Labor Left seizes control in the NT with Natasha Fyles appointed Chief Minister

Health Minister Natasha Fyles will become the Northern Territory’s next chief minister after this week’s surprise resignation of Michael Gunner.

Incoming NT Chief Minister Natasha Fyles. Picture: Amanda Parkinson

Labor’s Left faction has seized ­control of the leadership in the Northern Territory, with health minister Natasha Fyles appointed the new Chief Minister after what sources say was a bruising party room contest.

The midterm leadership change was sparked when the party’s elected leader, Michael Gunner, abruptly vacated the top job after delivering the 2022-23 budget on Tuesday.

Going into Friday’s caucus meeting, his deputy and Right faction ally Nicole Manison was tipped to become the new leader, with Aboriginal Attorney-General and rising Labor star Selena Uibo the favourite to be deputy.

But sources say two Right ­faction members unexpectedly crossed the floor to back Ms Fyles, handing the Left the top job and most likely dominance in the next NT cabinet.

Ms Fyles said afterwards that she had been “unanimously” selected, adding that becoming Chief Minister was “a bit of a shock but it’s an absolute privilege”.

“I know it’s a tough job, but I’m pretty tough – I’m Territory tough,” she said.

Ms Fyles, who took the job on Friday the 13th, promised changes to the Labor government’s direction but did not emerge with a new deputy or a new cabinet, and struggled to answer questions about what she would do that Mr Gunner did not.

Newly-appointed NT Chief Minister Natasha Fyles addresses media with Deputy Chief Minister Nicole Manison. Picture: Amanda Parkinson

Insiders suggested the skulduggery that allowed the Left faction to take power could have severe electoral consequences for the party, with some of Labor’s more experienced Right faction members no longer certain to remain in parliament until the 2024 poll.

“Natasha’s honeymoon period is not going to be as long as she hoped,” one said.

Opposition Leader Lia Finocchiaro said having a Left-faction leader in control “shows that the mining industry, the onshore gas industry and any other heavy industry is on the chopping block under this government”.

“We know the Left don’t value the Australian economy … the Left don’t ever want to put people in jail,” she said.

She also attacked Ms Fyles for failing to articulate what her ­government would do.

“It would have been fantastic if the Labor government emerged today with a new leader, a fresh face, a new plan and a fresh start,” Ms Finocchiaro said.

“But instead, what we saw is the same old Labor circus with a different clown. The fact that no new policies were announced, no new vision was put forward by this new Chief Minister, that no deputy stood by her side, and no cabinet has been announced shows there is much more turmoil, infighting and Labor chaos to come.”

Ms Fyles, 43, grew up in the Territory and joined the Labor Party aged 15. She is the NT’s second female chief minister, after Claire Martin, and the 13th chief minister overall.

“Our united and stable team is now focused on getting on with our first priority – serving Territorians,” she said.

Ms Fyles represents the leafy electorate of Nightcliff in Darwin’s northern suburbs, one of Labor’s safest seats. But to retain power, the party must also appeal to moderate and conservative-leaning areas, regional communities and the bush.

Ms Fyles said the existing cabinet would remain in place until the end of next week’s parliamentary sittings, with a new one to be sworn in thereafter.

Ms Manison congratulated Ms Fyles as “tenacious, hardworking (and) determined”. And Labor sources tipped Local Government Minister Chansey Paech as a ­possible choice for Labor’s next deputy leader.

One disgruntled Right faction member said the two Labor MPs who broke from alignment could lose key union backing and were in for “a world of pain”.