Latest news with #NACC
ABC News
3 days ago
- General
- ABC News
NACC missteps over commissioner complaint
Sabra Lane: Australia's anti-corruption watchdog is again under pressure, this time for mishandling a complaint involving one of its own commissioners. It's the latest in a string of internal stumbles, raising questions about whether the National Anti-Corruption Commission is meeting the standards it was set up to enforce. Political reporter Olivia Caisley has the exclusive story. Olivia Caisley: It was created to restore trust, a powerful new watchdog with a promise to clean up politics. But nearly two years on, the Commission is under pressure again, this time over how it handled a complaint about one of its own. The ABC can reveal the NACC failed to comply with its own legislation by wrongly dismissing a complaint about a commissioner last November. Under its Act, any referral involving staff, even about conduct before they joined, must be passed to the independent inspector. It wasn't. In a letter seen by the ABC, Deputy Commissioner Kylie Kilgour admitted the error and apologised. Kylie Kilgour statement: Unfortunately, the Commission staff who received your referral assessed only whether your matter raised a corruption issue ... and did not consider whether the matter should be referred to the Inspector. I apologise for this error. Olivia Caisley: The commissioner at the centre of the allegation was never told about the referral, which was eventually passed on to the inspector, Gail Gurness, in February. She later found it fell outside her jurisdiction. This is the third such mandatory referral the NACC has made about its own staff. And it's not the first time the Commission has faced criticism over its internal decision-making. Last year, it initially refused to investigate senior public servants over robodebt, only to reverse course after public backlash. A later review found the Chief Commissioner Paul Brereton failed to fully recuse himself despite a declared personal link with one of the officials involved. Green Senator David Shoebridge, whose party holds the balance of power in the Upper House, says the latest incident is another significant credibility setback for the body. David Shoebridge: Because there was a statutory obligation on the NACC because of that conflict of interest to immediately refer it across to the inspector. Olivia Caisley: With growing scrutiny over how the watchdog polices itself, pressure is now mounting for clearer guardrails. Will Partlett from the Centre for Public Integrity says the Commission needs to update its triage process if it hasn't already. Will Partlett: If they didn't know they should have known particularly on an allegation of corruption with the commissioner. Olivia Caisley: Senator Shoebridge says it's time for rehabilitation. David Shoebridge: We want the NACC to work. We want the NACC to have strong public support and we want it to do its job, free from distractions, to fight corruption at a Commonwealth level and it's not doing that right now. So again we say to the Labor government, let's have a program of reform. Olivia Caisley: A spokesperson for the watchdog described the mistake as human error and said safeguards have been put in place to prevent it from happening again. Sabra Lane: Olivia Caisley there.
ABC News
3 days ago
- General
- ABC News
National corruption watchdog mishandled complaint against commissioner
The federal anti-corruption watchdog has admitted it failed to comply with its own legislation by not referring a complaint about a commissioner to the agency's independent watchdog. Made seven months ago, the referral was wrongly dismissed instead of being immediately passed to the National Anti-Corruption Commission's inspector, as required by law. The misstep has only come to light via a private apology to the complainant, shared with the ABC. The admission confirms an early and significant credibility setback for the new anti-corruption body, which was established with great fanfare — and significant crossbench pressure — to raise ethical standards in public life. Designed to hold others to account, the NACC is now under scrutiny for its handling of its own internal oversight. Under its governing legislation, any complaint involving the conduct of NACC staff or commissioners — including conduct prior to their appointment — must be referred to the inspector, regardless of how serious it is deemed to be. In a letter dated February 5, NACC deputy commissioner Kylie Kilgour admitted the matter should have been referred and transferred the complaint to inspector Gail Furness. "Unfortunately, the commission staff who received your referral