NT Land Council boss Matthew Ryan accused of trying to ‘shut down’ CLP candidate’s campaign

As Territorians prepare to go to the polls on Saturday, documents claim Northern Land Council chair Matthew Ryan’s daughter sought out damaging video of Country Liberal Party candidate Yanja Thompson.

Chelsea Ryan, CLP candidate Yanja Thompson and Northern Land Council chief Matthew Ryan

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The Labor-linked chair of one of the Northern Territory’s most powerful Aboriginal land councils has denied he was out to “shut down” an Indigenous Country Liberal Party candidate’s election campaign, despite bombshell documents alleging his daughter was seeking dirt on the candidate and doing so on his behalf.

As Territorians prepare to go to the polls on Saturday to decide whether to give NT Labor a third term, documents from an internal workplace investigation claim Northern Land Council chairman Matthew Ryan’s adult daughter sought out video footage of CLP candidate for Arafura Yanja Thompson “acting recklessly during her party times”.

In text messages seen by The Australian showing Chelsea Ryan’s hunt for damaging information about the CLP candidate, Ms Ryan suggested she was motivated by her father’s attempt to “shut down” Ms Thompson’s campaign.

The allegations have been slammed by CLP federal senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price as “typical of the grubby tactics employed by Labor”, as the centre right works to make the Saturday election a turning point for the Coalition after years of ALP control of state and territory governments on the mainland.

Chelsea Ryan's message to a mutual friend of Yanja Thompson. Picture: Supplied

In correspondence obtained by The Australian, Mr Ryan’s daughter wrote to a mutual friend on May 3 to say he was attempting to “shut down her campaign”, fearing “our countrymen won’t ever get any royalties” if Ms Thompson is elected next week.

“Well I was thinking if you could send me a video of Yanja acting reckless during her party times. Just the ones with only her in it … ?” Ms Ryan wrote.

“Dad’s trying to shut her campaign down cause there’s words that when she gets the clp role she will shut the whole NLC down and our countrymen won’t ever get any royalties.”

Mr Ryan is closely affiliated with NT Labor, and put his hand up to run on the Labor ticket for the 2023 Arafura by-election. On Sunday he denied the allegations.

“With respect, there is a complicated relationship between my daughter and Ms Thompson, and this is a mischaracterisation of a personal conversation,” he said.

“It does not reflect the views of myself or the Northern Land Council.”

Ms Thompson also claimed she was approached by a relative earlier that day who said Mr Ryan and his daughter had been approaching members of their family and community claiming she would remove Northern Land Council royalties if elected. Both she and Ms Ryan worked at the West Arnhem Regional Council at the time of the confrontation.

Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price says Matthew Ryan has questions to answer. Picture: Liam Mendes

The allegations are contained in Ms Thompson’s response to a workplace investigation launched against her – since withdrawn – after she confronted Ms Ryan. According to her written response to the investigation, conducted by an external law firm, she said she confronted Ms Ryan after realising the message was not isolated, and that she was “hurt” by her actions.

When she confronted Ms Ryan, she said her response was “Yes aaaand what?”, and claimed Ms Ryan became “very aggressive and began to yell”. Ms Thompson admits she raised her voice, something she regrets, but did not “stand over Chelsea in an aggressive manner”.

“I was very upset by Chelsea’s message and her confirmation that she thought it was OK to send messages like that,” Ms Thompson wrote. “In my view, Chelsea was indicating a clear and malicious intention to harm me and my reputation.”

Before Mr Ryan’s denial, Senator Nampijinpa Price labelled the alleged actions of Ms Ryan as “undemocratic”. “As a politically conservative Indigenous woman, this is a clear attack against Yanja Thompson’s success by the left,” she said. “It’s typical of the grubby tactics employed by Labor.

“The CEO of the Northern Land Council has questions to answer. It’s disgusting, it’s undemocratic and it must be exposed.”

NT Labor branch secretary Karlee Dalton distanced herself from the claims about the Ryans.