EXCLUSIVE: Natasha Fyles’ first one-on-one interview since becoming Chief Minister

Natasha Fyles has done her first one-on-one interview since being named Chief Minister, outlining her goals for the job and vowing some changes and some continuity.

JUST hours after Michael Gunner called it quits on Tuesday, Natasha Fyles walked into her Nightcliff home and set her sights on the top job.

Speaking exclusively to the NT News just two hours after being sworn in as Chief Minister, Ms Fyles opened up about the week nobody expected, outlining what her priorities would be for the next two years and vowing she’d lead in “my own style”.

Many in the political bubble would say the energetic Member for Nightcliff has always wanted to sit in the Chief Minister’s chair.

It was no surprise then that on Tuesday when it became empty, she went for it.

Natasha Fyles

Despite her ambition, the 43-year-old mother of two said the last five days of chaos, factional whispers and secretive meetings had come out of nowhere. She wasn’t one of the handful of Mr Gunner’s close confidants who knew of his plan to move to the backbench.

“When the opportunity for something arises, you consider it at that point,” Ms Fyles said.

“So I guess it was Tuesday evening when I got home from parliament.

“I talked to my colleagues and they asked me to put my hand up.”

There was talk for the most of the week that she might not run, having had to step aside from her ministerial responsibilities over the years for personal reasons.

On the policy front, Ms Fyles doesn’t appear to have much of a plan beyond continuing the Gunner legacy.

Chief Minister Natasha Fyles being sworn in by the NT Administrator. Picture: (A)manda Parkinson

She did hint at “changes” and that she would do things differently from Mr Gunner but a big part of her first few weeks in office will be engaging with business and shoring up nervous investors.

There’ll be no move away from the Gunner government’s policy on the Darwin Port lease that it should never have been sold and that the $500m price tag to buy it back would be better spent in the Territory community.

There’ll be no change to the Gunner government’s $40bn economy by 2030 pledge, despite speculation The Left may take issue with some of the resource industry’s plans.

There’ll be no change to the funding arrangements for remote communities, despite chronic overcrowding. Not yet, anyway.

Natasha Fyles

The Fyles government will seek – at first – for continuity rather than change.

“There’s major projects that are starting to come out of the ground, so providing that certainty to business is really important,” she said.

“So I’ll be getting out early next week, meeting with business leaders, reassuring them that yes, there’s been a change in Chief Minister, yes, I’ll have my own style, but that business certainty is so important.”

Hailing from The Left, Ms Fyles was feared by some as posing a threat to the Territory’s resource industry.

On the divisive subject of fracking, Ms Fyles stuck to the script.

“We’ve done the inquiry, that’s what we said we would do,” she said.

“We are fulfilling those recommendations.

“Of course the environment is important to me, as a mother, as a Territorian … but we need to find that balance.

“You’re not going to see any big policy changes in terms of those issues.”

With the chaos of the past week, its hard to fathom that the 2022-23 Budget was still only four days old. Despite no new measures to help struggling Territorian families pay the bills or deal with increased grocery prices, Ms Fyles defended her predecessor’s budget.

“It’s a good budget in terms of getting the Territory back on track,” she said.

“In the budget, there’s measures to help everyday Territorians.”

When pressed to outline further what those measures are, Ms Fyles couldn’t name any new measures, nor could she say how much relief the average Territorian could expect

“We always have community service obligations around power and water and there’s other targeted measures depending on the demographics,” she said.

On the future cabinet, the new Chief Minister is mum. No clear answer either on whether Nicole Manison will remain as deputy.

Despite the factional mess that has erupted across Territory Labor in the last week, Ms Fyles is likely to hit the ground running trying to better familiarise herself with Territorians. Under Mr Gunner’s previous rein ministers, including Ms Fyles were kept on a tight leash. They were to keep to a script, stay on message and be loyal.

After six years, Ms Fyles has the opportunity to present herself to the Territory as her true self. There’s every chance this might also be extended to ministers, especially those who supported her in caucus.

Sitting in her ‘old’ office on Friday afternoon, with over 300 unread messages on her phone, she was asked if there was anything personal she would like to share with our readers. People want to know who their new Chief Minister is. Ms Fyles looked vulnerable for a second, before pressing ahead.

“I’m a Territory kid, I’m a Territory girl. I’m really proud of this opportunity,” she said.

“And I’ll be there for them, listening, walking with them, and my enthusiasm for the Territory will shine through.”