Country Liberal Party rank and file ‘resoundingly’ votes down Lia Finocchiaro no confidence motion

Country Liberal Party president Sean Heenan said the vote followed a ‘a robust discussion’ about the leadership. See how the numbers fell.

Opposition Leader Lia Finocchiaro has stared down her detractors after surviving a no-confidence vote by the CLP’s rank and file. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

The Country Liberal Party’s rank and file has rallied around the Opposition Leader by “resoundingly” voting down a motion of no confidence in Lia Finocchiaro.

This publication understands the vote at the party’s central council meeting in Katherine on Saturday was defeated after only six of the 59 delegates present voted in favour of it.

CLP president Sean Heenan said while it was preceded by “robust discussion”, the motion was “resoundingly defeated”.

“The Country Liberal Party, currently holding central council in Katherine, has today voted down the motion of no confidence in the Opposition Leader,” he said.

“A robust discussion was held and the motion was resoundingly defeated.”

Mr Heenan said the vote was “followed by a successful motion of support in Lia Finocchiaro and the parliamentary wing”.

“The CLP remains focused on August 2024 and electing a CLP government led by Lia

Finocchiaro who will build a safer, stronger Territory,” he said.

The no confidence motion was tabled by the party’s Litchfield branch, with the leaked document citing concerns over Ms Finocchiaro’s leadership and “disregard for party positions”.

It also called into question the Opposition Leader’s neutral stance on the upcoming Voice to Parliament referendum, which is said to be at odds with the views of rank and file members.

“While in Alice Springs with shadow cabinet meeting, Lia did not invite the president to meet and discuss party and parliamentary wing issues and build relationships,” the motion read.

“Sean (Heenan) is the president, a representative, and the position needs to be respected.”

The motion also called out Ms Finocchiaro’s perceived lack of follow-up after CLP Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price and federal Opposition Leader Peter Dutton made claims of child sexual abuse in Central Australia last month.

“Lia remained silent, not throwing any support behind them,” it read.

“The party as a whole is a representative of the conservative voices across the Territory electorates and going from February’s central council a motion to oppose the Voice has not filtered through to Lia or any other MLA.

“(They) remain idle and self-fulfilling for their want for further office … not truly speaking on behalf of the conservative voice, only self-preservation.”

Last month, Namatjira MLA Bill Yan acknowledged the motion was “no doubt” damaging to the CLP but declared the party’s parliamentary wing was “fully united”

“It makes our life difficult to be able to be out showing a united front to Territorians,” he said at the time.

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