Leader of the Opposition, Lia Finocchiaro, says the release of a video purportedly showing a Labor staffer – and NT Young Labor President – snorting a white substance is further proof of Labor’s toxic culture which is led by a Chief Minister whose shameful legacy will be crime, cocaine and cover-ups.
“It appears that toxic culture the Chief Minister has allowed to fester within his own party has leeched from the fifth floor of Parliament, into the office of Labor’s Federal Member for Solomon, and to the top of the executive management team of NT Young Labor.
“NT Young Labor is the same group that pleaded with the Chief Minister not to boot the disgraced Member for Blain for his involvement in the Labor ‘Cocaine Sex’ Scandal. They backed his bad behaviour, while the NT Labor Party refused to cancel the Member for Blain’s membership.
“How much does Michael Gunner, or Federal Member Luke Gosling know about this Young Labor Member’s possible illegal activities? Will he be thrown out of the party?
“Given the elaborate plan Michael Gunner cooked up in a desperate attempt to duck and weave from scrutiny over the involvement of the disgraced Member for Blain and his own political staffer Kent Rowe, in the Labor ‘Cocaine Sex’ Scandal, it’s not surprising we haven’t heard from the Chief Minister.
“We suspect Michael Gunner has known of the rumours of widespread illicit drug use within Labor ranks, for years – which is why he commissioned a secret report into workplace culture on the fifth floor – and was so panicked about the results he immediately shredded it.
“Bad behaviour by Labor members isn’t condemned from within, in some cases it’s rewarded. Labor’s Member for Daly, who verbally abused the CLP’s Member for Braitling outside Parliament House last February was awarded with preselection by Labor, despite Ministers saying his behaviour “did not reflect the party’s values’. Disgraceful.
“Territorians deserve a leader who won’t turn a blind eye or cover-up behaviour that fundamentally breaches community standards – and condemns, in the strongest terms illicit drug use by members of his party. That’s not what Territorians are getting from this scandal-plagued government,” said Mrs Finocchiaro.
