Turf club grandstand emails handed to ICAC

THE handling of the controversial $12 million grandstand at the Darwin Turf Club has come under fire again with the Chief Minister handing documents to the NT’s Corruption watchdog

THE handling of the controversial $12 million grandstand at the Darwin Turf Club has come under fire again with a Freedom of Information request revealing the Chief Minister handed documents to the NT’s Corruption watchdog

THE handling of the controversial $12 million grandstand at the Darwin Turf Club has come under fire again with a Freedom of Information request leading to the Chief Minister handing over documents to the NT’s Corruption watchdog.

According to the ABC, the FOI revealed documents that showed Michael Gunner’s former chief of staff Alf Leonardi was involved in the process.

Mr Leonardi, who is now the strategic partnerships senior director within the Education Department after being booted from his role as Mr Gunner’s chief of staff in August, wrote a letter on behalf of Turf Club chairman Brett Dixon, which was to be sent to ministers.

Mr Leonardi and Mr Dixon exchanged a series of emails in January 2019 – six months before Cabinet approved the grant to build the grandstand.

ANALYSIS: Michael Gunner’s leadership under threat because of emails

Mr Gunner said the conduct was “completely inappropriate” and as a result sent the documents to the ICAC to be investigated.

“This conduct was completely inappropriate, and done without my knowledge or the Cabinet’s knowledge,” he said.

“Mr Leonardi no longer works for me. His employment ended some time ago.

“This letter did not form part of the grant proposal that was considered by Cabinet, and did not have any bearing on the grant decision.”

On Mix 104.9, Member for Goyder Kezia Purick said she was sceptical that Mr Gunner didn’t know what was going on in his own office.

Meanwhile, Member for Daly Gary Higgins called for him to stand down.

“I think the least the Chief Minister can do at this stage is to step aside until this investigation is over,” he said.

“There’s a lot of questions still out there about this grant.”

MORE TO COME.