NT Children’s Commissioner Colleen Gwynne’s alleged ‘captain’s call’ of former police buddy scrutinised in trial
A secret bug in the Office of the Children’s Commissioner allegedly uncovered racist and ‘malicious’ conversations between the human rights watchdog and her former police friend.
Police & Courts
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Police bugged the office of an independent government watchdog while investigating a “captains pick” by the Children’s Commissioner, a court has heard.
Prosecutor Georgia Wright told the Supreme Court on Thursday that secret surveillance devices in the Office of the Children’s Commissioner recorded racist and “malicious” conversations between Colleen Gwynne and her former police buddy, Laura Dewson.
On day two of the 56-year-old’s trial, Ms Wright alleged Gwynne attempted to abuse her office to install her friend, Ms Dewson, as her second in command over the current acting Children’s Commissioner Nicole Hucks.
It is alleged Gwynne acted improperly across two rounds of a selection process, firstly by interfering with a decision in 2018 and again failing to disclose her conflict of interest in 2019.
Gwynne has pleaded not guilty to a single charge of abuse of public office.
Ms Wright said the recording allegedly captured the children’s commissioner and her friend discussing Ms Hucks, an Aboriginal woman who they suspected appealed an attempt to install Ms Dewson as the assistant children’s commissioner in 2018.
“Mate, I won’t forget. I’ll f—king target her,” Gwynne allegedly said.
After emailing Ms Hucks, who was away on maternity leave, Gwynne allegedly said “F—k off you c—t. Don’t bother replying b—h”.
In another conversation with Ms Dewson, the children’s commissioner allegedly called Ms Hucks a racial slur, calling her a “fat g-n”.
Ms Wright alleged there was a history of nepotism dating back to 2017 that led to Gwynne trying to appoint Ms Dewson as her second-in-command.
Ms Wright alleged Gwynne helped her friend get her foot “in the door” of the Office of the Children’s Commissioner in 2017, firstly through consulting work and then into a permanent gig.
Ms Wright alleged the day after Ms Dewson withdrew an official application to a vacant senior investigative position in the office, Gwynne appointed her to an unadvertised permanent position.
“Without any kind of merit-based selection process,” Ms Wright said.
“No advertising of the position, no referee checks, no (selection) panel, and no declaration by the accused to anyone that Laura Dewson was a friend.
“She simply appointed Laura Dewson directly to her first role in the office.”
Gwynne allegedly reported Ms Dewson’s appointment was due to an increased workload for the recently restructured office, which was dealing with issues in youth detention, children in care and vulnerable children in 2017.
Ms Wright alleged Gwynne would continue to promote her friend to roles “increasing in seniority in the office and higher pay each time … until (she was) competitive to apply for the position of assistant children’s commissioner”.
Ms Wright said within nine months, Ms Dewson bumped up the pay scale by $29,000, moving from a starting salary of $106,000 a year to $135,000 as acting assistant children’s commissioner.
An ad for the permanent assistant children’s commissioner role in 2018 did not specify any “special measures” requirements, which prioritises eligible and qualified Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander applicants.
Ms Wright alleged this requirement was removed to give Ms Dewson an advantage.
At the time Ms Hucks, who had been the assistant commissioner role for 16 months, was on maternity leave as of June 25, 2018.
Before Ms Hucks went on leave, Gwynne allegedly told her no-one would be acting in her role while she was away.
Gwynne then allegedly appointed Ms Dewson as her acting assistant commissioner.
The 2018 selection panel — which initially included Gwynne — considered applications from 24 people.
Ms Wright said in a “late decision” Gwynne removed herself from the selection committee because of potential “perception of bias”.
Ms Wright alleged in her 2018 reference, Gwynne disclosed her professional relationship with Ms Dewson — having both worked in NT Police — but not her friendship during her “glowing review”.
She alleged Gwynne’s 2018 reference for Ms Hucks was “positive” but this “changed dramatically” by the time she was considered again in 2019.
After two months of consideration, the 2018 panel selected neither Ms Hucks or Ms Dewson, instead choosing an outsider to the Territory.
Despite serving in the role for 16 months, Ms Hucks was not even found “suitable” for the assistant children’s commissioner gig.
When Gwynne was told about the choice, she allegedly started contacting people pushing for the panel to reconsider the selection criteria.
“The panel made the wrong decision. You can’t do this, you can’t toss out the incumbent,” Gwynne allegedly told one of the panel members.
Ms Wright said Gwynne allegedly ignored the advice of the selection committee and overruled their decision in a “captains pick” for her friend, Ms Dewson.
“It was flagged as being somewhat unusual,” Ms Wright said.
When questions started being asked about the alleged failure to disclose, Gwynne allegedly wrote to another friend, “it looks like the old police stuff never goes away”.
