NT’s top public servant Jodie Ryan resigns suddenly from Department of Chief Minister and Cabinet

The NT News understands Jodie Ryan has left her position at the Department of Chief Minister and Cabinet

JODIE Ryan, who headed up the Department of Chief Minister and Cabinet through the Gunner years, has resigned.

Ms Ryan’s departure follows Michael Gunner’s decision to resign as Chief Minister a week ago, with Natasha Fyles taking over on Friday.

As chief executive of the Department of Chief Minister and Cabinet, Ms Ryan was understood to work well with Mr Gunner.

She was ultimately responsible for helping the public service navigate through the government’s controversial decision to freeze public sector wages.

2pm deadline for MLAs

SENIOR Territory Labor figures have told caucus the rank and file must be provided with a vote on who will be the next Chief Minister, if two or more parliamentarians run for the leadership.

The NT News has obtained a letter signed by the entire of Territory Labor’s executive, including party president Erina Early, to government whip Mark Monaghan.

The letter is unequivocal: if the Parliamentary Labor Party cannot unanimously vote for a new leader in Friday’s caucus meeting, then the executive will meet later that day to call for a rank and file ballot.

“If the (unanimous vote) does not occur, the Administrative Committee will meet to determine the framework to conduct a ballot within guidelines outlined in the branch constitution,” the letter said.

The executive provides a hard deadline of 2pm Friday for the Parliamentary Labor Party to respond to the letter with their choice of leader “to assist the Administrative Committee with its deliberations”.

It is unclear whether the letter was sent before or after Acting Chief Minister Nicole Manison declared a leader would be elected on Friday.

Ms Manison, who is understood to be running for the top job, did not entertain the prospect of the leadership question reaching a rank-and-file ballot at a press conference on Wednesday.

ANALYSIS: GUNNER SUCCESSION MAY END UP MESSIER THAN LABOR HOPED

KEVIN Rudd has a lot to answer for in the Labor Party.

And his ghost looms large over Territory Labor’s quest to find its next Chief Minister.

Michael Gunner’s resignation took most people by surprise.

Not so long ago it was a given that if Chief Minister Michael Gunner was to stand down, it would have precipitated a simple handover to his loyal deputy, Nicole Manison. But now, things aren’t so clear. Picture : Che Chorley

His caucus wasn’t told until Tuesday morning, just before he announced his departure during his Budget speech.

His own right faction was even caught on the hop.

The manoeuvring is now on behind the scenes to determine his replacement.

Not so long ago this would have been a simple handover to his loyal deputy Nicole Manison.

Until 2020 the right faction dominated the Labor caucus. But that changed with the election of former Unions NT boss Joel Bowden.

Since his win at the Johnston by-election, Bowden has been quietly accumulating numbers on the Left.

The Left now has six signed-up members – Bowden, Natasha Fyles, Paul Kirby, Chansey Paech, Ngaree Ah Kit and Lawrence Costa – who meet on a regular basis.

That’s the same number that sit on the Right; Gunner, Manison, Lauren Moss, Kate Worden, Eva Lawler and Mark Monaghan.

The notionally unaligned Selena Uibo and Dheran Young suddenly hold a pretty strong hand.

But Rudd’s rules also put the Left in a strong position at the negotiating table.

Should someone from the Right (most likely Manison) and Left (presumably Bowden or Fyles) nominate for the leadership at Friday’s caucus meeting, it could force a month-long ballot of rank-and-file ALP members.

That would be a messy look in the middle of a federal election campaign and could do long-term damage to Territory Labor’s 2024 re-election prospects.

The main contenders for the vacant position of Chief Minister are expected to be (from left to right) Deputy Chief Minister Nicole Manison, MLA Joel Bowden, Health Minister Natasha Fyles and Attorney-General Selena Uibo

Manison was adamant on Wednesday that the caucus would walk out of its meeting on Friday with a new Chief Minister.

She wouldn’t entertain a question about what might happen if more than one person wants the job.

But the Northern Territory Labor Party’s constitution says non-parliamentary members are supposed to get a say in who gets to be their parliamentary leader.

Section 7.3 of that document states “the Leader of the Territory Parliamentary Labor Party shall be elected by the combined results of two separate ballots weighted equally.

The election will consist of:

(i) A ballot members of the Parliamentary Labor Party as constituted under Rule 7.2(a); and

(ii) A ballot of individual financial members as defined by Rule 2.13 and who have 6 months continuous membership.”

You can bet there will be some furious negotiations between now and Friday by those hoping to avoid a rank-and-file vote.

But what will the Right be willing to offer as part of a peace deal?

Would Gunner’s cabinet position be enough to stop the Left pursuing a vote of party members?

It’s also worth noting the Labor constitution talks about a majority of “Parliamentary Labor Party” members, not caucus members.

Exiled MLA Mark Turner has been remarkably chirpy in Parliament this week.

■ Matt Cunningham is the Sky News Northern Australia Correspondent

Originally published as NT’s top public servant Jodie Ryan resigns suddenly from Department of Chief Minister and Cabinet