1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:03,279 Speaker 1: Joining us on the line is the well the former 2 00:00:03,480 --> 00:00:07,000 Speaker 1: Member for Stuart, former member of the Labor Party and 3 00:00:07,640 --> 00:00:09,360 Speaker 1: Labor Caucus, Scott McConnell. 4 00:00:09,400 --> 00:00:12,120 Speaker 2: Good morning to you, Scott, Yeah. 5 00:00:12,000 --> 00:00:13,280 Speaker 3: Good morning and good morning listeners. 6 00:00:13,320 --> 00:00:13,640 Speaker 2: Scott. 7 00:00:13,640 --> 00:00:16,680 Speaker 1: I know that you had some pretty big concerns about 8 00:00:16,680 --> 00:00:18,880 Speaker 1: this twelve million dollar grant right from the get go, 9 00:00:19,079 --> 00:00:19,479 Speaker 1: didn't you. 10 00:00:21,079 --> 00:00:24,600 Speaker 3: Yeah, Look exactly. I think that we need to remember 11 00:00:24,640 --> 00:00:27,479 Speaker 3: at the time, we just had the Langorland Report handed down, 12 00:00:27,880 --> 00:00:31,280 Speaker 3: which clearly said that the Northern Territory was facing a 13 00:00:31,280 --> 00:00:34,680 Speaker 3: fiscal cliff and really needed to make sure that it 14 00:00:34,720 --> 00:00:39,599 Speaker 3: didn't carry out expenditure that wasn't in the budget. We 15 00:00:39,640 --> 00:00:43,279 Speaker 3: had a budget passed, we had Economic Scrutiny Committee look 16 00:00:43,280 --> 00:00:45,760 Speaker 3: at the budget, and then a matter of weeks later 17 00:00:46,120 --> 00:00:50,560 Speaker 3: we have the Chief Minister, Michael Gunner walk a proposal 18 00:00:50,960 --> 00:00:53,600 Speaker 3: for a twelve million dollar grandstand at the race card. 19 00:00:53,640 --> 00:00:56,680 Speaker 3: He walked it into cabinet himself, now on the public record, 20 00:00:57,200 --> 00:01:00,920 Speaker 3: and it was very concerning at the time. Look, it's 21 00:01:00,960 --> 00:01:03,920 Speaker 3: a project that you know, so many things you can do, 22 00:01:04,040 --> 00:01:05,960 Speaker 3: but there's only so many things you've got the money 23 00:01:06,000 --> 00:01:09,080 Speaker 3: to do, and it's just really concerning in the situation 24 00:01:09,200 --> 00:01:11,200 Speaker 3: that the territory is in that we can just pick 25 00:01:11,280 --> 00:01:14,440 Speaker 3: up twelve million dollars by walking a submission into cabinet. 26 00:01:14,840 --> 00:01:17,360 Speaker 1: Scott, what do you make of the current situation now 27 00:01:17,400 --> 00:01:20,880 Speaker 1: that we're seeing Obviously the IKAK made these findings and 28 00:01:21,200 --> 00:01:23,800 Speaker 1: release them on the twenty fifth of June. We've now 29 00:01:23,840 --> 00:01:27,559 Speaker 1: seen this very extensive statement come out from the chairman 30 00:01:27,600 --> 00:01:31,600 Speaker 1: of the Darwin Turf Club, Brett Dixon, Well really disputing 31 00:01:31,840 --> 00:01:36,280 Speaker 1: a large amount of you know, what is in those findings, 32 00:01:36,280 --> 00:01:39,640 Speaker 1: but also you know, saying that you might be asking 33 00:01:39,640 --> 00:01:42,880 Speaker 1: yourself while why a lengthy report makes no reference to 34 00:01:42,920 --> 00:01:46,360 Speaker 1: that decision making process, going on to say, I'll tell 35 00:01:46,360 --> 00:01:48,440 Speaker 1: you why. It's because the workings of cabinet are the 36 00:01:48,480 --> 00:01:52,440 Speaker 1: subject of a claim for public interest immunity, so they 37 00:01:52,480 --> 00:01:56,200 Speaker 1: can't be inquired into and they cannot be reported on unless, 38 00:01:56,240 --> 00:01:59,480 Speaker 1: of course, the government waives that immunity in the interests 39 00:01:59,520 --> 00:02:00,800 Speaker 1: of insparency. 40 00:02:02,520 --> 00:02:06,800 Speaker 3: Yeah. Look absolutely, and we're in a case now where 41 00:02:06,840 --> 00:02:10,120 Speaker 3: the government's credibility has been undermined on this now, and 42 00:02:10,240 --> 00:02:12,160 Speaker 3: I think we've got a real problem at a time 43 00:02:12,200 --> 00:02:14,720 Speaker 3: when we need trust in government because of you know, 44 00:02:14,840 --> 00:02:18,240 Speaker 3: COVID and climate change and economic conditions and so on, 45 00:02:18,680 --> 00:02:21,280 Speaker 3: where we've got a government that clearly now we just 46 00:02:22,120 --> 00:02:25,560 Speaker 3: you know, the public trust has been betrayed. It's clearly 47 00:02:25,560 --> 00:02:31,960 Speaker 3: evident here that the Chairperson of the Cabinet needs to 48 00:02:32,000 --> 00:02:36,040 Speaker 3: make some advice available to his colleagues and they need 49 00:02:36,080 --> 00:02:39,200 Speaker 3: to open up their processes and tell us how that 50 00:02:39,280 --> 00:02:42,560 Speaker 3: decision was made. Now, I'm interested in these