assessed only whether your matter raised a 'corruption issue' and did not consider whether the matter should be referred to the Inspector," the correspondence, seen by the ABC, said. "I apologise for this error." The letter also confirms the commissioner in question was not notified of the allegation. It's understood Ms Furness considered the complaint for three months and concluded it fell outside her jurisdiction. Her reasons have not been made public. In a statement, a NACC spokesperson said the delay in the referral of the complaint was due to "human error". "Systems have since been put in place to safeguard against this from happening in the future," they said. "The commission confirms it takes its reporting obligations to the inspector under the NACC Act seriously. Beyond that it is not appropriate for the commission to comment further on matters within the inspector's jurisdiction." ABC News is not suggesting any wrongdoing by the employee in question, only that the referral was not handled in accordance with the body's legal obligations. However, the referral has reignited scrutiny over the NACC's internal judgement after a high-profile mistake last year in which the commission initially ruled out investigating six public servants involved in the illegal debt recovery system known as Robodebt. About half a million Australians were affected by the program, with some debt notice recipients later committing suicide. Following a public outcry and 1,160 objections, Ms Furness launched an independent review into the watchdog's decision-making process and found NACC chief Paul Brereton unintentionally engaged in "officer misconduct" by not entirely removing himself from deliberations about whether to investigate, despite declaring a "close association" with one of the six public servants involved. Following that decision, the NACC conceded it would pursue an investigation into the Robodebt officials. The latest referral is the third time since the body was established in July 2023 that section 203 of the NACC act, requiring an inspector review of a complaint relating to a watchdog staff member, has been triggered. The inspector-general's annual report last year indicates that prior to October only two "mandatory referrals" had been made by the NACC to the oversight body. The first case involved a person who allegedly offered money to a NACC staff member — a gesture that may have been an attempt to improperly influence them. After further investigation, Commissioner Brereton concluded the person likely didn't realise they were dealing with a NACC official and hadn't asked them to do anything in their official role. The Inspector agreed no further action was needed. The annual report said the second referral prompted more debate, with the commissioner and the inspector discussing a range of options — including sending the case to the Australian Federal Police, launching a joint investigation, or handling it internally. "In the end, the NACC took it on as a corruption issue and investigated it directly," the report read. The inspector's official guidance states: "If the NACC commissioner becomes aware of any NACC corruption issue, they must refer it to the NACC inspector. Once referred, the inspector has discretion to decide whether the issue meets the serious or systemic threshold to warrant an investigation." The requirement applies even to alleged conduct predating a staff member's appointment. Independent crossbenchers have previously told the ABC they would push to make the integrity watchdog more transparent and hold more public hearings if they held the balance of power this term of parliament, but that will be harder after Labor won in a landslide. Do you know more? Please email Olivia Caisley at
The Hindu
23-05-2025
- Climate
- The Hindu
IAF, Lahore ATC denied IndiGo permission to use Pakistan airspace: DGCA
The pilots of IndiGo's Delhi to Srinagar flight that was caught in a hailstorm earlier this week were denied deviation to escape bad weather by using Pakistan airspace by both the Indian Air Force as well as Lahore's Air Traffic Control tower, the DGCA said on Friday. However, Defence sources have refuted a part of this claim and said the IAF-controlled Northern Area Control Centre is not authorised to provide Indian aircraft permission to enter international airspace, which rests with Delhi Air Traffic Control. The incident pertains to IndiGo's 6E 2142 flight that was caught in bad weather, including strong turbulence, on Wednesday evening. Though passengers and crew escaped without injuries, the aircraft's nose cone was damaged leading to its grounding for inspection and maintenance. In a press statement, the DGCA said the IndiGo flight entered a hailstorm and severe turbulence near Pathankot. But before that that the Indian Air Force rejected the pilot's request for deviation towards the international border to allow the IndiGo aircraft to circumvent bad weather and later Lahore's ATC too turned down their plea. 