Former Country Liberal Party vice president Steve Doherty claimed abusive relationships were ‘a bit punchy’, ‘consensual’, and a ‘lifestyle’

The campaign manager for a woman who survived decades of chronic terror has doubled down on his controversial claims that long-term domestic abuse victims needed to ‘take some personal responsibility in their own lives’.

Helen Secretary and Steve Doherty at the NT News Futures Northern Territory forum 2024. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

The former vice-president of the Country Liberal Party who downplayed long-term domestic violence as “a bit punchy”, “consensual”, and a “lifestyle” has doubled down on his claims while continuing to manage the campaign for a Territory abuse survivor.

Steve Doherty, the former vice-president of the Country Liberal Party and campaign manager for CLP Nightcliff candidate Helen Secretary, has defended controversial Facebook posts calling for domestic violence survivors to “take some personal responsibility in their own lives”.

Right before his term as the CLP vice president between August 2023 and February 2024 Mr Doherty made a series of Facebook posts characterising abusive relationships as “a bit punchy” and “consensual violence” and a ‘lifestyle’.

Steve Doherty, the former CLP vice president and campaign manager for CLP Nightcliff candidate Helen Secretary, has defended Facebook posts he wrote about long term domestic violence.

Mr Doherty claimed that when victims returned to violent relationships it was “no longer the minister’s responsibility or no longer the police responsibility”.

“How about those in abusive relationships take some personal responsibility in their own lives,” he wrote in July.

Mr Doherty also stated that a federal government policy to introduce 10 day domestic violence paid leave was “ridiculous” and condoned and rewarded abusive relationships.

“Due to Labour’s (sic) new IR (industrial relations) law not being a one off ‘help me escape’ payment, but it is a recurring two weeks off with pay every year for those that choose not to escape or for those that just get a bit punchy,” he wrote in August.

“What crime next will be rewarded with 10 days paid leave?”

Steve Doherty, the former CLP vice president and campaign manager for CLP Nightcliff candidate Helen Secretary, has defended Facebook posts he wrote about long term domestic violence.

His candidate Ms Secretary — who is a survivor of long term domestic abuse — told The Australian on Monday that she was “upset” by her campaign manager’s comments.

Ms Secretary made legal history after being cleared of her husband’s killing, establishing the ‘battered woman’ syndrome as a recognised self-defence plea in Australia.

In 1994 Ms Secretary shot her husband with a hunting gun while he slept, after living in a state of “chronic terror” following decades of threats, physical and mental abuse.

She confirmed she had spoken to Mr Doherty about his Facebook comments, but maintained he was a “supportive” and “good person”.

(L-R) NT opposition leader Lia Finocchiaro, Helen Secretary and Steve Doherty

But Mr Doherty has denied that his candidate was “upset” by the remarks and doubled down on his comments by calling violence in some relationships “a love dance”.

“Both Helen and I work hand in glove and both agree that abusive one-sided relationships are abhorrent and we should all help,” Mr Doherty said on Tuesday.

Mr Doherty said his claims were based on “lived experience” saying he was told by a NT Police officer to stop reporting a couple whose relationship was marred by ongoing violence.

“A NT police superintendent told me (it) was ‘consensual violence’ something I later termed a ‘love dance’ when two consenting adults with no children while under the influence of alcohol will get jealous and get into extremely violent clashes and then get back together even after many jails terms,” he said.

“(It) should not be contentious except it doesn’t fit the ‘all men are toxic’ narrative which continues to break up the nuclear family and place everyone on welfare dependency.”

Mr Doherty said since there was support available for victims of domestic violence to leave and “is it no longer society’s fault” if individuals did not access it.

“You can lead a horse to water but can’t make them drink,” he said.

The CLP have distanced itself from the former vice president’s comments, stating: “This member is a volunteer and does not hold a senior position in the CLP”.

“His comments do not represent the views of the CLP.”

Domestic Violence minister Kate Worden called his statements “outrageously disgusting comments” and reflective of a “systemic” issue within the opposition party.

Mr Doherty defended his party, stating: “The notion that CLP men are misogynous and do not support women in crisis is ridiculous mischief.”