‘Who is responsible?’: Calls for public inquiry into $60M Indigenous Employment Provisional Sum fraud scandal
An independent MLA has called for a full parliamentary inquiry into how $60 million was stolen from
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Who gave Kirkham a job in the first place, the guy is a liability.
Tazz….his school friends and sister….you now…the Territory WAY!
Congratulations to the Member for Johnston for demanding a parliamentary inquiry into these pernicious issues. Any inquiry must have broad terms of reference – but will the government and opposition support it? More generally, given ICAC’s abject record of failure and dysfunction, it should also be subject to a judicial inquiry, again with broad terms of reference. A good starting point would be ICAC’s lack of capacity, will, wit and ticker to gather and analyse facts and apply the law.
Former Halikos boss Shane Dignan is working with CoD LM Kon Vatskalis in a ‘commercial in confidence’ Civic Centre $150,000.00 infrastructure build, no community consultation for a huge building which isn’t needed, public land gifted to Mr Dignan’s business which will increase rate payers municipal levies in the future, so perhaps a public enquiry is needed into this close relationship as Halikos has seems to have escaped scrutiny thanks to DIPL CEO Andrew Kirkman.
Accountability for pollies and public so-called servants is one thing. What about calling to account the owners’ directors and those that pocketed the millions. Oh, that’s right many bugged out before the shite hit the fan and are laughing from the balconies of their million-dollar seaside estates. Have a look, Chris Walsh.
The call should be for a preliminary inquiry into corruption, cronyism, nepotism, financial incompetence, embezzlement, and fraud in the Northern Territory, preparatory to identifying suitable Terms of Reference; for a judicial inquiry.
It is essential that a protocol be established that ensures the public can monitor the inquiry for transparency, objectivity, and devoid of avenue blocking, as so often happens.
Why do I say this? Because in more than fifty years, I have never seen an inquiry of any kind that did not bury the truth.
All eyes on the current Chief Minister (don’t blink you may miss it)!
Will this week’s Chief Minister now prosecute the same people who paid for the CLP’s election campaign?
You cant hide $60 Million in government monies and send 2 tiny businesses to jail while your also accused, mega rich Donators do not go to jail for some magical unexplainable reason!
This also occurred in the NTG Pensioner Travel Rorts scam! 2 or 3 small time Travel Agents went to jail but the large Travel Corporations paid out monies and no one went to jail from the big players.
Does this mean we have no independent Police force?
Does this mean the Government is Soley here for the handful of Donators and the rest of Territorians can get rorted at will?
I call on the new, diverse, fresh, young blood CLP MLA’s that easily out number the god awful, White Australia Policy era, stale, old, rotund , Dinosaur CLP members to seriously consider their fates in a highly contestable 2028 election.
Given the following 2024 outcomes which show many CLP seats not being considered as absolutely gold plated safe:
-In Nightcliff, the CLP did not turn up at all and The Greens stole the show. Fabulous Preferences strategy CLP, well played.
-The CLP’s very personable and instantly recognizable Gary Strachan lost by 643 votes to Justine Davis, a random unknown independent with limited campaign resources.
-In Blain, Matthew KERLE on a Two candidate preferred basis only won by 157
-In Braitling, Qualified Electrician Joshua BURGOYNE now “Minister for Lands, Planning and Environment; Corporate and Digital Development; Water Resources” only got 474 Primary votes more than The Greens Asta HILL and on a Two candidate preferred basis the difference was only 327! Remember thats a Green candidate (who votes for Greens??) and he was a sitting CLP MLA!
-In Casuarina Khoda PATEL on a Two candidate preferred basis only got 66 more votes than ALP Dumpster fire Hot Laura Moss!
-In Fannie Bay, the superb and excellent MLA Laurie ZIO only got 37 Sanity Saving votes more than Greens Candidate Suki DORRAS-WALKER! Oh Thank heavens for that small miracle.
-In Fong Lim, Tanzil RAHMAN only got 631 votes more than his ALP counterpart
-In Goyder CLP’s Andrew MACKAY on a Two candidate preferred basis got a good 1282 votes, however over a Independent with limited campaign resources.
-In Katherine, Qualified Hair Dresser now “Minister for Education and Training; Early Education; Public Service” Jo HERSEY won by 932 votes over a unknown independent with limited resources.
-In Namatjira, High School Certificate holding Bill YAN now Treasurer of the Northern Territory, steward of $12 billion in government debt, won by 789 votes over a random homeless person that the ALP found.
-In Port Darwin, The CLP’s Robyn CAHILL whos large rear did not door knock anyone in the electorate won by 966 votes. Lets see how that strategy works out for her in 2028.
-In Sanderson Jinson CHARLS only won by 789 votes over certified ALP Dumpster fire called Kate WORDEN who would introduce her hubby to anyone who said a bad word about her.
-In Wanguri, Oly CARLSON beat union hack Shlok SHARMA by 781 votes! Who votes for a union hack?? Well 1,780 of the Labor faithful did!
Question to these newly arrived CLP MLAS!
How are you going to fare in a very contestable election in 2028 where “its the ALPs fault” will not cut it, with a lame duck, whiny voiced, micro managing,
Has-no-idea-about-the-economy Chief Minister who is about to be SORELY TESTED soon.
I suggest you may want have a FYLES/Manison/Gunner style Plan B and Plan C in 2028.
PS Fortescue, KPMG WA, Tamboren and Sommerville have no vacancies…..
Why did NT Government not prosecute ‘Remote school principal (Jenny Sherrington) rorted $500k of education funds’?
It’s been published widely across media including on here and the ICAC website itself:
https://icac.nt.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0011/1174376/Public-statement-on-an-investigation-into-the-former-Principal-of-Milingimbi-School.pdf
Rort means:
noun
A scam or fraud, especially involving the misappropriation of public money or resources.
verb
To cheat or defraud.
Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
Why did she get away with this fraud?
Who gave her a free pass?
Even if it was a previous Government’s fault to deliberately ignore her rorting/fraud, why won’t CLP prosecute her now?
Independent Member for Johnston Justine Davis said on Monday the IEPS scandal was a “disgrace” and criticised both major parties for their handling of the program, which she said undermined the public’s trust in government.
Gotta love a blind optimist: you can’t undermine something that’s not there Justine. Sorry to burst your bubble.
Good on Independant Ms Davis- Yes a lot of questions need answering!
Territorians and Australians loathe bullies, in fact we campaign against bullying given the fact it’s a major teen suicide issue!
There maybe more reasons for the poor investigative measures but l shall suggest two possibles:
(1) The two smaller companies charged were deemed easy prey as they may not have been financially capable of funding a legal representative front.
(2) Maybe the bigger companies have lined certain and/or many pockets!
Without a doubt this is criminal
Good on you, Justine Davis. An Independent with the courage and conviction to take on major players in a travesty of justice.
Unmask the culprits…repay what was stolen. A Royal Commission? What’s the lame-duck ICAC doing while Michael Ritches is still drawing many thousands of taxpayer $$$ in salary while being suspended.
Little wonder Darwin is nick-named ‘Clown Town’.