‘It was unacceptable’: Natasha Fyles resigns as NT Chief Minister after mining share scandal

Natasha Fyles will exit her role as Chief Minister of the Northern Territory on Thursday, as the Labor battle begins for her replacement.

Nightcliff MLA Natasha Fyles has resigned as the Northern Territory’s 13th Chief Minister.

Ms Fyles addressed a press conference at Parliament House about 1.30pm on Tuesday where she announced she had resigned as a result of conflict of interest allegations and would be stepping down from the role from Thursday, December 21.

Fighting back tears, Ms Fyles acknowledged she failed to declare a shareholding with South 32, owner of the Gemco manganese mine on Groote Eylandt.

“While I’ve always endeavoured to properly declare these holdings as they occurred, upon further review of my personal interests it became clear I did not declare one of the small shareholdings in a company called South 32 which came from a BHP demerger.

“That was an error. It was an error on my behalf and don’t have any excuse for it. It was not deliberate, it was not intentional, but it was unacceptable.

“I can assure Territorians that no decision I’ve ever made has been influenced by that small shareholding but high standards are expected of people holding high office, as they should be and I also hold myself to high standards.

Natasha Fyles has resigned as the Northern Territory’s 13th Chief Minister. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

“While I did not intentionally fail to declare this interest it is clear I have failed to meet the standards set for us and the standards that I’ve set for myself and I’m not going to make any excuses for that.

“For this reason I believe the honourable course of action is to resign as Chief Minister. I care too much about the Territory, I care too much about our government and what it’s achieved is to allow my personal mistake to impact on progress.

“There’s no point dragging it out, I made a mistake. There is no excuse for that, I’m owning up to it I accept the consequences of this, that’s the right thing to do.”

Ms Fyles vowed to contest the 2024 election as Labor’s Nightcliff candidate.

She thanked her family, staff, public servants, parliamentary colleagues, unions, the broader Labor movement and Territorians.

Ms Fyles term as Chief Minister lasted three weeks over 18 months after succeeding Michael Gunner in May 2022.

On Monday, Ms Fyles was identified as having undisclosed shares in South 32 after having earlier declaring shares in gas company Woodside.

Ms Fyles was in Sydney attending her father-in-law’s funeral when she made the decision to resign.

One insider earlier told Sky News Labor’s right faction was urging Deputy Chief Minister Nicole Manison, who is holidaying in Bali, to nominate for leader.

The left faction, which helped install Ms Fyles as chief minister last year, could support Infrastructure Minister Joel Bowden or Attorney-General Chansey Paech.

Fyles takes airport back door to avoid media scrum

Embattled Chief Minister Natasha Fyles has successfully avoided reporters awaiting her return to Darwin, taking the back door at the airport to avoid the media scrum.

In Sydney this morning, the Chief Minister was escorted to her gate by a Qantas staff member and declined to answer questions from The Australian prior to departing for the Top End.

But Ms Fyles managed to avoid questioning altogether after touching down in Darwin shortly after 11am, with the media failing to even get a glimpse of the under-fire Chief Minister.

Ms Fyles is expected to resign on Tuesday afternoon amid internal pressure within the Territory government and is scheduled to hold a press conference this afternoon in Darwin.

Media awaits the arrival of Chief Minister Natasha Fyles at Darwin Airport on Tuesday. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

Labor right faction urges Manison to nominate as Fyles to resign

Members of Territory Labor’s right faction are urging Deputy Chief Minister Nicole Manison to nominate for party leader with Natasha Fyles expected to resign on Tuesday.

Labor sources say Ms Fyles is considering her position with some tipping she will resign as Chief Minister after touching down in Darwin on Tuesday.

Ms Fyles is facing mounting internal pressure over revelations she failed to declare her shares in mining company South 32, which runs the Gemco manganese mine on Groote Eylandt.

In March this year, the Fyles government dismissed criticisms about high levels of heavy metals found in Groote Eylandt residents living near the mine.

She boarded a plane in Sydney this morning to return to Darwin and is expected to address the media this afternoon.

Senior Labor figures are said to be alarmed by Ms Fyles’ failure to declare her shares in South 32, with one source saying she was considering her position while on the plane.

Another said there was a “90 per cent chance” she would resign but the Chief Minister’s office would not confirm or deny if she was planning to stand down.

If Ms Fyles resigns it will open up another factional battle for the leadership with the right faction urging Ms Manison, who is holidaying in Bali, to stand for the role.

The left faction, which has increased its numbers since the 2020 election and helped install Ms Fyles in the top job last year, could support Infrastructure Minister Joel Bowden or Attorney-General Chansey Paech.

Meanwhile, the Territory Greens have joined the Country Liberal Party Opposition in calling for Ms Fyles to step aside, labelling her “mired in scandal”.

“Natasha Fyles should resign over her connections to gas corporations and potentially harmful mining projects and her clear failure to prioritise the health of communities and a safe climate over profits,” the party said in a statement.

“She’s been referred to ICAC for hiring a senior adviser who previously lobbied for Tamboran Resources, the company trying to frack the Beetaloo Basin.

“She held shares in gas corporations, including, until recent criticism, Woodside, and failed to declare these shares as a conflict of interest in her decision making on Middle Arm.”

NT Greens convener Jonathan Parry said — ”The question is, what can we trust her on?”

“The people of the Territory deserve representatives who will act with integrity and who care about our future, not politicians who line their own pockets.

“You can’t have the government in bed with fossil fuels and you can’t have a Chief Minister who’s more interested in a nest egg than the health of the community.

“We need to stop approving new gas and stop pouring fuel on the fire.”

