Trouble in the Top End

[The Speaker]

Three Country Liberal MPs are threatening to leave - one has already been suspended from the parliamentary party, and if she is expelled, the other two are threatening to follow. They are butting heads over the direction of the Government, and have a list of demands that the Government is refusing to meet.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-03-...ist-country-liberals-after-suspension/5353444

 

[Hank Scorpion]

Good to see MPs standing up for their constituents, however asking for a place in the ministry seems a bit ambitious and greedy.


At the 2012 election there were 16 CLPs, 8 ALP and 1 IND

With the Blain (CLP) by-election upcoming, three rebellious CLP MPs, we could see a minority government in the NT.

 

[Getz]

It's a basket case situation up here at the moment.

Alison Anderson was part of the ALP, before she did the same thing to them.

And that Larisa Lee has already been caught with her hand in the honey jar.

 

[Getz]

http://www.ntnews.com.au/news/north...claims-of-racism/story-fnk0b1zt-1226870658766

Ms Anderson again called on Prime Minister Tony Abbott to intervene, a plea he has already rejected on the grounds it is a dispute between colleagues.

But Ms Anderson said the issue was wider and the plight of Territory aboriginals was better before self government.

Mr Giles said he had extended the olive branch to all three members and their futures within the CLP were up to them.

But last night’s interview will make any workable future difficult.

http://www.ntnews.com.au/news/north...les-a-little-boy/story-fnk0b1zt-1226872302157

ALISON Anderson has called Chief Minister Adam Giles a “little boy” this morning — repeating a public scolding that seriously heightened leadership tensions last year.

“We need a grown up leader, not a little boy,” Ms Anderson told ABC radio.

The rebel backbencher, who is threatening to leave the CLP with two colleagues, denied the comment was racist.

I know the N.T. isn't a big deal to most of Australia. But imagine if this was going on in QLD/S.A./Vic/etc...

 

[The Speaker]

I am surprised by how little attention this is getting.

 

[Getz]

We are such a non-event up here, for the rest of Australia.
http://www.ntnews.com.au/news/north...mission-to-china/story-fnk0b1zt-1226873168211

Adam Giles will be the only state or territory head of government missing from a business delegation described by Tony Abbott as “one of the largest promotions of Australia ever held in China.

Meanwhile this is still going on;
http://www.ntnews.com.au/news/north...-australian-says/story-fnk0b1zt-1226873268746

THREE rebel Northern Territory indigenous backbenchers have signed resignation letters and are expected to quit the Country Liberal government today

 

[Todman]

Three rebel NT parliamentarians resign
Updated: 15:43, Friday April 4, 2014

The fate of the Northern Territory government will be determined by a by-election next week as three rebel Aboriginal backbenchers have resigned.

Alison Anderson, Larissa Lee and Francis Xavier Kurrupuwu slipped their resignation letters under the door of the Country Liberal headquarters in Darwin on Friday, the ABC has reported.

A party official confirmed the receipt of the letters.

The government came into power with 16 seats in the NT's 25-seat Legislative Assembly, but has been one seat down since the end of February sittings when former chief minister Terry Mills resigned from politics.

A by-election for his seat of Blain next weekend may now determine the future of the 18-month-old government, as the ruling CLP now has only 12 seats.

It is understood independent Gerry Wood has agreed to back the government and guarantee supply in order to maintain stability, but if Labor wins the by-election the NT will face an election much sooner than expected.

Ms Anderson was suspended from the NT government's parliamentary wing last Friday by Chief Minister Adam Giles, who accused her and Ms Lee and Mr Kurrupuwu of making unreasonable demands.

The rebel trio says the government has failed to deliver on election promises for the bush, which put the Country Liberals in power, and last week presented a list of demands, including the reinstatement of a ministry for Indigenous Affairs, which Ms Anderson wanted to head.

They also asked for a cabinet spot for Ms Lee and for Mr Kurrupuwu to head a parliamentary committee, as well as calling for the demotion of at least two of their colleagues, ministers Bess Price and Matt Conlan.

They also levelled claims of racism at the governments once negotiations broke down.

'I've just gotten off the phone from the chief minister and I can confirm three resignation letters were pushed under the door, not a conventional method of providing resignation, but I guess this is the Territory,' federal Indigenous Affairs Minister Nigel Scullion later told reporters on Friday.

