Push for change after refusal of Giles to provide statement

THE Royal Commissions Act should be changed to give power to Commissioners to compel people to provide information or a statement, according to the findings from the Royal Commission into juvenile detention.

Currently a bill is before the Australian Parliament proposing amendments to give commissions “the power to issue a notice requiring a person to give information or a state- ment in writing”. While the report found this Commission did not have difficulties getting witnesses to talk, it did note former chief minister Adam Giles, who established the Royal Commission in 2016, “was the only person who refused the Commission’s request for a statement”.

Danila Dilba chief executive Olga Havnen said she was disappointed to discover royal commissions could not currently compel witnesses.

“The fact that we can have a Royal Commission that costs something like $54 million and there is an inability to compel people to be held to account in a really public and transparent way, I think is an indictment on our system,” she said.

“That probably explains or accounts for the kinds of conduct and behaviour and the lack of engagement by some of the senior people form the NT Government, in particular Adam Giles.”

Mr Giles did not return calls for comment.