Hall of Fame has to pay for manager the government appointed

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By ERWIN CHLANDA
 
The new regime at the National Road Transport Hall of Fame has not hesitated before falling in line with the way the NT Government communicates with its public: Spruiking spin while not answering questions.
 
We were told the support from the community is “overwhelming”.
 
“Business leaders and transport and tourism champions” who have done little for the Hall for years are now doing “whatever” they can to stage the annual truckies reunion due in three weeks’ time.
 
What are the bookings like compared to previous ones?
 
No answer.
 
In fact nothing much has changed: Deloitte’s are still “working hard to ensure the financials … are brought up to date” as they were before the statutory manager was appointed.
 
The new manager has the “assistance” of Liz Martin, the heart of soul of the organisation whom the bureaucracy – by her account – for years had denied her meaningful assistance with the accounting problem.
 
It is quaint that the most dramatically debt-ridden NT Government ever should be pontificating about administration to a volunteer group that has money in the bank and no known debts.
 
That will change now because the statutory manager – the Adelaide law firm Rosey Batt and Associates – will of course have to be paid, namely from the pockets of the Hall, not by the government that made the appointment.
 
The law firm is apparently in the position of deciding what services they will provide and paying themselves for them from Hall of Fame owned funds.
 
We asked: What are the projected expenses of, and incidental to, the conduct of the affairs of the association by the statutory manager?
 
No answer.
 
It has also emerged that the person, Acting Director-General of Licensing Sally Ozolins, who appointed  the statutory manager, is the very same who authored the soy sauce fiasco.
 
That news story was broken by the Alice Springs News and it quickly made its way around Australia, turning the Territory from Cowboy Country to Fools’ Paradise in the eyes of many.
 
 
 

4 COMMENTS

  1. We are under the wings of incompetent ministers, a group who has no idea how to run a business, cannot follow its own regulations, wasting our taxes monies and certainly does not know the meaning of public relations.
    But really, who is responsible for this fiasco? Responsible for making us the laughing stock of Australia?
    All those who elected this government!
    Until a minor party is getting a chance, we’ll be always trapped between Scylla and Charybdis.
    PS: I have a diploma in diplomacy which means that I am able to dish insults in a very nice way.

  2. Soy Sauce Sally and her mob will bring us all down.
    Time for a good ol’ fashioned tar and feathering. Can I sell tickets?

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