NT Young Labor want Turner to stay in party, ask for help finding Gunner’s backbone
THE youth wing of NT Labor has asked the party to let disgraced Blain MLA Mark Turner keep his membership while asking the president to help in the search of the Chief Minister’s spine
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THE youth wing of NT Labor has asked the party to let disgraced Blain MLA Mark Turner keep his membership while asking the president to help Chief Minister Michael Gunner find his spine.
The Palmerston branch of NT Young Labor (NTYL), in a letter to party president Erina Early dated February 23, asked that Mark Turner be allowed to keep his membership as the Blain MLA was “personally responsible” for drawing “several young activists” into the party.
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NT Young Labor president Lithira Abeysinghe also said having an affair is “not sufficient grounds” to kick Mr Turner out of the party.
In the letter NT Young Labor also asked for Ms Early’s assistance to help “in our search for parliamentary leader’s vertebrate (sic)”— in other words, they want help finding Chief Minister Michael Gunner’s backbone.
In response, during parliamentary question time, Mr Gunner said “with respect to Young Labor, while the kids play with memes, we have to make decisions”.
“We have made those decisions, we stand by those decisions,” he said.
The letter was posted to NT Young Labor’s Facebook page but has since been deleted.
Mr Turner, according to the letter, “remains committed to legislative pushes in the interest of young people, declaring support for marijuana legislation and a whole host of other legislative demands communicated by NTYL”.
“Mark Turner stands a long-serving dedicated member of the community,” the letter stated.
“His altruistic service of the people of Blain and his work with NTYL members across the Palmerston region must be considered.
“He is human, he has made a mistake.”
Mr Turner, who was nowhere to be found after being expelled from Labor caucus on Thursday afternoon, briefly appeared in parliament this morning before leaving within the first 10 minutes.
Chief Minister Michael Gunner, in expelling Mr Turner from caucus over the so-called “cocaine sex scandal” debacle, said it was because the Blain MLA had lost his trust after repeatedly denying or withholding the facts around the scandal in which he was embroiled.
Mr Gunner wants Mr Turner out of Labor altogether but said it was a matter for the party’s administrative wing.
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Territory Labor president Erina Early confirmed on Monday she had received a letter from the Chief Minister ¬requesting that consideration be given to removing the MLA from the party.
“Action to expel any party member is complex and must be done within the party’s democratic processes and follow the rules of our branch,” Ms Early said.
“The executive members of the NT ALP have agreed to seek legal advice on the options available to the ALP NT administrative committee for discussion when they next meet, on March 8.”
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