Michael Gunner says male politicians would never be attacked like his female colleagues were by Delia Lawrie

CHIEF Minister Michael Gunner says comments made by former Labor leader Delia Lawrie about Treasurer Nicole Manison and Attorney-General Natasha Fyles ‘would never have been said about a bloke’

CHIEF Minister Michael Gunner says comments made by former Labor leader Delia Lawrie about Treasurer Nicole Manison and Attorney-General Natasha Fyles “would never have been said about a bloke”.

Leaked text messages obtained by Sky News last week showed Ms Lawrie urging Labor supporters to push for Infrastructure Minister Eva Lawler to replace Mr Gunner as chief minister.

“I don’t know what she’s been like in caucus but surely she’s better than Gunner. Many (Ms Manison) has too many lil bubs to care for, Natasha is too nasty …. Eva may be the Switzerland that unites.

Chief Minister Michael Gunner says comments by former Labor leader Delia Lawrie about Treasurer Nicole Manison and Attorney-General Natasha Fyles “would never have been said about a bloke”

Mr Gunner said a male politician would never be attacked in such a way.

“It never would have been said about a bloke, and we talked about that in caucus on that last day in parliament on the Thursday,” he said.

“It never would have been said about a bloke and I think Natasha and Nicole and Eva are all fantastic ministers, all capable of doing their jobs and should all be considered future contenders for any sort of position.

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“To have those criticisms levelled against them was unfair and would never ever have been said about a bloke.”

Mr Gunner said speculation about his leadership was “white noise” coming from people outside the Government.

“For me, that’s not my priority, my priority is those jobs that we need to create that crime we need to tackle, that’s what we’re working on as a Government. “There are people out there who have different agendas, that’s not my agenda and I think Territorians chose at this election again clear plans a policies that create jobs and Territorians have consistently shown that they want to see a vision for Northern Australia and a party that wants to back that in and that’s what Labor backed in.”