LETTER TO THE EDITOR
Sir – This afternoon in Parliament I sought an apology for Territorians from both the Chief Minister, Michael Gunner, and Minister for Police, Nicole Manison, for their proven contraventions of the Public Information Act.
As the Auditor-General has concluded, the Chief Minister, Minister for Police and former Minister for Infrastructure, Planning and Logistics were found to be in breach of the Act on four separate occasions.
The Chief Minister was found to have contravened the Act by failing to present GST information in a manner that distinguished fact from opinion.
More strikingly, the Minister for Police was found to have contravened the Act on two separate occasions by not clearly distinguishing facts from comments and including the image of a minister in a publically funded advertisement.
Ironically, the now Minister for Police championed amendments to the Public Information Act, which included provisions barring the image of a minister from advertisements, via Private Members Bill in 2015 (later passed in October 2016).
In true hypocritical style, she would not apologise, let alone admit she had broken the rules, her own rules she championed just three years ago.
This Labor government is not open and transparent. They are hypocrites.
Gary Higgins
Opposition Leader
Wednesday, April 24, 2024
The freedom of the press still furnishes that check upon government which no constitution has ever been able to provide – Chicago Tribune.
This is appalling. The hurt and anguish they have caused by the wilful disregard for the Act.
Rather than an apology you should have called for a royal commission, no doubt there will be a leadership spill before the end of the week.
I can’t help thinking you are scraping the bottom of the barrel if this is all you have to add to Parliament.
This may be true Mr Higgins, but where is a viable, cohesive team as an alternative?
The opportunities to do as they will and promote insulting strategies are BOUNDLESS, it is POSSIBLE that they will be seen to be as hopeless as the last mob before too long. But who else is there?