statements about 51 00:02:42,960 --> 00:02:46,440 Speaker 3: twelve months of due diligence and so on. My understanding 52 00:02:46,560 --> 00:02:50,320 Speaker 3: is that there was some sort of paperwork produced a 53 00:02:50,320 --> 00:02:53,920 Speaker 3: matter of hours before the cabinet meeting. We're just hearing 54 00:02:53,960 --> 00:02:56,360 Speaker 3: all sorts of things that just don't add up, and 55 00:02:56,400 --> 00:02:59,200 Speaker 3: it's quite clear now it's incumbent on the Chief Minister 56 00:02:59,560 --> 00:03:01,880 Speaker 3: to come out and clear this up because we need 57 00:03:01,880 --> 00:03:04,960 Speaker 3: to have trust in our government and this situation is 58 00:03:05,080 --> 00:03:07,040 Speaker 3: undermining our trust in the government. 59 00:03:07,320 --> 00:03:09,520 Speaker 1: Scott, where do you think this is all going to 60 00:03:09,680 --> 00:03:12,800 Speaker 1: land for Michael Gunner and for the Gunner government. 61 00:03:14,280 --> 00:03:16,280 Speaker 3: Well, look, I think they have a grand stand full 62 00:03:16,280 --> 00:03:19,480 Speaker 3: of regret at the moment, so I think that they've 63 00:03:19,480 --> 00:03:23,800 Speaker 3: got to do something now. Clearly the responsibility here lies 64 00:03:23,919 --> 00:03:27,600 Speaker 3: with Michael Gunner, the Chief Minister. It's not our Leonardi. 65 00:03:28,000 --> 00:03:30,640 Speaker 3: I have known our Leonardi for a long time, both 66 00:03:30,639 --> 00:03:34,200 Speaker 3: as a senior bureaucrat and the senior political advisor, and 67 00:03:34,280 --> 00:03:38,200 Speaker 3: I have never known anyone to substantially question his credibility 68 00:03:38,280 --> 00:03:41,560 Speaker 3: or conduct before. So the idea that this is somehow 69 00:03:41,600 --> 00:03:45,120 Speaker 3: all the responsibility of our Leonardi, the former chief of 70 00:03:45,160 --> 00:03:47,760 Speaker 3: staff for the Chief Minister, it doesn't wash with me, 71 00:03:48,120 --> 00:03:49,960 Speaker 3: and it doesn't wash with the general public. 72 00:03:50,440 --> 00:03:51,920 Speaker 2: So what do you reckon needs to happen? 73 00:03:51,960 --> 00:03:53,880 Speaker 1: I mean, do you think that the Chief Minister needs 74 00:03:53,920 --> 00:03:56,560 Speaker 1: to take full responsibility for this and stand down, or 75 00:03:56,600 --> 00:03:58,240 Speaker 1: do you think that the sharks are going to start 76 00:03:58,280 --> 00:03:59,520 Speaker 1: circling what's going on? 77 00:04:00,880 --> 00:04:04,200 Speaker 3: The Chief Minister needs to take full responsibility. Taking full 78 00:04:04,240 --> 00:04:08,040 Speaker 3: responsibility is not just standing there and saying I take responsibility. 79 00:04:08,520 --> 00:04:13,600 Speaker 3: That responsibility requires you to take action, substantive action. I 80 00:04:13,640 --> 00:04:17,839 Speaker 3: think that we're in a situation now where the government 81 00:04:18,000 --> 00:04:22,799 Speaker 3: is severely undermined and I am really sort of getting 82 00:04:22,839 --> 00:04:26,200 Speaker 3: tied in knots now by the conduct of the Chief Minister. 83 00:04:26,720 --> 00:04:29,680 Speaker 3: The Chief Minister clearly needs to take responsibility about this 84 00:04:30,040 --> 00:04:33,279 Speaker 3: and consider his position, and yes, I do mean consider 85 00:04:33,279 --> 00:04:35,840 Speaker 3: whether he's fit to be the Chief minister. He needs 86 00:04:35,880 --> 00:04:36,839 Speaker 3: to make that judgment. 87 00:04:36,960 --> 00:04:40,599 Speaker 1: Himself, Scott, some people listening might be thinking, look, you're 88 00:04:40,680 --> 00:04:43,200 Speaker 1: just angry because you know you were kicked out of 89 00:04:43,240 --> 00:04:46,920 Speaker 1: the caucus or removed from the caucus, and that you've 90 00:04:47,000 --> 00:04:48,080 Speaker 1: just got an ax to grind. 91 00:04:48,080 --> 00:04:49,480 Speaker 2: What would you say to those people? 92 00:04:50,680 --> 00:04:53,160 Speaker 3: Yeah, look, I think I need to leave that judgment 93 00:04:53,200 --> 00:04:55,240 Speaker 3: to other. People are going to have their opinion on 94 00:04:55,320 --> 00:04:57,760 Speaker 3: that whatever way. What we're really talking about at the 95 00:04:57,760 --> 00:05:01,560 Speaker 3: moment is can we trust the go we have? Is 96 00:05:02,120 --> 00:05:05,440 Speaker 3: it appropriate that you can walk into cabinet and ask 97 00:05:05,440 --> 00:05:07,680 Speaker 3: for twelve million dollars and walk out with it? 98 00:05:08,320 --> 00:05:11,080 Speaker 1: Scott McConnell I really appreciate your time this morning. Thanks 99 00:05:11,080 --> 00:05:12,240 Speaker 1: for having a quick chat with us. 100 00:05:13,160 --> 00:05:14,080 Speaker 3: Thank you, thank you.