A 24-hour strike has been scheduled by NT bus drivers for Monday, October 20, following stalled negotiations over a new enterprise agreement between the Transport Workers’ Union and private bus operator CDC.
CLP elects new party president as former president resigns suddenly
A long-time public servant IT specialist, part-time musician and fishing enthusiast has been elected the CLP’s third president in two years at the party’s Central Council meeting over the weekend in Alice Springs, which comes amid party turmoil that saw its now outgoing president suddenly withdraw from seeking re-election at the last minute.
Clare Martin appointed Territory Labor president amid sacking of party executive
Former chief minister Clare Martin has been appointed – not elected – president of Territory Labor amid upheaval in the party, that has seen its elected executive members sacked in the fallout of the internal review into Labor’s 2024 election wipe out, the NT Independent understands, and replaced by six new members, who were also not elected by party members.
‘He kicked the shit out of me’: Hostel manager tells of alleged assault by newly released prisoner
EXCLUSIVE: The manager of a Darwin hostel says she is lucky to be alive after being repeatedly kicked in the head by a man who was previously described by a psychiatrist as “not safe to be released into the general community”, but who she said was booked into her accommodation by a government contractor through the North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency without disclosing his long history of violence.
‘Mind-boggling’: Martin Dole appointed Police Commissioner with no recruitment process undertaken
UPDATED: Fresh off an “inquiry” into questionable senior police appointments that found serious dysfunction in how senior officers are promoted, including that merit is not the over-arching principle, Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro has appointed Martin Dole as the next NT Police Commissioner without going through a proper hiring process to seek the best candidates.
‘Pretty weird’: CLP’s Alice Springs art gallery ultimatum stared down by Federal Govt
The Federal Infrastructure Minister has responded to her Territory counterpart’s ultimatum on the proposed Alice Springs Aboriginal art gallery, which she suggested may have been political posturing by the CLP to blame the Commonwealth for its desire to bin the project outright, describing Bill Yan’s demand that the feds approve variations by yesterday as “a pretty weird way of trying to work with the Commonwealth”.
Chief Minister hides from questions on flawed Blow report into police recruitment
Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro has failed to front the public following the release of the damning Justice Alan Blow review into NT Police senior employment practices, issuing a statement to claim she will accept the report’s six recommendations, but making no mention of why she failed to set it up as a proper inquiry, which the NT Police Association said fell “well short of what was expected”.
Cost blowout for Darwin ship lift project among the worst in Australian history: Economist
The Darwin ship lift project, initiated by the Giles CLP government in 2015, has seen the cost to complete the project increase to an estimated $820 million now, with the real possibility it could be over $1 billion by the time it’s completed, while a leading economist has raised financial management concerns.
Departments silent on fracking breach contradictions in report
Two Northern Territory Government departments have refused to explain the contradictions contained in an internal government report into a breach of fracking legislation by Empire Energy – now called Beetaloo Energy Australia – which involved one department sending a letter to “encourage behaviour change” after considering prosecution of the matter, while the other considered the company had done nothing wrong but still took action “to ensure it does not happen again”.
CLP orders three-day bus blitz to crack down on ‘anti-social behaviour’
The CLP Government has ordered a three-day “visibility operation” across the Darwin bus network aimed at cracking down on ‘anti-social behaviour’ at “known hot spots and problematic bus routes”, but critics say it’s another “intimidation tactic” targeting vulnerable people.
CLP Minister says she also used govt white car service for personal trip, adds to confusion around rules
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”.
Families of truant students to be placed under income management, CLP claims
The CLP Government says it will put parents of students who consistently fail to attend school under income management, with critics arguing reinstating the old policy will cause more problems, while questions have also been raised about how the NT Government will enforce the policy and whether the Federal Government was involved in its development.