'Crew initially attempted to return, but as they were close to the thunderstorm cloud, they decided to penetrate the weather. Subsequently, they encountered a hailstorm and severe turbulence. The crew chose to continue at the same heading to exit the weather by the shortest route towards Srinagar,' says the DGCA statement. Among the 222 passengers onboard were also five Trinamool Congress MPs who were flying to meet people affected by the recent cross-border shelling near the LoC. The IAF controlled Northern Area Control Centre (NACC) directs all traffic ahead of Udhampur. A 100 miles west of Pathankot is deep inside Pakistan. The NACC is not the authority to give clearance to aircraft before entering international territory, said Defence sources. They facilitated with the patching the aircraft onto the frequency of Lahore ATC which denied clearance. The authority for giving the Flight Information Clearance for international airspace is the Delhi area, sources explained. The pilot was provided assistance by NACC by giving ground speed information from the radar as instruments on the aircraft either failed or were inaccurate and so was unable to get aircraft speed which is essential for landing. The notice to airmen issued by Pakistan imposing flight restrictions for Indian aircraft continues to be in place. India's foreign policy collapsed: Rahul Gandhi takes swipe at Jaishankar Targeting External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Friday, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi claimed that India's foreign policy has 'collapsed' and asked why India has been hyphenated with Pakistan. Gandhi, the Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha, asked why no country had backed India during the recent conflict. He also questioned who had asked U.S. President Donald Trump to 'mediate' between the two South Asian neighbours. On X, he shared a Congress post of an edited video clip from Jaishankar's interview with Dutch broadcaster NOS. Gandhi asked: 'Will JJ explain: Why has India been hyphenated with Pakistan? Why didn't a single country back us in condemning Pakistan? Who asked Trump to 'mediate' between India & Pakistan?' On Thursday, Gandhi had targeted Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a post on X, saying, 'Modi ji, stop giving hollow speeches. Just tell: Why did you believe Pakistan's statement on terrorism? Why did you sacrifice India's interests by bowing to Trump? Why does your blood boil only in front of cameras? You have compromised with the prestige of India!' The Congress has been repeatedly slamming the External Affairs Minister, calling him 'Jaichand Jaishankar' or JJ, in an allusion to a medieval ruler depicted as a traitor. This comes after Jaishankar said that India had made it clear to Pakistan 'at the start' of Operation Sindoor that it would target only terrorist camp and not military installations. However, as Gandhi interpreted this to mean that India informed Pakistan 'before' Operation Sindoor, the External Affairs Ministry termed his statement as an 'utter misrepresentation of facts'. Since then, the war of words between the Congress and the BJP has escalated, with the ruling party calling Gandhi a 'modern age Mir Jafar', in a reference to the Bengali commander who betrayed the Nawab of Bengal in the Battle of Plassey, paving the way for British rule. Reliance to invest ₹75,000 cr in North-Eastern States: Mukesh Ambani Oil-to-telecom conglomerate Reliance Industries Limited will invest ₹75,000 crore in North Eastern States in setting up 350 biogas plants, expanding its telecom services, retail footprint, and clean energy projects, Chairman Mukesh Ambani said on Friday. Speaking at the Rising NorthEast Investors Summit, Reliance Industries Ltd Chairman and Managing Director said his group will invest in factories for high-quality FMCG products in the region and setting up a 150-bed cancer hospital in Manipur. 'Reliance has invested around ₹30,000 crore in the region in the past 40 years. In the next five years, we will more than double our investments, with our target at ₹75,000 crore,' he said. This will create over 2.5 million direct and indirect employment opportunities as the conglomerate aspires to touch the lives of most of the 45 million population in the North-East. Ambani said he is making six commitments to the Chief Ministers of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Manipur, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim and Tripura. The group's telecom unit Jio has already covered 90% of the population with over 5 million 5G subscribers. 