The Gunner Government has killed a motion in Parliament that would have seen the $12 million grandstand grant to the Darwin Turf Club that the ICAC found was “affected by political donations” debated publicly, in what the Opposition called an “extraordinary abuse of power” to avoid scrutiny.
Leader of Government Business Natasha Fyles has been “offended” in Parliament again, this time after Opposition Leader Lia Finocchiaro suggested the Gunner Government does not have the “capacity” to make decisions itself, has “fobbed off questions” and were “smug”.
CLP Member for Daly Ian Sloan has announced this morning that he will retire from politics less than a year after being elected, triggering a by-election for the hotly contested seat.
EXCLUSIVE: NT Police Commissioner Jamie Chalker, who internal Darwin Turf Club records show was invited to racing events as the “chairman’s friend”, has confirmed police resources are being used to investigate the NT Independent based on allegations made by former chairman Brett Dixon.
We told you we would focus on exposing corruption – in the government, public service and elsewhere – and that we would be shaking up the media landscape in this town that was long ago compromised by different interests affecting how your stories are told and that led to public interest issues covered up.
Chief Minister Michael Gunner has “lost the trust of the people” and must immediately release the document Cabinet relied on to approve a $12 million grant for the Turf Club grandstand to restore integrity in government, Opposition Leader Lia Finocchiaro says.
EXCLUSIVE: A disgraced Darwin Turf Club board member who was forced to resign by Chief Minister Michael Gunner for “improper conduct”, has been appointed chair of another government-funded board that her company has previously had contracts with, the NT Independent can reveal.
Chief Minister Michael Gunner has been dodging media interviews on local radio stations despite feeling no pressure from his caucus colleagues, his deputy says, over his handling of the $12 million Darwin Turf Club grandstand grant.
EXCLUSIVE: The Gunner Government appears to have gifted more than $3 million to the NT’s peak horse racing body in its first budget – on top of an estimated $75 million five-year funding agreement – following a pre-election donation from companies owned by Darwin Turf Club chairman Brett Dixon, 2017 budget figures show.
EXCLUSIVE: Thoroughbred Racing NT chairman Brett Dixon and deputy chair Syd Stirling charged taxpayers tens of thousands of dollars to attend the peak racing body’s board meetings – which are arranged to coincide with different racing events across the NT – including costs for accommodation, hospitality and flights, the NT Independent can reveal.
Executive public servant Shaun Drabsch – who was found by the ICAC to have engaged in “deceptive” conduct involving the $12 million grandstand grant – will not be sacked by Chief Minister Michael Gunner because that conduct is two years old “when he first took up the role”, the Chief Minister says.
A second Minister has confirmed Chief Minister Michael Gunner rushed the $12 million Darwin Turf Club grandstand grant through Cabinet himself and that the senior public servant who failed to warn Cabinet of the submission’s lack of details is now, remarkably, in charge of implementing the ICAC’s recommendations.
