Chief Minister Michael Gunner to skip Darwin Cup Carnival in protest to Turf Club involvement in $12m grandstand scandal

Chief Minister Michael Gunner has declared he won’t attend any events part of the Darwin Cup Carnival this year in protest to the Darwin Turf Club’s involvement in the $12m grandstand scandal.

Chief Minister Michael Gunner has declared he won’t attend any events part of the Darwin Cup Carnival this year in protest to the Darwin Turf Club’s involvement in the $12m grandstand scandal. Picture: Glenn Campbell

CHIEF Minister Michael Gunner has declared he won’t attend any events part of the Darwin Cup Carnival this year in protest to the Darwin Turf Club’s involvement in the $12m grandstand scandal.

It comes after Mr Gunner last month called on the club’s entire board to resign following the release of a NT Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) report which made findings of corruption, misconduct and more over the NT government’s awarding of the grandstand grant to the club in 2019.

Speaking to Katie Woolf on Mix 104.9FM this morning, Mr Gunner said he was so “unhappy” and “angry” about the club’s actions that he couldn’t bring himself to attend the NT’s biggest annual racing series.

“Right now, as it stands, and it is in my electorate, I support the carnival, but I can’t go,” he said.

“I’m extremely unhappy with this series of events and very angry about it all, and I won’t be going to the Cup Carnival this year.

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“It’s not the horses’ fault, I get that; it’s not the fault of the people who are going to go to the carnival and have a great time; but I personally can’t stomach going this year.”

Speaking to Woolf shortly after, Racing, Gaming and Licensing Opposition spokeswoman Marie-Clare Boothy, who said she would be attending the carnival, called Mr Gunner’s decision to skip the racing series “incredible”.

“I find it incredible that he doesn’t want to go, because at the end of the day … the government would definitely be supporting that financially,” she said.

“For him not to go – I mean, what kind of a message does that send to the people of the Territory... and our tourism providers, that our own Chief Minister is hiding and doesn’t want to come out for one of the biggest events that we’ve got here?”

Mr Gunner’s comments come after he missed major carnival event the Darwin Cup, as well as the Chief Minister Cup race, last year, despite the Darwin Turf Club being situated in his electorate of Fannie Bay.

Asked why he hadn’t attended the Cup, he said he had been visiting Tennant Creek and Mungkarta on the day.

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