'We will double this number this year,' he said. 'Jio's priority will be to bring the revolutionary power of Artificial Intelligence to all schools, hospitals, enterprises and homes.' When talent meets technology and competence meets connectivity, our North-East will surge ahead, he said. Ambani said Reliance Retail will vastly increase its procurement of staples, fruits, and vegetables to boost the income of farmers. 'We will also invest in factories for high-quality FMCG products in the region and promote the region's fabulous artisan economy,' he said. In clean energy, Reliance will look to 'greatly' enhance generation of solar power in the region, he said without giving details. In line with the vision of converting waste to wealth, Reliance will convert the region's vast 'wasteland into wealth-land', by setting up 350 integrated compressed biogas plants which will turn organic waste into gas which could be used as CNG for transportation as well as fuel in industries and cooking in kitchens, he said. Ambani said Reliance Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the group, will bring the best of cancer care to the North-East. 'To begin with, we have established a 150-bed comprehensive cancer hospital in Manipur. We are collaborating with Mizoram University on the care of breast cancer using genomic data. In Guwahati, we have built an Advanced Molecular Diagnostics and Research Lab. It will be among the largest Genome Sequencing Capacities in India,' he said. 'We will help transform the North-East into a healthcare hub and a research powerhouse'. Stating that the North-East is a treasure-house of world-class talent in multiple sports, he said Reliance Foundation will work with all eight states to set up Olympic Training Centres, which will prepare our youth to be tomorrow's medal-winners in Olympics. 'For Reliance, it is a matter of privilege to fulfil the dreams of a region that has the fastest rate of economic growth with the youngest population in India,' he said. Trump threatens Apple with 25% tariffs if iPhone assembly doesn't move to U.S. U.S. President Donald Trump threatened Apple, Inc. with 25% tariffs on iPhone imports if the company didn't make them domestically. Repeating his insistence that he didn't want iPhones to be assembled in India, Trump said in a post on Truth Social, 'I have long informed Tim Cook of Apple that I expect their iPhone's [sic] that will be sold in the United States of America will be manufactured and built in the United States, not India, or anyplace else,' adding that if that doesn't happen, 'a Tariff of at least 25% must be paid by Apple to the U.S.' This is not the first time Trump has lashed out at Apple's phone assembly operations in India, largely contract manufacturers with facilities in Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. 'We're not interested in you building in India,' Trump said he told Apple CEO Tim Cook. 'They can take care of themselves,' he said, adding that he expected the company to start assembling iPhones in the U.S. instead. Apple and the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology did not immediately respond to a request for comment. When Trump first remarked on Apple's manufacturing in India, a senior official told The Hindu that the government was not too 'concerned' that the U.S. president's words would have any impact on existing manufacturing commitments the company has made in Tamil Nadu and elsewhere. Ajay Srivastava, founder of the Global Trade Research Institute and a former Additional Director General Foreign Trade, offered an unconventional take on the matter. He said, 'If Mr. Trump wants Mr. Cook to assemble iPhones in the U.S., the Apple CEO should deliver.' 'Shifting iPhone assembly from India to the U.S. could unlock over 60,000 new jobs, immediately rising to 300,000 if production also moves out of China,' Srivastava wrote earlier this month. 'These are not high-tech desk jobs, but hands-on factory roles that once built America's middle class. It's a rare opportunity to turn elite tech into broad-based employment — and breathe life back into U.S. industrial strength,' he said. 