He said two of the letters had dates changed and Ms Anderson's was rewritten.

Senator Scullion said he was still optimistic about the CLP's ability to win back Blain, and said a hung parliament was not in anyone's interests.

He derided the motivations of the three to walk away.

'If they put on the table they wanted more infrastructure, a larger school, something the CLP could be accused of not delivering, that could be a process we could deal with,' he said.

'But when you have on the table, effectively, a suite of asks that are about, 'I'd like to be in cabinet. I'd like to be a parliamentary secretary, and I'd like to be a minister, and by the way, these are the people you need to sack. We don't like Bess Price because she doesn't agree with me', it's all a bit hard to deal with.'

He said he supported Ms Anderson as a friend and colleague but admired Mr Giles' handling of the situation.

 

[Getz]

http://www.ntnews.com.au/news/north...ined-terry-mills/story-fnk0b1zt-1226875350740

It appears that senior figures from the within the party were also helping to fuel that opposition. In one email, obtained by the NT News, Ms Purick suggested that Labor should question then-transport minister Adam Giles in Parliament about whether car rego fees would be increased by 15 per cent.

“Leave the rest to Adam, who will deflect to (Treasurer Robyn) Lambley,” the email says. “We have our reasons, which you know so that’s all I (will) say for now. The increase is set to be much higher, which is a real pisser on top of power prices.”

The following day in Parliament, Opposition Leader Delia Lawrie asked this suggested question. Mr Giles then responded before handing the question to Ms Lambley.

 

[Dont be a lemon]

I am surprised by how little attention this is getting.

1% of Australia lives there.

 

[The Speaker]

1% of Australia lives there.

So? This is a Territory government falling apart because three MPs are demanding nice positions, using the guise of their government not delivering on their promises. The population of the NT shouldn't matter - this should be national news.

 

[Maggie5]

So? This is a Territory government falling apart because three MPs are demanding nice positions, using the guise of their government not delivering on their promises. The population of the NT shouldn't matter - this should be national news.

Good point but why aren't Federal Libs aren't intervening?

 

[Dont be a lemon]

So? This is a Territory government falling apart because three MPs are demanding nice positions, using the guise of their government not delivering on their promises. The population of the NT shouldn't matter - this should be national news.

ICAC is national news because every third person lives there (NSW).

 

[Getz]

1% of Australia lives there.

Yeah, what percentage live in the ACT?

Do you think it would be so insignificant if it was happening in the ACT?


Anyway,
http://www.ntnews.com.au/news/centr...ndent-for-stuart/story-fnk4wgm8-1226888959666

Alice Springs political hopeful Leo Abbott quit the Country Liberals by text message yesterday morning.

Mr Abbott, who ran unsuccessfully for the seat of Lingiari in 2010, texted his resignation to CLP president Ross Connolly

 

[Dont be a lemon]

Yeah, what percentage live in the ACT?

More than the NT.

Do you think it would be so insignificant if it was happening in the ACT?

More significant but not a top story outside it, no.

 

[Getz]

http://www.ntnews.com.au/news/north...h-family-members/story-fnk0b1zt-1226893712805

Rogue MLA Larisa Lee involved in fight outside Katherine Centrelink with family members

Ms Lee confirmed to the NT News last night that she was part of an altercation with several people outside of Centrelink Katherine around lunchtime.

“It was a family dispute, it involved multiple members of my family,” she said.

Ms Lee said the stoush was physical but said the family was now sorting out their differences and no-one was planning on pressing charges.

 

[Hank Scorpion]

Mr Palmer has confirmed Larisa Lee, Francis Xavier Kurrupuwu and Alison Anderson will join the party after they quit the CLP earlier this month and moved to the NT crossbench.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-04-27/former-nt-clp-members-join-palmer-united-party/5413788

 

[The Speaker]

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-04-27/former-nt-clp-members-join-palmer-united-party/5413788

wow

Don't know what else to really say to that.

 

[Dont be a lemon]

Liberal to Palmer

Failure to Failure

Joined so he'd bankroll their campaigns in 2016.

 

[Smiling Buddha]

Palmer ftw.

This is terrific stuff.