It’s that time of year again to reflect on the wacky and wonderful stories that made news this year, and in most cases, crucial stories and issues that would never have come to light had the NT Independent not existed. FREE TO READ.
Who funded your council members’ election campaigns?
New political donation disclosures have revealed who funded local councillors’ election campaigns with a few surprises, including one mayoral candidate raking in more than $50,000 in donations – including money from a Chinese business executive connected to the Landbridge Group – while the other Darwin mayoral candidate claimed no donations at all; meanwhile a disgraced former Labor powerbroker appeared more times than any other donor on different lists and one councillor had a former chief minister’s father kick in for his successful run.
‘Govt in the shadows’: CLP passes ‘Mano’s Law’ to block public access to ministerial emails
The Finocchiaro CLP Government has passed legislative amendments to block the public’s right to access documents that would reveal the reasoning behind ministerial decisions, which it said was necessary to protect former Labor mines minister and current Tamboran Resources executive Nicole Manison’s emails from being made public as part of an ongoing court case.
Pollies get annual pre-Christmas pay rise under CLP
The Territory’s politicians have once again been gifted a pay rise amid record debt, with their salaries now increased by $5,000 – which follows last year’s generous $8,200 pay rise – which works out to an eight per cent increase, while the government is currently offering public servants an annual three per cent pay increase.
CLP’s new Integrity Commission a ‘dangerous concentration of power’ with weak oversight, experts say
UPDATED: The Finocchiaro CLP Government’s legislation to roll the ICAC and Ombudsman offices into a new Integrity and Ethics Commission has been roundly rejected by multiple national and international integrity experts as weakening independent oversight and creating potential “political interference” in the new commission, with the Centre for Public Integrity recommending the bill be withdrawn and sent back for review to ensure the NT’s “broken integrity system” is fixed properly.
The Darwin Ship Lift is a toxic deal for the Northern Territory
EDITORIAL: We simply cannot afford to build a billion dollar Ship Lift facility for a bunch of billionaires to profit from while the rest of us pay for it over the next 50 years – when will Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro stand up for Territorians and shirtfront the Paspaley Group over this?
New NT Administrator pick delayed by PM as Hugh Heggie starts ‘farewell tour’
UPDATED: Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro claims the Prime Minister is “mucking us around” over her choice for the next administrator of the Northern Territory by not approving it for five months, while current Administrator Hugh Heggie has commenced “a series of farewell visits” and “parades” across the Territory and interstate ahead of his term ending on January 30.
‘Attack on transparency’: CLP changing FOI laws to block Labor minister’s emails from public
Attorney-General Marie-Clare Boothby has moved to change Freedom of Information laws to block correspondence between ministers and their staff ever being made public, which will effectively end a legal challenge seeking a former Territory Labor minister’s correspondence, in a move Ms Boothby claims is somehow “strengthening integrity”, while a national integrity expert says it removes a “cornerstone of accountability”.
CLP halt parliamentary business to accuse Greens MLA of misusing public resources to hold ‘casual info session’
UPDATED: NT Greens Member for Nightcliff Kat McNamara was referred on urgency to Parliament’s disciplinary body last night by the CLP Government for hosting a “casual information session” in her electorate office, that the CLP allege was a misuse of her taxpayer-funded office and part of a plot to recruit new Greens members.
CLP introduces bill to establish new Ethics and Integrity Commission with no oversight
While multiple unresolved integrity scandals hang over her head, Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro introduced legislation to Parliament on Thursday to establish a new Ethics and Integrity Commission, which she said will “streamline integrity oversight”, but failed to seek any public input on the changes and chose not to refer the proposed bill to the Parliament’s scrutiny committee for bipartisan oversight.
‘Let’s go to the track’: Minister defends Racing and Wagering Commission’s conflicts of interest
Racing Minister Marie-Clare Boothby has defended the beleaguered Racing and Wagering Commission’s alleged conflicts of interest with the industry it regulates – that formed the focus of a recent Four Corners investigation – by suggesting it would be “amazing” if she could take two crossbench MLAs to the racetrack and lay a couple bets down with them to “see what happens”.
CLP appointed Chief Minister’s husband’s ‘best mate’ as head of Aboriginal Areas Protection Authority
The Finocchiaro CLP Government’s pick to run the Aboriginal Areas Protection Authority went to university with the Chief Minister’s husband and remains close friends with him, the NT Independent can reveal, with the appointment made amid sweeping changes to the Sacred Sites Act and the government’s move to push through the proposed Darwin Waterfront hotel project despite traditional owners’ objections.