‘Extensive forensic audit’ to resolve NLC conflicts: Minister
AN “EXTENSIVE forensic inquiry” will resolve any lingering governance issues within the NLC, Nigel Scullion says
Northern Territory
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AN “EXTENSIVE forensic inquiry” will resolve any lingering governance issues within the Northern Land Council, the Indigenous Affairs Minister says.
Nigel Scullion last month ordered that the NLC’s full council meet to discuss an internal audit report that raised questions about conflicts of interest involving the organisation’s executive, some of whom also sit on the board of the Aboriginal Investment Group.
At that meeting on Friday, the full council resolved to commission an external report “assessing AIG’s financial position, options for improved governance and reporting arrangements, and any potential exposure of the NLC”.
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“The recommendations from a forensic report no doubt will include recommendations around any mischief that may have occurred or been perceived to have occurred,” Mr Scullion said.
“It’ll then be a very clinical account and that report will be to the full land council and the full land council that I heard from today (Friday) will ensure that the appropriate action that is recommended in the report they will take.”
The council also endorsed the executive’s handling of the conflict of interest perceptions raised by the audit committee and interim chief executive Jak Ah Kit said the NLC and AIG were “not afraid of change”.
“This is an important opportunity for AIG to deliver more practical outcomes to improve the lives of Aboriginal people in remote communities, such as the Barunga laundry project announced last week,” he said.
Recently ousted full council member Paul Henwood was initially granted permission to make his case for reinstatement to his position on the Darwin Daly Wagait regional council to the full council but that did not eventuate.
“We didn’t lose out big time I didn’t think, they ordered the forensic audit and I think it’s going to actually find a lot more than the surface audit,” he said.
“I don’t give up, what it’s done today is just slowed the process, (former CEO) Joe Morrison’s not giving up and neither am I.”
Mr Morrison was present on the sidelines of the meeting but did not address members, which another council member, who did not want to be named, said was disappointing.
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But the councillor said he remained optimistic about the meeting’s outcome. “I think it’s a positive move, if it identifies clear outcomes great,” he said.
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