The position was relisted with ‘Special Measures’ requirements, leading to a second round of reviews to consider 18 applications.
Ms Wright said Gwynne was again on the selection panel and did not declare her friendship as a conflict of interest.
Ms Wright alleged despite Gwynne giving a “misleading” and “unfavourable” review of Ms Hucks, she was found suitable for the role.
Gwynne allegedly said the former assistant Commissioner did not “meet the criteria” required for the role and needed further professional development.
This is despite Ms Hucks being described as “invaluable” in a 2016 review of her performance in the same role.
Ms Hucks allegedly told the selection committee she was “surprised” and “taken aback” by Gwynne’s referee report, with her last performance review not highlighting any performance issues.
The Crown’s opening address continued on Thursday, with Gwynne's defence team expected to begin their case next week.
On Friday Justice John Burns told the jury that a legal question which “may affect how the trial proceeds” needed to be answered and dismissed the 15 members until Tuesday.
The trial is expected to continue until April.
NT Children’s Commissioner Colleen Gwynne allegedly filed ‘malicious’ reference against mate’s rival
The Children’s Commissioner allegedly wrote a “malicious” review of her then deputy to give her mate a leg up in the race to become her second in command.
In the first day of her six-week long trial, Colleen Marie Gwynne stood to declare her not guilty plea to the single charge of abuse of public office.
The NT Children’s Commissioner is accused of engaging in conduct that was “intentionally arbitrary or an abuse of process” to give her mate a plum job within the watchdog’s office.
It was alleged that between December 1, 2018 and June 16, 2019, Gwynne used her public officer role to hire her friend, Laura Dewson, and install her as her second-in-command.
It was alleged this decision was “reckless” to the impact on the rights of the other candidate.
Prosecutor Georgina Wright alleged Gwynne failed to declare her friendship with Ms Dewson during the selection process for the assistant commissioner role, and sent a “malicious” reference against her then deputy of 16 months, Nicole Hucks.
“The reference, we say was driven by malice against Ms Hucks and her personal interest … in favouring her friend Laura Dewson,” she said.
Ms Wright said Gwynne and Ms Dewson met while serving with NT Police and over time their professional relationship evolved into a strong friendship.
Ms Wright said it would be alleged Gwynne consistently gave her friend “preferential treatment” during her time with the Office of the Children’s Commissioner.
“Which gave her a leg up over time,” she said.
Ms Wright alleged Gwynne was on the selection panel for the assistant commissioner role and did not disclose her friendship.
She said an earlier process in 2018 had to be “abandoned” allegedly because of the irregular and “improper actions” by Gwynne to install her friend over the wishes of the selection panel.
The jury pool was told the trial would hear from and reference high-profile Territorians, including the current acting Children’s Commissioner Nicole Hucks, sports broadcaster Charlie King, Territory Families chief executive Ken Davies and his deputy Brent Warren.
The former Australian Human Rights Commissioner and one of two people who headed the 2017 Don Dale Royal Commission, Mick Gooda, was also identified as a witness in the high-profile case.
Senior government bureaucrats — including the Office of the Commissioner for Public Employment director Rachael Dunn, the director of Employee Relations Brian Mappas, Local Court Judge Meredith Day Huntingford, Correctional Services executive director Alecia Brimson and Office of Aboriginal Affairs executive director Mischa Cartwright — were also referenced by the Crown and defence teams.
Jurors were handed a voluminous ‘guide’ to the trial, with the index alone taking up 17 pages.
Justice John Burns said due to the “lengthy” trial, 15 people were needed for the jury with three reserve jurors.
More than 50 people from the jury pool initially declared conflicts of interest and potential issues with being part of the 30-day trial.
The trial is expected to continue until April and was adjourned until Thursday.
NT Children’s Commissioner Colleen Gwynne to face six-week Supreme Court trial
TUESDAY, FEB 28 : A six-week trial investigating the alleged abuse of public office by the Northern Territory Children’s Commissioner begins this week.
Colleen Gwynne, 56, is expected to face the Supreme Court jury for the first time on Wednesday, in what is expected to be a long-running trial which will hear evidence from senior Territory government figures.
The Children’s Commissioner has been on leave from the top role since being charged with one count of abuse of public office in 2020.
Gwynne continuously signalled throughout the pre-trial process that she would plead not guilty to the charge.
The allegations circle around the appointment of her friend, Laura Dewson, as her second in command in 2018 and Gwynne’s role in the process.
Before joining the Office of the Children’s Commissioner, both women had extensive careers with the NT Police and had worked closely during crime command restructures in the force.
Gwynne’s lawyers have previously argued the allegations were “trivial”.
However, prosecutors have maintained the alleged improper appointment to the plum job within the Office of the Children’s Commissioner was a serious breach.
The 56-year-old’s trial is expected to run until April.
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