Alison Anderson warns PUP to follow through with funds

INDIGENOUS politician Alison Anderson has warned that the Northern Territory branch of Clive Palmer’s party cannot survive without resources.

INDIGENOUS politician Alison Anderson has warned that the Northern Territory branch of Clive Palmer’s party cannot survive without resources, saying she and her colleagues have received nothing from the businessman since joining his party.

After quitting the Country Liberal Party in April, Ms Anderson and her indigenous backbench colleagues, Francis Xavier Kurrupuwu and Larisa Lee, joined the Palmer United Party, giving it representation in a third parliament.

At the time, Mr Palmer praised their courage in standing up for neglected indigenous people. He denied offering financial incentives, saying the trio had defected because the CLP government was “falling apart”, and the independents stood to gain the balance of power.

Ms Anderson last night told The Australian she and her colleagues had joined the PUP for a platform to develop new policies. However, she said the trio still needed support.

“I think we need to sit tight and fight for resources,” Ms Anderson said. “If they really want the PUP to be successful in the Northern Territory then they need to understand that it needs resources, it needs people. Even if we had two people, a research officer and a media person, it would help.”

She said she and her colleagues would be meeting PUP officials next week to discuss the issue.

Ms Anderson did not rule out quitting a third political party (she was first elected as a Labor politician) but said it was unlikely. Mr Kurrupuwu said he, too, was disappointed the trio had not received support.

“I’ve got a bit of a question mark (in my head) because of what’s happened over the last couple of months; we’ve had a bit of up and down,” he said. “If nothing works, we will probably set up our own party — Alison and I have discussed it.”

Mr Kurrupuwu ruled out rejoining the CLP, and said he had no plans to leave the PUP in the near term.

Former Country Liberal president Braedon Earley, who defected to the Palmer United Party last month, has now quit that party, too.

According to an email seen by The Australian, Mr Earley resigned on Tuesday evening, telling Mr Palmer: “Clive, I am resigning as a member of your party and as public officer for the Northern Territory.”

Mr Earley gave no reason for his decision, and did not return The Australian’s calls.

A spokesman for Mr Palmer did not return calls.

Ms Anderson said that as well as the three PUP MPs not receiving resources from their own party, Chief Minister Adam Giles had ignored two letters requesting additional public resources to help scrutinise legislation, and unfairly denied herself and her two colleagues the ability to take part in the budget estimates process.

In response, Mr Giles said: “Alison Anderson’s letter was responded to in writing on May 13 and she has every ability to scrutinise the budget in exactly the same fashion as she did last year through the estimates committee process.”