'It will also nudge India to focus on deep manufacturing and not be happy with superficial assembly jobs,' he added. Israeli Embassy killings suspect told police: 'I did it for Palestine, I did it for Gaza' The man accused of fatally shooting two staff members of the Israeli Embassy in Washington outside a Jewish museum told police after his arrest, 'I did it for Palestine, I did it for Gaza,' federal authorities said Thursday in announcing charges in the killings they called a targeted act of terrorism. Elias Rodriguez (31) shouted 'Free Palestine' as he was led away after his arrest, according to charging documents that provided new details of the Wednesday night shootings in the nation's capital that killed an American woman and an Israeli man who had just left an event at the museum. They were set to become engaged. The attack prompted Israeli missions to beef up their security and lower their flags to half-staff. It came as Israel pursues another major offensive in the Gaza Strip in the war with Hamas that has heightened tensions across the Middle East and internationally, and that law enforcement officials have repeatedly warned could inspire violence in the U.S. Rodriguez faces charges of murder of foreign officials and other crimes and did not enter a plea during a perfunctory court appearance. Additional charges are likely, prosecutors said, as authorities continue to investigate the killings as both a hate crime against the Jewish community and terrorism. 'Violence against anyone based on their religion is an act of cowardice. It is not an act of a hero,' said Jeanine Pirro, the interim U.S. attorney for the District of Columbia. 'Antisemitism will not be tolerated, especially in the nation's capital.' The two people killed were identified as Yaron Lischinsky, an Israeli citizen, and Sarah Milgrim, an American. They were a young couple about to be engaged, according to Yechiel Leiter, the Israeli ambassador to the U.S. An FBI affidavit presents the killing as calculated and planned, with authorities alleging that Rodriguez flew to the Washington region from Chicago on Tuesday with a handgun in his checked luggage. He purchased a ticket for the event about three hours before it started, the affidavit said. The couple were leaving the Capital Jewish Museum when the suspect, who witnesses said had been behaving suspiciously by pacing outside, approached a group of four people and opened fire. Surveillance video showed Rodriguez advancing closer to the two victims as they fell to the ground, leaning over them and firing additional shots. He even appeared to reload before jogging off, the FBI said. After the shooting, the suspect went inside the museum and stated that he 'did it.' He was no longer armed by the time he was taken into custody, according to the affidavit. 'I did it for Palestine, I did it for Gaza, I am unarmed,' he spontaneously said. He also told detectives that he admired an active-duty Air Force member who set himself on fire outside the Israeli Embassy in February 2024, describing the man as 'courageous' and a 'martyr,' court documents said. Investigators said they were still working to corroborate the authenticity of writings purported to be authored by Rodriguez, an apparent reference to a document circulating online that expressed outrage over Israel's conduct in the war. The FBI is also contacting associates, family members and co-workers. Rodriguez appeared in federal court in Washington in a white jail suit and listened impassively as the charges and possible punishments, which include the death penalty, were read. At a home listed in public records for Rodriguez's mother in suburban Chicago, a sign taped on the door Thursday afternoon asked for privacy. In Brief: RBI to pay Government record dividend of ₹2.69 lakh crore for FY25 The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) on Friday approved the transfer of ₹2.69 lakh crore as surplus to the Central Government for the accounting year 2024-25. Under the the Chairmanship of RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra, the decision was made in the 616th meeting of the Central Board of Directors of the Reserve Bank of India. Harvard sues the Trump administration over ban on enrolling foreign students Harvard University is challenging the Trump administration's decision to bar the Ivy League school from enrolling foreign students, calling it unconstitutional retaliation for defying the White House's political demands. In a lawsuit filed Friday in federal court in Boston, Harvard said the government's action violates the First Amendment and will have an 'immediate and devastating effect for Harvard and more than 7,000 visa holders.' 'With the stroke of a pen, the government has sought to erase a quarter of Harvard's student body, international students who contribute significantly to the University and its mission,' Harvard said in its suit. Evening Wrap will return tomorrow.
