Opposition leader Lia Finocchiaro slams Chief Minister Michael Gunner following Brett Dixon statement on grandstand grant

Opposition leader Lia Finocchiaro has come out swinging against the Chief Minister, following the release of Brett Dixon’s statement responding to the ICAC Turf Club report.

• READ THE FULL STATEMENT: Brett Dixon responds to ICAC’s grandstand investigation
• ‘I DID NOT ASK FOR ANY FAVOURS’: Dixon calls on govt to clear the air about grant decision making process

OPPOSITION leader Lia Finocchiaro has come out swinging against Chief Minister Michael Gunner, following the release of Brett Dixon’s statement responding to the ICAC Turf Club report.

Ms Finocchiaro said Mr Dixon’s 11-page letter reinforced that Mr Gunner played a pivotal role in granting the Turf Club $12 million for the scandalous grandstand

Mr Gunner has repeatedly denied any suggestion he had any knowledge of the workings of the deal while it was being made.

The ICAC report, released in June, made no findings against any Minister.

“The Chief Minister has disgustingly thrown everyone and anyone else under the bus to save his own skin,” Ms Finocchiaro said.

CLP Opposition Leader Lia Finocchiaro. Picture: Glenn Campbell

“His deputy chief minister and the racing minister are happy to get on that bandwagon.”

Ms Finocchiaro said Mr Gunner’s position was “untenable” and he had lost the trust of Territorians.

“No one believes him, or believes his version of events, and this is a disaster for the Gunner government of their own making.,” she said.

“No one thought it was okay to give away $12 million dollars and it is only the Gunner government who could have made that decision.”

Ms Finocchiaro also claimed Deputy Chief Minister Nicole Manison deserved a share of the blame, despite her declaration that a conflict of interest had stopped her from being a part of the decision to award the grant.

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Ms Manison’s brother-in-law sat on the Turf Club board at the time.

“We’ve seen the deputy chief minister claim some sort of conflict of interest to excuse herself from that final decision making process, but she was very happy to participate, right up until that final point where she could have single-handedly stopped this decision from going ahead if she stood up to the chief minister, and voiced her concern and ensured that Treasury had a role to play,” she said.

Ms Finocchiaro went on to point the finger at every Cabinet member for letting the deal go ahead, instead of following a “following a market led proposal process, as it was destined to be”.

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