Shadow Attorney-General, Steve Edgington, is calling on the Minister for Alcohol Policy, Natasha Fyles, to explain why a letter sent from her office, and relied upon by the Liquor Commission in its review of liquor licences in the Barkly region, hasn’t been made public.
“A letter from the Minister for Alcohol Policy, Natasha Fyles, which is dated November 2020, is specifically referenced in the review, and relied upon by the Commission.
“It relates to additional police officers and police resources, additional clinical staff, case support workers and social workers, a Licensing NT Senior Compliance Officer, as well as additional Territory Families staff and additional public housing safety officers.
“The letter doesn’t appear on the Liquor Commission’s website, along with the other submissions, and when I requested a copy during this week’s meeting in Tennant Creek I was told that the Commission would have to take advice on whether the letter could be made public.
“Why won’t the Minister make her letter public? What has she got to hide? This is just another glaring example of the total lack of transparency from this Gunner Labor Government and a blatant attempt to avoid scrutiny.
“The public is still waiting for an update on why the Banned Drinker Register (BDR) Monthly Report hasn’t been updated in eight months. For the Minister to blame a “technical glitch” is laughable.
“This essential reporting tool to measure the success, or otherwise, of the BDR has been dormant since before the August 2020 election. How can the public trust the BDR is
operating as intended? We simply don’t have the data,” said Mr Edgington.