Darwin Turf Club chairman Brett Dixon questions involvement of Dr Robyn Smith in grandstand report
Darwin Turf Club chairman Brett Dixon has questioned why Dr Robyn Smith was involved in preparing the ICAC’s grandstand report, after the NT News revealed her bitter history with the club.
Northern Territory
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DARWIN Turf Club (DTC) chairman Brett Dixon has questioned why Dr Robyn Smith was involved in preparing the ICAC’s grandstand report, after the NT News on Saturday revealed her bitter history with the club.
An ICAC spokesman confirmed Dr Smith is contracted to provide “research services” to the office, and she was involved in preparing the damning report.
New ICAC Commissioner Michael Riches referred the matter to ICAC Inspector Bruce McClintock to investigate further, following the NT News’ correspondence with the corruption watchdog.
In an email, Mr Dixon welcomed the investigation but said there were some “important questions” in relation to the matter.
He questioned why former ICAC Commissioner Ken Fleming “required any assistance from a contracted research assistant with history, but not legal, qualifications” in the preparation of the DTC grandstand report, which investigated the handling of a $12m government grant.
Mr Dixon also wanted to know if the ICAC office gave Dr Smith sensitive information and evidence to review, and if so, why she would need to access it.
Internal DTC documents show Dr Smith had a dispute with the club in 2013 after she was engaged by the club to write about its history.
In an email to Dr Smith in March, 2013, then-turf club chief executive Philip Neck snarkily queried her billing in excess of the initially agreed upon fee of $10,000 and asked why the project was still far from completion.
Dr Smith replied weeks later saying: “I didn’t respond to your last email because I won’t dignify accusations of deception, fraud and professional misconduct with a response.”
Dr Smith later wrote to the turf club acknowledging the board was disappointed that work she had promised remained “incomplete” and “the chairman (Mr Dixon) made it clear that the committee’s understanding was that there would be a finished product in the order of $10,000”.
Both parties ultimately signed an agreement for Dr Smith to be paid an “agreed fee” of $21,640, inclusive of GST and all disbursements.
An ICAC spokesman was unable to say if Dr Smith had declared a conflict of interest when she was brought on to help prepare the grandstand investigation.
The ICAC report, published in June, found Mr Dixon had engaged in corrupt conduct over the awarding of the $12m grant to the turf club, which he disputes.
Dr Smith was contacted for comment.
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