Michael Gunner: Best and worst moments in his career revealed

The Gunner era of Territory politics was remarkably turbulent at times, but also had a number of wins. SEE THE HIGHLIGHTS

CHIEF Minister Michael Gunner has drawn a line under a remarkably stable term in office … for a Territory leader.

On Tuesday Mr Gunner cast Territorians’ minds back to the previous CLP government, noting that in his five years in office there were no “midnight coups”.

The aim was to remind everyone how “stable” his government had been.

Despite that, the Gunner era of Territory politics was remarkably turbulent at times. There was a cocaine sex scandals and death threats.

But it was also defined by a series of achievements, notably keeping the Territory safe from Covid-19.

THE BAD TIMES

1. THE COCAINE SEX SCANDAL

A SAGA that erupted in the Sunday Territorians’ Bushranger column ended with Mark Turner being ejected from caucus. A sex worker alleged that a Territory politician and an unidentified staffer had been involved in a cocaine and sex party on election night in 2020. Mr Turner has denied having taken drugs or being out on election night, on the night the alleged party happened. Mr Turner has denied any knowledge of drug use. When the allegations came to light and hit the headlines, the Chief Minister had little option but to boot Turner from caucus.

2. TURF CLUB SAGA

THE Chief Minister himself couldn’t distance himself enough from the fallout of the Independent Commissioner Against Corruption’s report into the tendering processes behind the $12m grandstand. Gunner’s own chief of staff Alf Leonardi was named throughout the document. Alf Leonardi, who served as Mr Gunner’s chief-of-staff for years, was found to have committed misconduct by the Independent Commissioner Against Corruption (ICAC) for helping facilitate the tender process of the $12m Darwin Turf Club grandstand. It didn’t help that his own colleague Natasha Fyles let slip that Gunner was the one who took the grandstand proposal into cabinet.

3. THE KEN VOWLES FIASCO

THE Territory’s debt and deficit disaster in the early days of the Gunner government caused it to almost unravel in spectacular fashion. It all exploded when government minister Ken Vowles wrote a letter to colleagues urging action on the financial crisis in December. Happily, this email ended up in the NT News. This prompted Mr Gunner to cut short a holiday in New Zealand. Vowles and two other government MLAs, Jeff Collins and Scott McConnell, were ejected from the party caucus for putting at risk the government’s unity. After his sacking, Mr Vowles said he would “not be gagged by anybody”.

4. CRIME AND THE ECONOMY

BEFORE Covid-19, the Gunner government looked likely for an election defeat in August 2020. The budget was heading for disaster (prompting Ken Vowles’ email), and there was real fear about how the Territory would fix the looming crisis. Adding to those woes was the crime crisis, which has only gotten worse in recent months. There’s the very real risk that soaring levels of property crime, particularly in Alice Springs and Tennant Creek, will hurt federal Labor candidates at this federal election. Many voters will be asking at this federal election – and at the 2024 Territory election – what the government has done to bring down these spiralling rates of crime.

THE GOOD TIMES

1. COVID-19

NO ONE can deny that the decisions made early on in the pandemic helped keep Territorians safe. Closed borders and snap lockdowns were an inconvenience, but many were happy with sensible measures if it meant relative freedom from the horrors seen elsewhere in the world. The government’s vaccine mandate may have caused backlash, but few can deny that overall, the Chief Minister has been steadfast and shown leadership through the crisis. He was rewarded with re-election in August 2020, partly because of his handling of the pandemic.

2. BUDGET

IF Tuesday’s budget numbers are to be believed, the NT government will record a budget deficit in 2025-26 of just $17m. That’s a far cry from the billion-dollar deficits of recent years. A remarkable recovery which has, by his own admission, helped Mr Gunner decide that now is the best time to step down.

3. INVESTMENT IN THE NT

IN Tuesday’s budget papers, there are two lists worth noting. One is for committed and funded private and public sector projects in the Territory, worth over $14b to the NT’s economy. This includes the massive Santos Barossa gas project and the Darwin shiplift. The second list is uncommitted projects, which may or may not happen. But if they all do, which Mr Gunner certainly hopes they do, it will add another $39b to the economy.

4. STABILITY

LOVE Labor or hate Labor, one thing you can’t fault Gunner’s term in office on is stability. Yes, there have been MLAs ejected from caucus and a fair share of scandal and intrigue. But there haven’t been midnight coups, or a revolving door of Treasurers. The Chief Minister will stake his legacy on the fact he managed to hold together his Labor caucus and govern without fears of leadership instability.