Education Minister Jo Hersey not only took a white car chauffeur service to Casuarina as she claimed on Monday, but also used the VIP car service to attend the casino, a Darwin Greek restaurant, a health clinic and the botanic gardens in a two-month span, newly reported government records revealed by ABC Darwin show, with the Minister now claiming all the trips were “work trips”.
Education Minister Jo Hersey has become the first CLP minister to admit using the taxpayer-funded white car chauffeur service for a personal trip, raising the prospect of other potential misuse by ministers, but claims she received advice from a body that has nothing to do with the car service that her personal trip to Casuarina was “within the guidelines”, even if “it doesn’t probably float with the public”.
Opposition Leader Selena Uibo was forced on Friday to admit to abusing the taxpayer-funded government white car service for personal use following an FOI application filed by the ABC, stating she will now pay back the money, which the NT Independent understands was used for transport to dinners in Darwin, a birthday celebration earlier this year and other personal events.
The Justice Alan Blow inquiry into senior police appointments under former police commissioner Michael Murphy has found the promotion and appointment processes “have many shortcomings” that need to be addressed immediately, while also exposing a war within the senior ranks of the NT Police over unresolved allegations of favouritism, bias and “undeclared or unmanaged conflicts of interest” that is continuing to affect the police’s culture and morale.
EDITORIAL: If we needed any further proof that Attorney-General Marie-Clare Boothby is completely out of her depth in her role as the Northern Territory’s first law officer, it came this week during her latest disaster that led the public to once again question the integrity of its government institutions. It’s time for her to resign or be sacked to restore some modicum of confidence in our beleaguered justice system.
The Finocchiaro CLP Government has claimed it has overseen 184 “new” officers joining the NT Police since the August 2024 election, but failed to disclose that 105 experienced officers left the force since October, while the 184 figure is also disputed by the NT Police force itself, which says the sworn officer count has only increased by 48 over that time period.
Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro has been named a finalist for the McKinnon Prize for political leader of the year for her “hardline stance” on crime, “channelling public sentiment into decisive leadership” and for doing what most chief ministers do by taking on the role of Police Minister, as questions remain over who nominated her for the award and when.
The Finocchiaro CLP Government will roll the Office of the ICAC into a new “Integrity and Ethics Commission”, following a secret review into the NT’s integrity bodies that the Chief Minister confusingly says she ordered only a few weeks ago.
The Finocchiaro CLP Government has pulled its controversial reforms to the Anti-Discrimination Act two days before they were set to be passed in Parliament, with the Opposition accusing the CLP of “incompetence” over the bungle and the Attorney-General claiming the bill was pulled because the government is too busy with other things.
EDITORIAL: Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro is openly dodging media scrutiny and public accountability of her actions that should alarm voters and every journalist in the Territory, especially considering she once condemned Michael Gunner for “ignoring a media outlet”, stifling the free press and obstructing the public’s right to question its elected officials.
Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro joined her deeply unpopular Labor predecessors by fleeing the NT Independent Tuesday morning when confronted by this masthead outside ABC Darwin’s studio, which followed her evading all media at the NT Police Association annual conference last week and failing to hold a press conference in six weeks. WATCH THE VIDEO
Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro fled the NT Police Association annual conference Friday morning after delivering a “tone deaf” speech and facing criticism, refusing to talk to police union delegates and the media, despite her office earlier stating she would make time to answer questions following the conference speeches.
