Amye Un-Kon Vatskalis Facebook saga brought to a close by NTCAT ruling

Darwin’s ‘Laksa Queen’, an elected City of Darwin councillor, sought to overturn a decision that the Lord Mayor did not breach the Code of Conduct when he returned fire in their sordid social media war, but she has failed.

Councillor Amye Un in August last year, when she was issued a trespass notice prohibiting her from attending City of Darwin meetings in person. Picture: File

A colourful City of Darwin councillor known as the ‘Laksa Queen’ has lost her bid to have a social media post by Lord Mayor Kon Vatskalis, part of a sordid airing of dirty laundry between the pair, declared as breaching the Code of Conduct for elected members.

The decision by the Northern Territory Civil and Administrative Tribunal, which affirmed an earlier ruling by the prescribed corporation panel (which rules on breaches) that the August 24, 2023 post by Mr Vatskalis, itself in response to an earlier Facebook screed by Ms Un, did not contravene the Code of Conduct.

The dispute first flared after former councillor Paul Arnold (who is currently before the courts, having pleaded not guilty to stalking and harassment charges) was given a small business grant by then minister, Paul Kirby.

Ms Un then went on a tear, posting publicly to her Facebook page about “liars (and) dictators”, having a “gun already full up with bullets”, and to not worry about luxury cars because “the last car you have is an ambulance”.

One of the offending Facebook posts by Councillor Amye Un, which touched off a protracted dispute with the City of Darwin. Picture: File

In response to these posts, Ms Un was issued a 12-month trespass notice, barring her from attending meetings in person (the ban was recently extended another year), and Mr Vatskalis took to social media himself to call out her behaviour.

He said he was concerned and disappointed to have to respond publicly to the “strange and threatening” posts and claimed council staff were so concerned for their safety, they requested escorts to their vehicles at the height of the fracas when Ms Un arrived at the Civic Centre with an unknown male and began banging on doors requesting to be let in.

The prescribed corporation panel ruled Mr Vatskalis did not breach the Code of Conduct, but Ms Un sought to overturn this decision in the tribunal.

Lord Mayor Kon Vatskalis. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

She argued Mr Vatskalis had “selectively” used her words and misquoted her, thereby acting dishonestly, thereby breaching clause 11.2 of the Code of Conduct.

Recently, tribunal member Mark O’Reilly rejected Ms Un’s bid.

“I do not consider that the applicant [Ms Un] has established that the fourth respondent [Mr Vatskalis] was being dishonest or lacking in integrity in reproducing the essence of the words of the applicant or that he failed to exercise a reasonable degree of care and diligence,” Mr O’Reilly said.

Amye Un, otherwise known as the 'Laksa Queen', sought election in 2024 as an independent, although she was unsuccessful. Picture: File

“While the applicant clearly has a different explanation, [her] words... are capable of being interpreted as threats of violence.

“I make no finding that the applicant’s intention or purpose was to threaten but in my view they were open to that interpretation.”

Mr Vatskalis made an application to recover costs from Ms Un, but this was turned down by Mr O’Reilly.