Chief Minister struggled to find minister to announce grandstand
A media adviser for the Infrastructure Minister Eva Lawler said she was unsure about a press release announcing government funding for the controversial Darwin Turf Club grandstand, “putting it all on Eva”, it has been reported.
Northern Territory
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A MEDIA adviser for the Infrastructure Minister Eva Lawler said she was unsure about a press release announcing government funding for the controversial Darwin Turf Club grandstand, “putting it all on Eva”, it has been reported.
The announcement was later credited to Resources Minister Paul Kirby in a press release, although later in parliament he denied he made the announcement.
A Freedom of Information request by the ABC reporter Jano Gibson found Chief Minister Michael Gunner’s office struggled to find a minister willing to announce the $12 million grandstand, even though the grant was overseen by the Department of Trade, Business and Innovation, one of the Chief Minister’s portfolios.
Mr Gunner blamed the lack of ministers on the community cabinet held in Alice Springs over two days on July 4 and July 5.
The cabinet was on Thursday, July 4 — the night the turf club held the Darwin Cup Carnival launch where it wanted to announce the new grandstand.
The cabinet stayed in Alice Springs on the night of July 4.
Over five days, three different ministers were tasked with announcing the controversial grant, the ABC report said.
Sports Minister Lauren Moss, who was first asked to announce the grant, declined due to feeling tired as she was in the early stages of pregnancy.
Emails went back and forth between Ms Moss’s media adviser Trish Grimshaw and the director of communications Maria Billias before Ms Grimshaw said: “I’ve just had a catch-up with my minister and she advises her preference is that another minister can do this one”.
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Two days later, the report said, Ms Lawler was given the job but her media adviser Ellie Clancy objected to the draft press release which read: “Minister for Infrastructure, Planning and Logistics, Eva Lawler today, announced the Northern Territory Government would fund the building of a $12 million Darwin Turf Club Multi-Purpose stand.”
“I am not sure I like the first line it’s putting it all on Eva,” Ms Clancy wrote.
Ms Lawler was also at the community cabinet meeting in Alice Springs.
The report said that at only 4pm on July 4, the day of launch, the press release was emailed to Chief Minister’s then chief of staff, Alf Leonardi, by Ms Clancy, which included the line: “Quotes from Minister for XXXX.”
He was told the Chief Minister would soon decide which minister it would be, and the press release came out under the name of Resources Minister Paul Kirby’s – whose portfolios had nothing to do with the project – the next day.
The report went on to say, that in parliament on August 7, independent MLA Gerry Wood asked Mr Kirby about the grandstand however Labor MLA Ken Vowles asked him if he had the right minister.
“Yes, the Minister made the announcement. It is his media release,” Mr Wood said.
However, the report said, Mr Kirby told parliament: “I was very proud and privileged to be at the turf club the night that announcement was made by Brett Dixon — it was not made by me, I was simply at the event when it was made that night.”
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