Chief Minister Michael Gunner has a female power duo nipping at his heels while he holidays interstate
MICHAEL Gunner has more than a contradictory Christmas holiday to worry about when he returns from Queensland
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CHIEF Minister Michael Gunner has more than a contradictory Christmas holiday to worry about when he returns from Queensland.
He should also be concerned about the competent girl gang that’s taken the lead since his controversial departure.
Mr Gunner left the Territory on Thursday, December 17 (the day before Darwin’s controversial Dan Murphy’s was approved).
This comes despite Mr Gunner telling Territorians ahead of the August election to cancel their Christmas plans interstate.
“My advice to every Territorian, if you can, stay here in the Territory. You’re safe here, don’t go,” he said in August.
“If you can, cancel your Christmas holiday plans, stay here in the Northern Territory.
“If you’re going interstate these holidays pack 14 days and $2500 (in case you have to quarantine on the way home).”
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Yet during a press conference early last month, Mr Gunner, with a sly grin, revealed he was heading east with wife Kristy and son Hudson.
Just three days after Mr Gunner and his family left the Territory, Acting Chief Minister Nicole Manison stood before the media to declare Greater Sydney, including the Blue Mountains, Illawarra area and the Central Coast, hot spots effective immediately amid a growing coronavirus outbreak at NSW’s northern beaches.
The following day, Health Minister Natasha Fyles addressed the media defending the government’s decision to declare Greater Sydney a hot spot knowing there was a flight from Sydney landing in Darwin within the hour.
Then on the Wednesday there was the Health Minister’s update about the movements of a Qantas crew member who tested positive for COVID-19 in Darwin before going to Sydney.
Ms Manison, again acting in the Chief Minister’s role, then got to share some good news alongside Chief Health Officer Hugh Heggie revoking the Greater Sydney, Blue Mountains and Central Coast hot spots.
After admitting that his family was crossing the Territory border for Christmas holidays, Mr Gunner joked that when it came to the home front, his wife was the one who called the shots.
Well now there’s two more women calling the shots.
Regardless of the Chief Minister’s involvement in hot spot decisions and other announcements behind the scenes from Queensland, the public has been treated to new, albeit acting, leadership since December 17.
Ms Manison and Ms Fyles have delivered some heartbreaking news in that time and faced harsh criticism for it.
But there’s little criticism about their performance in the leadership roles.
Walking the walk rather than talking the talk is the best way for a woman to show they can lead from the front.
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A National Bureau of Economic Research working paper released this year revealed women were less comfortable promoting themselves than men.
Co-author Christine L. Exley, a behavioral economist and assistant professor at Harvard Business School, reported that women consistently rated their performance on a test lower than men, even though both groups had the same average score.
The study found men on average gave themselves a 61 out of 100 while women gave themselves a 46 out of 100.
The Chief Minister has opened up the floor for Ms Manison and Ms Fyles to show the Territory they can and will run the NT and keep the vulnerable population safe.
Worried, and angry, people have seen their two faces frequently for the past two weeks and are getting used to it.
The Chief Minister has run the risk of being asked “Gunner who?” when he gets back from his contradictory family holiday.
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