It is understood the that Chief Minister Natasha Fyles will resign today, amid continued scandals surrounding her clear conflicts of interest. Yesterday, it was revealed she failed to disclose a significant shares in mining corporation South 32, whose manganese mine on Groote Eylandt she refused to investigate as Health Minister. This is despite considerable health concerns and years of calls to do so from impacted communities.
Labor must acknowledge the lack of integrity at the top, and replace Ms Fyles with a representative who will end the state capture by gas companies. They must pledge to ban fracking, and abandon the Middle Arm Gas and Petrochemical hub, in line with the community's demands.
The Greens were just 14 votes behind the CLP in Nightcliff at the 2020 election, a party embattled with controversies of their own for years. In one of the most progressive electorates in the Territory, voters will be looking for an alternative with integrity. The NT Greens are a strong opposition and don't take big corporate donations, so can't be influenced.
This is a conflict of interest for the whole Labor party, whose Federal arm must read the writing on the wall - the people will not put up with coal and gas corruption any more - they must reallocate their funding for Middle Arm to projects that will sustain the Territory for years to come.
It's clear the tide has turned for Labor in the Territory.
As stated by Jonathan Parry:
- "Territorians are fed up with Labor lies, and a government that works for mining interests instead of for the people. If Labor doesn't start listening, they will pay the price at the ballot box."
- "If the Labor party wants to regain the trust of NT voters, the new Chief Minister must listen to the sustained calls of the community and act decisively to ban fracking and cancel the disastrous Middle Arm project".
- "If the Labor party wants to regain the trust of NT voters, Fyles must resign from the Legislative Assembly and give the people of Nightcliff a representative with integrity".
- "Any decisions made while Ms Fyles was so clearly conflicted must be reviewed"
- "When the Chief Minister continues to lie and willfully deceive the public, the question is, what can we trust Labor on?"
- "Unlike Labor and the CLP, The Greens don't take big corporate donations. We can't be bought. We put the interests of people before the profits of companies."
