Taxpayer-funded chauffeur services in the Northern Territory known locally as the “white car” fleet have come under fire after logs revealed ministers used them for trips to a Fannie Bay Pizzeria, a Darwin golf club, a phone shop, and even a casino. Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro defended her Wednesday-night visits to the pizzeria as part of “caucus social dinners,” while Education Minister Jo Hersey claimed her golf club trip was work-related. Yet the government continues to refuse public release of the official guidelines governing what constitutes legitimate use of the service.
The revelations followed a months-long Freedom Of Information battle that forced the release of chauffeur logs from February and March 2025. Opposition Leader Selena Uibo was the first to admit misuse, repaying $655 for private trips to restaurants and a medical centre. But the logs show ministers from the governing Country Liberal Party engaged in similar behaviour: Lands Minister Joshua Burgoyne also rode to the pizzeria in a white car on the same night as the Chief Minister. Despite mounting evidence, the NT government has not disclosed the rules that define “official business.”
When pressed on whether she would reimburse taxpayers for the pizzeria trip, Chief Minister Finocchiaro responded: “I Don’t Know What You’re Talking About.” Her deflection contrasts sharply with recent precedents just months earlier, NSW Transport Minister Jo Haylen resigned after using a government car for weekend winery visits, acknowledging she had “let the public down.” In the NT, however, there appears to be no such accountability mechanism, only silence.
Transparency advocates are demanding action. The Centre For Public Integrity has called for both the immediate release of chauffeur service guidelines and an independent review of its use. Former NSW Supreme Court Justice Anthony Whealy KC warned that without oversight, the system invites abuse: “It’s just so easy for parliamentarians who have this wonderful service at their beck and call to fall into the trap of using it for private purposes.”
The refusal to publish clear rules fuels public suspicion. Unlike in other jurisdictions, where ministerial handbooks explicitly define allowable transport use, the NT operates in a grey zone enabling plausible deniability while undermining democratic accountability. With a general election just over a year away, voters are left wondering: if a trip to a pizza shop counts as official business, what doesn’t?
The NT government’s silence speaks volumes. In a democracy, public resources must serve the public not private convenience disguised as collegiality. Releasing the chauffeur guidelines would cost nothing but pride; withholding them costs trust. When Leaders Hide The Rules, They Reveal Their Contempt For Accountability.
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