Hamilton Spectator
23-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Hamilton Spectator
Trey Anthony returns to the NWT to 'speak the unspeakable things' in NACC performance
The multi-talented Canadian Trey Anthony, known for her award-winning play, Da Kink in My Hair, is set to tour several NWT communities and take the stage at the Northern Arts and Cultural Centre (NACC) in Yellowknife this week with a new performance. Black Girl in Love (With Herself) Speaking the Unspeakable Things, promises to be an evening of music, comedy, dialogue, and insight, Marie Coderre, executive and artistic director of NACC said. 'It's about the life of black women and what they are experiencing in this world and in society on a daily basis. And also, there's a touch of humor too,' Coderre said. 'You will navigate through a different range of emotions when you watch a play like this and she is giving us a really good taste of the intimacy of what's up in the world of black woman on a daily basis.' Anthony, a Jamaican-British-Canadian, is known as the 'Oprah of Canada' and is the first Black woman in Canada to have her own primetime series on a major television network. The versatile performer is also a writer whose newly released book Black Girl in Love (With Herself) has been published by Hay House and she has written for Global Television, the Women's Television Network and the Comedy Network, among others. Described as 'an uncensored night of true sisterhood and support', Black Girl in Love will delve into what is considered the 'taboo' topics of infertility, fibroids, miscarriage and black women and therapy, among others, such as questions surrounding motherhood. Coderre said such stories are 'very important'. 'We learn something new when it's not our reality, and to me, it's a high-quality scenario and script and text and Trey is a gifted artist. We're very lucky that she accepted to come to the Northwest Territories. 'And, you know, in the NWT, there are Indigenous woman who can relate to Black women on many levels. So I think it will be a fantastic tour and to have a cultural exchange,' Coderre said. 'It's going to be a show that is very blunt, very transparent, and it's an intimate experience of what Black girls experience on a daily basis in a contemporary setting. And it's about the past, the present, and the future too, as well.' Black Girl in Love (With Herself) will be performed in Norman Wells on May 20, in Inuvik on May 22 and at NACC in Yellowknife on May 24.
Yahoo
14-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Niagara Arts & Cultural Center moving forward on theater restoration
Niagara Arts & Cultural Center officials say they have reached an important milestone and are pushing forward in their ongoing restoration of the former Niagara Falls High School at Pine Avenue and Portage Road. A recent celebration centered around the completion of six ADA-compliant toilet rooms on the three floors of the main building. This humble but important improvement gives the NACC the capacity to host large public events in the 100-year-old building. The project was completed in early May for the NACC's signature fundraiser, the Art of Beer, and two of the restrooms were opened to the public. A small ribbon-cutting event took place before the important fundraiser. The next phase of the restoration will focus on the Legacy Theatre and new energy infrastructure to support it. Work is expected to start in September and be completed next fall. The Legacy Theatre is the centerpiece of the building and serves as a performing arts venue for Niagara Falls residents, local organizations and performing groups. Structural analysis is underway to consider major changes to the space as well as plaster repair, new stage lighting and sound equipment, along with additional improvements to transform the space into a state-of-the-art performing arts venue. During the theater analysis, programming will continue at the NACC as usual, with live theater, concerts, classes, and workshops. For more information on upcoming events, performance space rentals, or festivals at the Niagara Arts and Cultural Center visit Since 2018, the NACC Board of Directors has been diligently focused on the long-term goal of preserving the historic building and promoting arts and cultural experiences to the community. It took seven years to secure the funding through fundraising events, private donors and philanthropic giving before the $8.5 million restoration of the auditorium and its support spaces could begin. However, as local community commitment to the project grew, so did the support of regional funders. The New York State Council on the Arts was the first to support the restoration project. It was recently joined by the Regional Revitalization Partnership funders, the New York State Power Authority and Empire State Development. The NACC renovation project is being supported by a $4 million capital grant from Empire State Development's Regional Economic Community Assistance Program and $426,000 from the Regional Council Capital Fund. Karen Utz, WNY regional director of Empire State Development, said, 'We recognize that arts and cultural activities are vital to the economy because they contribute to job creation, boost tourism, and enhance the quality of life for the community. We look forward to seeing the 1,000-seat auditorium restored to its original historic grandeur.' 'Our involvement with the Regional Revitalization Partnership and initiatives like the Niagara Arts & Cultural Center's restoration project reinforces our longstanding work to foster economic growth and cultural enrichment,' added Brad Dossinger, M&T Bank executive vice president, community reinvestment. Five Star Bank Community Development Director Karla J. L. Gadley said, 'At Five Star Bank, we take great pride in our role supporting nonprofits that serve and enrich our communities in meaningful ways. Through its work developing and showcasing the talent of local artists and creators, the Niagara Arts & Culture Center does just that.'
