Willem leaves big mess
Former deputy chief minister’s office left in ‘disgusting’ state
FORMER Deputy Chief Minister Willem Westra van Holthe’s Katherine electorate office was left in such disrepair it will now have to be fumigated and deep-cleaned at taxpayer’s expense.
A source in Katherine who surveyed the damage after Mr Westra van Holthe moved out said there were rat droppings all over the office, minor damage to walls and human faeces all over the toilet seat and bowl.
“It’s disgusting,” the man said. “I couldn’t believe it.”
Mr Westra van Holthe lost the Katherine seat in last month’s election by 28 votes. He occupied the electorate office since 2008.
The total cost to taxpayers for cleaning the office was not available yesterday but could be thousands of dollars.
Labor MLA Sandra Nelson, who inherited the office after defeating Mr Westra van Holthe, confirmed how disgusting the conditions were inside.
“I was shocked and disappointed at the appalling state of the former Member for Katherine’s office,” she said.
“There are rat droppings, dead bugs, bug droppings and filthy work surfaces and I have asked for the office to be cleaned and fumigated.”
Ms Nelson added the office should be suitable for human habitation by tomorrow or Tuesday.
Mr Westra van Holthe denied the office was filthy and called allegations of faeces on the toilet “ridiculous”.
He said the office was routinely cleaned by a contractor.
“Obviously, furniture that hadn’t been moved in a long time could have any manner of critter under it,” he said.
“The toilet was cleaned again, by the contractor. Any suggestion otherwise is a load of crap.”
Mr Westra van Holthe was forced to resign from Cabinet earlier this year after the NT News revealed he had signed an offer to buy shares in a Vietnamese company, which had an agreement with the NT Government to set up a $140 million dragonfruit farm.
He said he never went through with the deal.
Mr Westra van Holthe lost the seat of Katherine with a swing of almost 30 per cent against the CLP on primary votes.