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4 — Centralian Advocate, Friday, November 15, 2013
NEWS
Pay dayloan dealsquestionedINDIGENOUS AFFAIRSREPORTER
Corey Sinclair‘He’s actually been
asked to have
consideration of the
other tenants to make
certain they enjoy
their tenancy
’
A LOCAL business ownerwho was offering unsecuredloans to Aboriginal peoplehas been accused of ‘‘target-ing the most vulnerablepeople in the NorthernTerritory’’.
Member for NamatjiraAlison Anderson made thestatement while talking tothe Centralian Advocate
about Cash Connections - acompany that had been of-fering up to $2000 in un-secured loans for the pastthree weeks.
The ‘‘pay day loans’’ werefacilitated through the nat-ional company Cash Stop.
Their website features awarning against making aloan and suggests to ask ifyou can receive an advancefrom Centrelink if you areon government benefits.
After receiving a com-plaint, Ms Anderson didsome investigating andwrote a letter to ConsumerAffairs and Fair Trading.
‘‘I’ve also sent the corre-spondence to the Chief Min-ister,’’ she said.
‘‘I was here this morningand they put this sign up infront of my face.’’
A sign has now been hungnear the entrance explain-ing that the unsecuredloans are stopped for thetime being.
Cash Connections ownerMichael Mavromihalis toldthe Centralian Advocate
that he had been instructedby the real estate agency toinstall a roller door on theother entrance and to stopserving customers throughthe side, or close up shop.
B u t a n L J H o o k e rspokesperson clarified thathe had not been told to shutup shop.
‘‘He’s actually been askedto have consideration of theother tenants to make cer-tain they enjoy their ten-ancy,’’ they said.
‘‘That’s part of theiragreement; they can’t justcreate havoc for everyone.’’
When the Centralian Ad-
vocate visited Cash Con-nections on Tuesday, therewere dozens of Aboriginalpeople lined up in and out ofthe shop.
A nearby shop worker saidthe problem had been goingon for the past three weeks -starting at 8am and goingthrough until close.
When asked if he felt hewas taking advantage of Ab-o r i g i n a l p e o p l e , M rMavromihalis said: ‘‘No,they’re 18 and they have thechoice.
‘‘I didn’t ask them to come.‘‘I’m not accepted for the
basic card and I need rev-enue to make my shop run.
‘‘It’s an option for every-one, not just Aboriginalpeople and other peoplehave used it.’’
Mr Mavromihalis said thesystem was not beingabused.
‘‘We’re just an agent so wedon’t say yes or no to thepeople, we’re just doing thepaperwork,’’ he said.
After a roller door is inplace, the loans will resume.
‘‘Yes, it will continue,’’ MrMavromihalis said.
Cash Stop also has agentsin Nightcliff and Palmer-ston.
Education Department media manager Martin Bennett Picture: SUPPLIED
Journalist refused accessEDUCATION REPORTER
Sasha Petrova ‘Governments should be open
and transparent as well as
consistent in the application
of access guidelines to
publicly funded places like
schools and hospitals
’
HE is the ‘‘Gatekeeper’’ - the man whoorders public school principals to turnmedia requests away, a media man-ager who has demanded photographstaken with parental consent be erasedand a bureaucrat who has suggestedjournalists cannot walk on to schoolgrounds without first checking withhim.
This week though, the NorthernTerritory’s Department of Educat-ion’s media manager, Martin Bennett,overstepped the mark, Centralian Ad-
vocate Editor Bryan Littlely says,when he asked journalist MlulekiMoyo if he was the holder of an OchreCard - which would provide evidencehe is appropriate to be on schoolgrounds.
The unprecedented request for thechild protection clearance documen-tation came more than a day after thejournalist was given approval by MrBennett to cover a positive school-based story in Tennant Creek.
Mr Bennett has repeatedly deniedthe Centralian Advocate access toschool grounds.
Mr Moyo drove more than five hoursto Tennant Creek on Monday afterbeing given approval to write a storyon horseriding lessons being offered atthe community’s primary school.When he arrived at the school onTuesday to do the story, Mr Moyo wastold by the principal she was unawarehe was coming and because no prep-
arations had been made, he would notbe allowed to cover the story at theschool or at nearby Bluebush Stationwhere the horseriding program isbeing run.
During his return trip to AliceSprings, an email was sent by MrBennett asking if Mr Moyo was inpossession of a Ochre Card. TheEducation Department, on Wednes-day, gave approval for the story afterEditor Mr Littlely questioned the ac-tions of the media manager and hismotives for requesting the non-essential document.
‘‘There is no requirement of anyjournalist to have issued such docu-mentation,’’ Mr Littlely said.
‘‘We abide by the laws applied to ourprofession. We are acutely aware ofthe implications of reporting on chil-dren and we follow the protocols andguidelines set for the media and alsotake advice from relevant authorities.
‘‘We also see it as a fundamentalpart of our duty as the only newspaperin Central Australia to report fairlyand extensively on issues within this
region’s schools as they directly impact
on the majority of our population.’’
Ochre Cards are proof of a valid
Working With Children’s ClearanceNotice, a mandatory requirement forpeople who have contact or potentialcontact with children in certain speci-fied areas of employment. However,nowhere in the relevant legislation isthere mention that a journalist whohas gone through relevant media pro-tocols and parental approvals requiresan Ochre Card in order to talk toschool staff or children.
Shadow Minister for EducationNatasha Fyles said the Government’sown guidelines indicated school visit-ors, or maintenance, building or othercontractors don’t routinely require anOchre Card.
‘‘Journalists visiting a school wouldalso usually be supervised by schoolstaff and it is unclear why the mediarequire an Ochre Card for a brief,supervised visit related to news of theday,’’ Ms Fyles said in a statement.
‘‘Perhaps Minister Chandler’s officehas other reasons for restricting ac-cess?’’ Ms Fyles said.
The Education Department’s direc-tor of communications Jackie Dibbsalso issued a statement.
‘‘The Department of Education’sresponsibility is first and foremost thewellbeing of students, and our mediaprotocols reflect that,’’ she said.
Catalogue ofcomplaintsMARTIN Bennett has blocked orissued complaints about numerousstories pursued by the Centralian
Advocate in recent months, despitecompliance with strict media guide-lines.
l He last week complained abouthis approval not being sought for astory on Acacia Hill meeting pen palsin Melbourne - despite an invitationfrom the principal to do the story.
l Also last week, he ordered that aphotograph of a student taken withschool staff knowledge and parentalconsent be deleted.
l During the federal election cam-paign he complained about thenewspaper attending a school eventon invitation from the Federal Educ-ation Minister and local MP.
l He maintains he must be con-tacted prior to any media contactinga school staff member or setting footon school grounds.
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