Opposition Leader Lia Finocchiaro to introduce no-confidence motion against Fyles government
The opposition will introduce a motion of no confidence to parliament over Labor’s law-and-order failures - but there won’t be a decision until March.
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The Country Liberal Party will introduce a motion of no confidence against the Fyles government in parliament next week.
Opposition Leader Lia Finocchiaro said the motion reflected a widespread loss of community confidence in the Fyles government and Labor’s failure “to do the very basics of government, and that is keep the community safe”.
The no-confidence motion will be only the third in the NT parliament in seven years.
The last one was in 2019.
It will also be the first introduced since Ms Finocchiaro took over as CLP leader in February 2020.
The government can decline to hold the debate based on its numbers on the parliamentary floor.
“Territorians are spending their time worrying about where to park their car, whether it’s safe enough to go to the shops, whether or not if there’s a hospital bed required there’ll be one, whether or not there’ll be teachers in front of their child and classrooms, whether the bus is going to arrive, whether they can pay bills and put fuel in the car,” Ms Finocchiaro said.
“These are all the basic functions of a government to provide services.
“We have a crisis of lawlessness right across the Territory that is creating a debilitating social impact that this government cannot get a handle on.
“Labor have been in government for six long years and Natasha Fyles has been the Alcohol Minister that entire time.
“Their job is to make the lives of Territorians better not worse, yet we stand here today with a Northern Territory that many of us don’t even recognise.
“Territorians are used to fighting hard for our freedoms and for our lifestyles, but instead Territorians are fighting literally for their lives and their livelihoods.
“We know Territorians have had enough and this motion of no confidence will send a very clear message to the Labor government that they are on notice by the community.”
Ms Finocchiaro will on Thursday write to Territory Labor backbenchers and independent MLAs seeking their support for the motion.
“We are seeking the support of those members to cross the floor and vote with the CLP,” she said.
However, if the CLP does get the numbers in parliament to debate the motion, the opposition will have to wait.
Under Territory standing orders, Ms Finocchiaro will give notice of the motion to parliament on Tuesday and then must wait three clear sitting days before it can be debated.
With just three days in the February sittings, the opposition will have to wait until its next general business day in parliament on March 21.
A no-confidence motion has never been carried in NT parliament.
Speaking on Thursday afternoon in Alice Springs, Chief Minister Natasha Fyles accused the opposition of playing politics and declined to commit the government to supporting the no-confidence motion.
“She’s been nowhere to be seen in this debate and pops up at the last minute, doesn't want to work on collaborative solutions, just simply play politics,” Ms Fyles said.
She baulked when pressed on whether she would allow Labor members to participate in a no-confidence debate.
“We will head into parliament next week, we have a number of pieces of legislation before the parliament that we will aim to pass and as well we have indicated we are planning on introducing and passing on urgency the legislation that will allow communities to become dry but show them a clear community-led pathway if they wish to have alcohol in some form in their community.”
Ms Fyles said Labor’s Blain MLA Mark Turner did not sit with the party caucus and she did not know how he would vote.
This publication has reached out to Mr Turner for comment
Independent Araluen MLA Robyn Lambley said she would support the CLP’s no-confidence motion but predicted it will not go ahead.
“It’s unlikely the government will allow it to be debated,” Ms Lambley said.
Independents Mulka MLA Yingiya Guyula and Goyder MLA Kezia Purick have been contacted for comment.
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