Former Labor leader Delia Lawrie ‘behind plot’ to oust Chief Minster Michael Gunner, texts reveal

FORMER Labor leader ‘Delia Lawrie was behind a plot to oust Chief Minster Michael Gunner and have him replaced by Eva Lawler, leaked text messages reveal

Former Labor leader Delia Lawrie was behind a plot to oust Chief Minister Michael Gunner and have him replaced by Eva Lawler, leaked text messages reveal

FORMER Labor leader Delia Lawrie was behind a plot to oust Chief Minister Michael Gunner and have him replaced by Eva Lawler, leaked text messages reveal.

Sky News has obtained messages sent by Ms Lawrie to Labor supporters urging them to call for Mr Gunner’s resignation and push Ms Lawler as a potential replacement.

“Someone needs to call out Gunner,” she wrote in messages that were sent to two Labor supporters and have since been widely shared.

“Say that if he cared more about the Labor Party, the Labor Government and the Territory than himself he would resign to restore integrity and faith in Government. That while (he) is there every day he makes Labor unelectable.”

In another message Ms Lawrie pushes the case for Ms Lawler as chief minister.

Michael Gunner pictured in 2015 when he challenged then Territory Labor leader, Delia Lawrie

“Get people believing that Eva Lawler is the most experienced and qualified,” she writes.

“She has the strongest CV, no young kids and is a local, Territory born.

“You both know she is decent with a good mind and good heart. I don’t know what she’s been like in Caucus but surely she’s better than Gunner.

“Mano (Deputy Chief Minister Nicole Manison) has too many lil bubs to care for, Natasha (Fyles) is too nasty …. Eva may be the Switzerland that unites.”

The messages were sent in March, about six weeks before ousted Labor backbencher Scott McConnell went public with claims the numbers were being counted for Ms Lawler and “it could all be on” if Labor performs poorly in the federal seats of Solomon or Lingiari at Saturday’s election.

Ms Lawler later accused Mr McConnell of trying to draw attention to himself and said she had no interest in being chief minister.

“There has been no doing the numbers at all,” she said.

“Michael has my full support and I have no interest in being the chief minister.”

Some within the Labor Party have raised concerns Mr Gunner’s leadership has been openly discussed during the federal election campaign.

Mr Gunner has kept a low profile since the federal election was called.

He has held just two press conferences in a month since the Langoulant report into budget repair was handed down on April 16.

Mr Gunner challenged Ms Lawrie for the Labor leadership in April 2015.

She later resigned after the Supreme Court dismissed her claims that an inquiry into the gifting of the Stella Maris site near the Darwin Waterfront to Unions NT had lacked procedural fairness.

She quit the Labor Party six months later when it disendorsed her and preselected Ngaree Ah Kit to run in Karama.

Ms Lawrie is expected to contest her old seat as an independent at next year’s election.

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Mr Gunner declined to comment on Wednesday.

Ms Lawrie did not comment