which she was still denying last week – before seemingly accepting on Monday that damage has in fact been caused at the facility.
EXCLUSIVE: Territory Labor Member for Arafura Manuel Brown appears to have misled the public in a statement released just before the by-election last month in which he claimed he “rendered first aid” to a woman he killed with his car in 2009, according to court records obtained by the NT Independent. READ THE FACTS HERE.
Labor MLA for Fannie Bay Brent Potter has announced an independent review into the NT Police force to investigate “systemic issues”, which he said would have both parties’ input into who would run it, but initially said it would only happen if police officers agreed to a new enterprise bargaining agreement.
Police Commissioner Jamie Chalker has not returned from leave as planned today after launching legal action against the Chief Minister, Police Minister and the NT Government to block his sacking, while the courts have set aside three days in June to hear the case amid unknown “allegations” raised against Mr Chalker.
The organisers of the anti-crime rally in Darwin on Saturday made 18 demands to the Fyles Government for dealing with crime in the Territory, which came in the wake of yet another stabbing death in Darwin.
Opposition Leader Lia Finocchiaro has called on the Chief Minister to explain how long a legal stoush with the reportedly former police commissioner Jamie Chalker will go on, as the saga drags into an eleventh day, but would not answer if she would have removed him, while Natasha Fyles said unexplained negotiations with Mr Chalker would remain private despite him publicly calling for mediation through high priced lawyers on the weekend.
Chief Minister Natasha Fyles has broken her silence over the Jamie Chalker affair, but still refused to explain to Territorians the status of the police commissioner, telling reporters that she is engaged with him in “private conversations” about his contract.
UPDATED: The Fyles Government has refused to explain why Police Commissioner Jamie Chalker was asked to resign on Friday, while the Opposition and the union representing police have called for an immediate explanation to Territorians, which comes as Police Minister Kate Worden and acting commissioner Michael Murphy were seen on a plane to Sydney on Sunday for federal police meetings.
Chief Minister Natasha Fyles has refused to say if she hid from protesters behind locked doors during the anti-crime rally at Parliament House on Saturday, after an internal parliamentary email showed the government feared the public would attack electorate offices, with politicians told to lock their doors and not hesitate to use “duress buttons” while the rally was held.
The Opposition CLP have called on the Fyles Government to expand the list of weapons included in its urgent bail reforms, saying crimes committed with rocks, glass bottles, scissors, star pickets and other makeshift weapons would not result in a presumption against bail for offenders, despite the government’s pledge to make the community safer.
Chief Minister Natasha Fyles has announced her government will introduce urgent bail reforms that would see a presumption against bail for offenders charged with violent offences using a weapon, which comes in response to community outrage over the death of 20-year-old bottle shop worker Declan Laverty.
Chief Minister Natasha Fyles says she has the support of her caucus colleagues to continue in the role despite the out-of-control crime crisis and growing calls for her to stand down, while also defending Attorney General Chansey Paech who was campaigning with NSW Labor members over the weekend while thousands rallied at NT Parliament House to plead for action on crime.
