New NT Corrections Commissioner Scott McNairn says there is no plan to privatise prisons in the Northern Territory

DESPITE years of running private prisons, new Corrections Commissioner Scott McNairn says there are no plans to privatise the Territory’s prison system

NT Correctional Services Commissioner Scott McNairn in his office. Picture: MICHAEL FRANCHI

DESPITE years of running private prisons, new Corrections Commissioner Scott McNairn says there are no plans to privatise the Territory’s prison system.

Mr McNairn stepped into the role at the start of last month, after former commissioner Mark Payne retired.

Just after his arrival, the NT News revealed Attorney-General Natasha Fyles had been told to privatise the NT prison system, after a confidential review into the Corrections Department found it had spent almost $6 million in staff overtime payments.

However, despite the report and his own history, Mr McNairn said he had no knowledge of a plan to privatise the NT system, but that he would bring private sector ideas to the public system.

“Private prisons is something I’ve not been asked to even consider,” he said.

“Having worked in them, can I see the benefit in some of the things that happen in private organisations? Yes. Can I see the benefit that happens in the public sector? Absolutely yes. But at this point in time, I’ve not been asked by Government, the Minister, to even consider or look at privatisation.

“I’ll use my experience in the private sector, combined with the public sector, because I think that's a good balance. See if there’s any innovation from the private sector I can bring into the public sector here.

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“There’s a lot of good innovation, good programs,” he said.

“Some of the work camps and some of the work we’re doing in communities is pretty outstanding actually and leading edge compared to some of the other jurisdictions that I’ve been involved in.”

Mr McNairn has arrived at a time of turbulence for the prison system, with officers striking over unsafe working conditions, guards regularly being assaulted and prisoners often escaping or absconding from prisons and programs.

Despite a KPMG report into NT Corrections at the start of 2017, Mr McNairn said a new KPMG report he was leading would be different because he had unions involved.

“That in itself provides that transparency in terms of how the process is going to be managed,” he said.

“I will be leading the project in terms of pushing and making sure we meet milestones and targets.”

Mr McNairn said the review would provide a “clearly defined operating philosophy” and a “revised staffing model”.

“I want to make sure I’ve got the right staff in the right place to deliver the model that we create jointly,” he said.