The employment arrangements of embattled Canberra Liberals' staffer Tio Faulkner are unacceptable, according to Chief Minister Katy Gallagher.
The Chief Minister made her comments after the ACT Greens joined the Canberra Liberals in blocking her attempt to make a statement in the Legislative Assembly about the controversy engulfing the office of Liberals' leader Zed Seselja.
Mr Seselja has been coming under growing pressure since The Canberra Times revealed that he had failed for several years in his legal obligation to account for the attendance of many of his taxpayer funded staff and is now facing a full workplace audit of employment practices in his office.
Ms Gallagher said today, in response to a statement made by Mr Seselja last week, that it was unacceptable that a staffer should be paid by the taxpayer without having to turn up at work in the Assembly.
Mr Seselja has been accused, under parliamentary privilege, of using Mr Faulkner, who is also the president of the Canberra Liberals, to run the ACT branch of the party while officially a member of Mr Seselja's taxpayer funded staff.
The Opposition Leader continued today to deny any wrongdoing, telling the Assembly that the accusations were "election year mud-slinging," by the government.
But Ms Gallagher said that it was unacceptable that Mr Faulkner, who is employed as director of electorate services, should have no accountability to the Legislative Assembly.
"My most significant concern is that we are continuing to allow a staff member to draw a salary from the ACT taxpayer, but who is not required to work in the building and from all accounts has no accountability to the Assembly."
"I think that's unacceptable, I wanted to say that and I don't think I need parliamentary privilege to say that."
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