Shadow Minister for Racing, Gaming and Licensing, Marie-Clare Boothby, says Labor is trying to fool Territorians by claiming it has drawn a line in the sand over the $12 million dodgy grandstand deal fiasco.
“There has been a dark cloud hanging over the Territory’s racing industry for years, which stems from Labor giving away $12 million through an improper cabinet process.
“Former Chief Minister, Michael Gunner, walked the flimsy submission ‘under the arm’ into cabinet for a pet project in his own electorate. That document was given no scrutiny by government and every member of cabinet – especially Chief Minister Natasha Fyles who was Racing Minister at that time – is complicit.
“The money was given away by the Labor cabinet, the grandstand was built and now the same people who gave it away through an improper process tried to claw that money back. Labor can’t have its cake and eat it too.
“Ultimately, what new Racing Minister, Chansey Paech, has done is slash $6 million in funding from the Darwin Turf Club and redirect it to the regions. If he wanted to support regional racing, he should have adequately funded it in the first place.
“Even Labor’s Major Events Minister, Paul Kirby, doesn’t agree with trying to recoup the funding, telling Mix104.9 “It would be like motor racing, you wouldn’t want to strip a big bunch of funding out of them and put their industry at risk.”
“This is an admission Labor has neglected regional racing, and an admission they got it wrong in the first place by gifting $12 million without following the proper cabinet process.
“What we have now is a desperate government trying to rewrite history. Labor needs to stop blaming everyone else for its mistakes. “The only people who should be paying back the $12 million is members of the Labor cabinet, who knowingly and willingly handed over the money with zero scrutiny and without following the proper cabinet process,” said Ms Boothby.
ENDS