Chief Minister to mull fate during Darwin flight as insiders tip resignation

Chief Minister Natasha Fyles is due to touch down in Darwin late on Tuesday morning while still yet to comment on a growing political scandal relating to her share portfolio.

Ms Fyles reportedly owns about $2300 worth of shares in South32, a company that owns a controversial manganese mine on Groote Eylandt.

No government minister has been available for comment since the news broke on Monday morning, except Education Minister Eva Lawler who said it was “a matter for the Chief Minister”.

The scandal has sparked calls from Opposition Leader Lia Finocchiaro for Ms Fyles to resign as well as furious speculation within Labor ranks about a possible leadership change.

Ms Fyles is understood to be mulling her fate while in the air, with some Labor insiders telling Sky News the likelihood of her resigning on Tuesday is as high as 90 per cent.

Her office is yet to respond to a series of questions from the NT News about the shareholding, with a spokeswoman saying Ms Fyles was attending an interstate funeral on Monday.

She is now expected to front the media on Tuesday afternoon.

More to come.

‘Numbers are being counted’: Internal pressure for Fyles to resign as Chief

Northern Territory Chief Minister Natasha Fyles is facing internal pressure to resign following revelations alleging an undeclared conflict of interest.

Senior Labor sources who spoke to Sky News on the condition of anonymity said high-level discussions had been held about Ms Fyles’ position on Monday after it was reported that she had failed to declare a conflict of interest relating to shares she owns in mining company South 32.

The NT Independent reported that Ms Fyles holds 754 shares in South 32 – which runs the Gemco mine on Groote Eylandt – and that she had not disclosed the shareholding to the public when, as Health Minister, she refused to investigate the health impacts of high levels of manganese dust on Indigenous Territorians on the island earlier this year.

Ms Fyles was attending a funeral interstate on Monday. Her office said she would respond to questions about the alleged conflict of interest on Tuesday.

The latest report follows a revelation last month that Ms Fyles had lobbied for the development of the Middle Arm industrial precinct while holding shares in gas company Woodside.

She at first denied there was any conflict but later agreed to divest the shares.

When asked about the alleged conflict on November 15 she said: “What I can say to Territorians is that I have always declared everything. When you are elected to parliament you declare any interests you have, from our family home, to our cars, to our membership at our local sporting club.”

Labor sources told Sky News there was concern the latest revelations had dealt a permanent blow to Ms Fyles’s credibility.

“I’m not sure how she survives this,” one source said.

They said preparations were already being made for the possibility Ms Fyles could resign this week. Deputy Chief Minister Nicole Manison and Infrastructure Minister Joel Bowden are being touted as possible replacements.

“The numbers are already being counted,” the source said.

Another senior Labor figure said Ms Fyles might manage to hold on to her leadership, but raised concerns the party’s chances of re-election next August would be badly damaged.

They said if Ms Fyles survived the current scandal she could still face a challenge early next year if Labor’s polling does not improve.

A poll released last month by the Redbridge Group had Labor’s primary vote at less than 20 per cent.

Opposition calls on Chief Minister to resign amid latest shares scandal

Opposition Leader Lia Finocchiaro has called on Chief Minister Natasha Fyles to resign after yet another share portfolio scandal emerged on Monday, saying her position was now “untenable”.

News website the NT Independent reported on Monday that a shareholder register for the company that owns the Gemco manganese mine on Groote Eylandt, South32, revealed Ms Fyles owned 754 shares in the company, which she obtained in 2015.

In March this year, the Fyles government dismissed criticisms about high levels of heavy metals found in Groote Eylandt residents living near the mine.

“I would have to get the specifics on that mine but what I can say is that across the Territory there is strong regulation, there is strong monitoring, we do sometimes see naturally occurring issues,” Ms Fyles told the ABC in response to questions about whether the government would investigate.

It comes after Ms Fyles earlier divested shares she owned in gas giant Woodside Energy, which has links to the government’s signature Middle Arm Sustainable Development Precinct, after that shareholding was reported in the media last month.

It also follows revelations a senior NT government consultant’s company was a registered federal lobbyist for Tamboran Resources, which holds significant interests in the Beetaloo Basin.

On Monday, Ms Finocchiaro said the latest scandal was “clearly a breach of the public’s trust, if it is true” and “her position as Chief Minister is no longer tenable and she should resign”.

Ms Fyles declared the Woodside shares on her register of interests but is yet to comment publicly on the latest revelation and Ms Finocchiaro called on the Chief Minister to “clear the air” about whether “she’s been caught out with shareholdings that she’s failed to disclose”.

“The members register of interests requires there to be full disclosure of financial assets of members of parliament and the ministerial code of conduct goes much further than that in requiring the divesting of shares,” she said.

Opposition Leader Lia Finocchiaro says the Chief Minister’s position is ‘untenable’. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

“Natasha Fyles said at the time when she was dealing with the Woodside scandal that she’s always maintained her register but if this information that’s come to light about her shareholdings in South32 is true, then it clearly shows that she is willing to mislead Territorians and not comply with both the members and ministerial code of conduct.”

Ms Fyles’ office has been contacted for comment but she is understood to be attending a family member’s funeral interstate.

In responding to questions about her Woodside holdings in November, Ms Fyles said she had “always declared everything”.

“In terms of my individual conflicts they are well-listed and have been on the parliamentary members register of interests since the moment I entered parliament and as I said, I ensure I update that regularly,” she said.

Speaking at a press conference on Monday, Education Minister Eva Lawler, declined to comment, saying the shareholding was “a matter for the Chief Minister”.