Under pressure Darwin Turf Club chairman Brett Dixon puts his hand up for re-election

Darwin Turf Club chairman Brett Dixon is staring down the Chief Minister Michael Gunner and wants the club’s membership to decide if it wants him to remain at the helm.

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DARWIN Turf Club chairman Brett Dixon is staring down the Chief Minister Michael Gunner and wants the club’s membership to decide if it wants him to remain at the helm.

DARWIN Turf Club chairman Brett Dixon is staring down the Chief Minister Michael Gunner and wants the club’s membership to decide if it wants him to remain at the helm.

Mr Dixon, along with another Turf Club board member, Damien Moriarty, has put his hand up for re-election at the August 9 special general meeting, which will see all positions on the DTC board declared vacant.

Mr Gunner demanded the resignation of the entire board following the release of a damning ICAC report about the club’s $12 million taxpayer-funded grandstand.

Darwin Turf Club chairman Brett Dixon, right, is staring down the Chief Minister Michael Gunner and wants the club’s membership to decide if it wants him to remain at the helm

Independent Commissioner Against Corruption, Ken Fleming, made findings of improper conduct against five individuals — Mr Dixon, fellow board member Damien Moriarty and former CEO Keith Stacey, as well as the Chief Minister’s former chief of staff, Alf Leonardi, and Mr Dixon’s business partner, Matthew Moss.

Mr Dixon has started legal action against the ICAC to quash the allegations made against him by the NT’s anti-corruption watchdog.

He said the findings made against him of corrupt conduct, misconduct and a breach of public trust are untenable.

Mr Dixon said the Chief Minister does not have the power to determine who is elected to any non-government volunteer board saying that the decision of the board’s make up is a matter for its members.

Mr Dixon also said he was encouraged by the words of the Territory’s new ICAC Commissioner that those who work in his office must act with the utmost integrity.

“While I was pleased to read the new ICAC commissioner’s statement and I have every confidence that under his leadership future investigations will be conducted appropriately, I remain concerned about the grandstand investigation and as the appropriateness of the new commissioner conducting an investigation into possible wrongdoing by his own staff members and contractors,” Mr Dixon said.

“I hope that the new commissioner will afford an independent investigator, such as the Northern Territory commissioner of police, his full co-operation in getting to the bottom of what occurred.”

Mr Dixon has questioned why incontrovertible proof by way of bank statements presented to the ICAC commissioner that NT Kerbing Pty Ltd had not donated $50,000 to the Labor Party was ignored. He also said possible leaks of confidential evidence provided to ICAC is of the most serious concern because it is unlawful and undermines the trust and integrity of the office.

“Material was being published that no one but ICAC should have had access to and clearly was being shared,” Mr Dixon said.