Cabinet closes ranks around Chief Minister as CLP says Woodside shares breached code of conduct

The opposition says the Chief Minister must ‘acknowledge her mistake’, as Natasha Fyles’ cabinet closes ranks to deny any code of conduct breach arising from her Woodside Energy shares.

The Territory Opposition has accused the Chief Minister of breaching the ministerial code of conduct as Natasha Fyles’ cabinet insists she did nothing wrong by owning shares in a major gas company.

Ms Fyles last week announced she was divesting her 169 shares in Woodside Energy, which she had declared on the public register last year after acquiring the shareholding through a Woodside-BHP merger.

Ms Fyles’ has been adamant the shareholding posed no conflict of interest with her public duties, which included championing major gas projects in the Territory such as the Middle Arm Sustainable Development Hub.

Others disagree, including ACT Senator David Pocock, Centre for Public Integrity director Geoffrey Watson, and Blain MLA Mark Turner – who is adamant the Chief Minister breached her ministerial code of conduct which notes “a potential or perceived conflict of interest may also constitute a conflict of interest”.

Independent MLA Robyn Lambley on Friday joined the ranks of the disgruntled, calling for Ms Fyles’ to resign.

“The recent revelations about her failure to properly declare her shares in Woodside and to recuse herself from all dealing with the related gas industry, suggests a Chief Minister who thinks she is above the law,” Mrs Lambley said.

“Like ministers before her who have failed to comply with the NT Legislative Assembly requirements around the declaration of interests, who have lied to Territorians and who have breached the ministerial code of conduct, her position is now completely untenable.”

Each member of Ms Fyles’ cabinet on Thursday stood by their chief, telling this publication there was no wrongdoing and declining to comment on how that conclusion had been reached.

“The Chief Minister has complied with all rules and regulations and has declared these shares appropriately,” Deputy Chief Minister Nicole Manison said.

Opposition Leader Lia Finocchiaro said it was “the CLP’s view that the Chief Minister (should) in the first instance acknowledge her mistake”.

“Rather than acknowledging that the Chief Minister has breached the code of conduct, the Deputy Chief Minister has chosen to deny and deflect,” she said.

“The Cabinet Handbook sets out no less than four consequences of a failure to divest shares, on top of consequences for failing to manage her conflict of interest.

“When asked, Deputy Chief Minister Nicole Manison did not identify why any of these consequences had not occurred or if they had even been considered.”

Chief Minister Natasha Fyles and Deputy Chief Minister Nicole Manison deny the Woodside shares posed any conflict of interest. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

Ms Fyles said “I have complied with the ministerial code of conduct”.

“Woodside is not a proponent of the Middle Arm project. Everything has been declared accordingly and correctly since I was elected in 2012,” she said.

“While there has never been a conflict, I will not let this be a distraction from the real issues facing the Territory, or let it be used by the Territory’s opponents to try and stop us from building the Territory’s future.”

Under the Northern Territory Ministerial code of conduct “ministers must divest themselves completely of all shareholdings … that may create a conflict of interest as a result of their portfolio responsibilities”.

In general, the ministers “should avoid situations in which their private interests conflict, have the potential to conflict or appear to conflict with their public duty”.