A former Territory Labor president and senior adviser to three chief ministers has called on the Fyles Government to work with the Opposition and independent MLAs to end political pork barrelling and abuse of government grants.
In an extraordinary letter to Chief Minister Natasha Fyles, Opposition CLP Leader Lia Finocchiaro and independent members this week, former senior ministerial adviser Charlie Phillips called for urgent reforms to be introduced to Parliament to end the use of public funds for party political purposes, which he said “goes to the heart of the operation and integrity of our Territory democracy”.
The call comes as an ICAC investigation into former chief minister Michael Gunner has apparently stalled over allegations he and his office used public funds for campaigning purposes at the 2020 general election.
“Pork barrelling and unethical abuse of grant programs to gain political advantage constitute attacks on both the fundamental principles of democracy and the rights of hard working taxpayers who have the reasonable expectation that public money will be spent prudently in the public interest,” Mr Phillips wrote in the letter obtained by the NT Independent.
“Across Australia, no body politic has been immune from these abuses including the former discredited national Coalition Government and closer to home, our compromised Territory Labor Government.”
Mr Phillips raised the unresolved travel rorts scandal involving former chief minister Michael Gunner using $40,000 of taxpayer funds during the 2020 NT general election to pay for flights to remote communities in marginal seats on polling days while his government was in caretaker mode, violating parliamentary rules.
“No one from the Government has denied or repudiated this conduct or promised to prohibit it in future elections,” Mr Phillips wrote.
That matter was referred to the ICAC by independent MLA Robyn Lambley and the CLP, which was made public after Mr Gunner’s shock resignation as chief minister last May.
Government documents obtained under FOI laws by the NT Independent showed Mr Gunner’s brother-in-law, and then-deputy chief of staff, Ryan Neve authorised the use of the public money for Mr Gunner’s election campaign.
While the matter is currently before the ICAC, nobody has been held responsible for the alleged misappropriation of funds.
CLP Opposition Leader Lia Finocchiaro, who was a recipient of Mr Phillips’ letter, stopped short of pledging to end pork barrelling in NT politics, but said the Opposition was “holding [Labor] to account” for breaking their pledge to Territorians upon being elected that they would restore integrity to government.
“They have breached the trust of the public time and time again,” she said.
“We’ve seen, whether it be the Chalker scandal or the damage at Howard Springs, Labor have complete disregard for taxpayer money and will do whatever they can to cover their tracks.
“This desperate Labor Government will stop at nothing to hold their seats, but Territorians won’t be treated like fools. We will be holding them to account every single day.”
Mr Phillips concluded his appeal to the politicians to act with integrity and end the misuse of public funds by referring to the recently elected NSW Labor Government’s proposal to reform pork barrelling in response to a NSW ICAC report that found the practice “could constitute corrupt conduct”.
“[The NSW ICAC report] recommended grant funding guidelines be subject to statutory regulation. Any Members of the NT Assembly interested in integrity, transparency and accountability in Government should read the NSW ICAC report,” Mr Phillips wrote.
“I cannot speak for others, but I’m confident the majority of Territorians would welcome reforms to the integrity of our NT democracy along the lines proposed elsewhere. Please examine the relevant issues and act firmly and quickly in the public interest. There is not a moment to lose.”
Chief Minister Natasha Fyles did not respond to an email requesting comment on Mr Phillips’ proposal.
Read Mr Phillips’ letter to NT politicians:
Dear Members of the Legislative Assembly,
As an ordinary citizen, I am writing to you requesting a jointly agreed approach between the two major parties and independents on important policy and legislative proposals that go to the heart of the operation and integrity of our Territory democracy.
Pork barrelling and unethical abuse of grant programs to gain political advantage constitute attacks on both the fundamental principles of democracy and the rights of hard working taxpayers who have the reasonable expectation that public money will be spent prudently in the public interest.
Across Australia, no body politic has been immune from these abuses including the former discredited national Coalition Government and closer to home, our compromised Territory Labor Government. Relevant abuses in the Territory are a matter of public record which I’m sure all of you are familiar with. The Auditor General’s 2021 report to the Legislative Assembly on COVID grants is instructive.
In the NT we’ve also seen government expenditure of more than $40,000 authorised in a former Chief Minister’s office to support the governing party’s election campaign. No one from the Government has denied or repudiated this conduct or promised to prohibit it in future elections.
Should Territorians simply give up in despair or is there a way forward in the public interest?
In NSW the newly elected reforming Minns’ Labor Government is developing policy and legislative proposals that could guide potential fiscal and political reforms in the Territory context. This reform project has been informed by the NSW ICAC report of August 2022 that found pork barrelling could be corrupt and recommended grant funding guidelines be subject to statutory regulation. Any Members of the NT Assembly interested in integrity, transparency and accountability in Government should read the NSW ICAC report.
I cannot speak for others, but I’m confident the majority of Territorians would welcome reforms to the integrity of our NT democracy along the lines proposed elsewhere. Please examine the relevant issues and act firmly and quickly in the public interest. There is not a moment to lose.
CHARLIE PHILLIPS
Delivering substantial integrity across the political spectrum would go a long way to restoring faith and trust in the processes.
Little wonder voter turnout when elections are held is so low.
Add to that, people who are eligible to be enrolled but don’t even bother to register.
Too many people feel disaffected and blatantly being promised actions that fail to materialise to the committed levels.
They ask themselves ‘Why bother? The elected members will just do what they want in any case’.