The controversial chief executive of the Canberra Institute of Technology (CIT), Margot McNeill, has given a spirited defence of the institute, categorically rejecting allegations that student mechanics worked on electric vehicles (EVs) from Hertz car hire without the company’s knowledge.
Yesterday, Independent MLA Thomas Emerson used parliamentary privilege to make the claims of a whistleblower.
Dr McNeill said the allegations that unqualified students were taking apart hire cars and putting them back together were untrue and “offensive” to staff and students at CIT.
“CIT categorically rejects the allegations that were reported yesterday because they are factually incorrect,” Dr McNeill told 666 ABC Canberra.
“Quite honestly, they are offensive to our wonderful staff and students here at CIT.”
Dr McNeill also became audibly emotional while talking about the impact the allegations had on staff.
“It was horrific, frankly, last night, I had so many people contacting me very late at night, really upset,”
she said.
“These are our critical educators working in critical skills shortage areas that have to show up to work the next day.”
Hire car company Hertz offers electric vehicles in its collection. (Supplied: Hertz)
Dr McNeill said CIT’s Electric Vehicle Centre of Excellence only recruited “skilled professional educators” to deliver its program, and the first tranche of students were “already working in the automotive industry”.
“These are not unqualified people,” she said.
She also confirmed that an investigation into the issue was launched in January after receiving a complaint, and that the preliminary findings were that only one hire car was used at the institute, and that it was used solely for travel between campuses and demonstration purposes.
“There’s no way the vehicles were being taken apart. That’s against all our risk profiles. It’s against the wonderful teachers we have at CIT,”
she said.
“That we were putting people at risk — whether that was student or staff — or the unsuspecting public — that’s categorically wrong.”
Emerson defends airing whistleblower’s claims
This morning, Independent MLA Thomas Emerson stood by the whistleblower’s complaint, who he has described as a CIT employee who had tried to escalate the issues internally.
“We’ve seen more evidence than I’ve been able to table in the assembly, and I can’t see why the whistleblower would seek to make this up,” Mr Emerson told 666 ABC Canberra.
“They’re an employee at CIT who wants for CIT to thrive and to get back to its core business of actually doing things properly.”
Mr Emerson said it was “strange” that CIT was so fast to deny the accusations he tabled in the assembly on Wednesday, despite the fact the institute itself confirmed an investigation into the issue was ongoing.
“It seems strange to come to that conclusion already,” he said.
“The whistleblower said there is an endemic culture within CIT of silence, of turning a blind eye to poor or unsafe practices and of disdain towards those who raise concerns or question practices.”
CIT CEO Margot McNeill is currently under pressure over her actions during her recruitment process. (ABC News)
CEO herself under the microscope
Dr McNeill has recently been under pressure to resign from her CIT role after an ACT Legislative Assembly inquiry found she “actively misled” the institute’s board.
Speaking on ABC radio this morning, she said she “absolutely” stood by her previous statements defending herself.
Dr McNeill was appointed CEO in June 2025, but while applying for the role, did not tell the CIT board she was under investigation by TAFE NSW for “serious misconduct”.
The controversy sparked the public inquiry, which led to an assembly committee making seven recommendations and 11 findings, including that Dr McNeill should have disclosed the information about the misconduct investigation to the CIT board in a timely manner.
Dr McNeill has repeatedly said she was under a strict obligation not to share the existence of the investigation with CIT.
Today, she refused to make further comments on the details of the allegations despite repeated questioning.
“I would love to talk in great detail about all of that information, but there’s two aspects to it,” she said.
“One is that the inquiry in the ACT is still underway, and it’s also the subject of legal actions with my previous employer in another jurisdiction.”
A privileges committee of the ACT Legislative Assembly has been established to investigate whether Dr McNeill gave false or misleading evidence to the original assembly inquiry.
Dr McNeill told the ABC she would appear before that committee.
