Gunner Government failing another serious right-to-know test

THE Territory government’s cone of silence around the mysterious absence of Corrections Commissioner Scott McNairn is again a failure of its promise to be open and transparent

NT Corrections Commissioner Scott McNairn with senior Gunner Government Minister Natasha Fyles. Picture: Che Chorley

• NT Corrections Commissioner on mysterious, unknown ‘period of absence’

THE Territory government’s cone of silence around the mysterious absence of Corrections Commissioner Scott McNairn is again a failure of its promise to be open and transparent.

Mr McNairn is in charge of one of the most critical departments in the Territory, which has an annual taxpayer-funded budget of about $230 million.

The department is also in charge of our most dangerous people who are locked up in our prisons.

The public has a right to know if the Corrections boss has been away for long periods of time in his role, given the amount of taxpayer money that is funnelled into the department and the importance of the department in regards to public safety.

Let’s not forget a prison riot last year, under Mr McNairn’s watch, caused about $20 million damage.

It is a bill that will be funded by taxpayers.

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But instead of being honest when asked questions with plenty of notice, the government – at a bureaucrat and ministerial level – choose to issue one line statements deliberately intended to keep the public in the dark.