Ex-CLP deputy Robyn Lambley ‘thinking’ about joining Territory Alliance

INDEPENDENT Member for Araluen Robyn Lambley is poised to change the political landscape in the Territory by joining the Terry Mills-led Territory Alliance Party

Independent Member for Araluen Robyn Lambley is poised to change the political landscape in the Territory by joining the Terry Mills-led Territory Alliance party.

Ms Lambley told the NT News on Tuesday she was considering the move.

She is yet to make a definite decision but it is widely expected she will make the jump as early as Wednesday.

It is understood Mr Mills is flying to Alice Springs on Wednesday morning.

He did not return calls from the NT News about the prospects of Ms Lambley joining his party.

If she does, it will deliver three politicians to Mr Mills’s party, giving it one more member of parliament than the recognised Opposition, the Country Liberal Party.

If Ms Lambley does join Territory Alliance, it will create a new problem for Chief Minister Michael Gunner, who ultimately has to make the decision on who is recognised as the official Opposition for office budget funding purposes.

Just as he has final say on all ministerial office budgets, he also has final sign-off on Opposition budget allocations.

If Ms Lambley does decide in favour of joining Territory Alliance it will put pressure on Mr Gunner to either recognise the Alliance as the new Opposition or at the very least accord it the same funding resources as the current CLP Opposition, led by Lia Finocchiaro.

The decision of Opposition status could also be fought out on the floor of parliament, which resumes on March 24 and sits for three days.

Ms Lambley said last week it was the Speaker, Kezia Purick, whose duty it was to select an Opposition party after Alliance gained its second member, the former Labor backbencher Jeff Collins.

Ms Purick said while it was not her job to pick the Territory’s Opposition party, one option to resolve the issue would be for Territory Alliance to get a third member.

“Robyn Lambley quite clearly and publicly has said that she works well with Terry Mills,” Ms Purick said.

“Clearly they have a close working relationship.

“This would all go away tomorrow if another member of parliament joined Territory Alliance.”