Labor Daly candidate Dheran Young received formal warning over run-in with CLP MLA

Labor’s candidate for the Daly by-election has been revealed as the staffer who received a “formal warning” after being “unnecessarily provocative” and “inappropriate” during a late night run-in with a CLP MLA.

LABOR’S candidate for the Daly by-election, Dheran Young, has been revealed as the staffer who received a “formal warning” from the Attorney-General after a CLP MLA claimed he was “unnecessarily provocative” and “inappropriate” towards him.

The NT News in February reported a government staffer was formally warned after he allegedly “threatened” Braitling MLA Joshua Burgoyne.

In a statement released on Saturday, Mr Burgoyne confirmed Mr Young as the staffer behind the incident.

“During the verbal altercation, Dheran confronted me and had to be led away by a fellow staffer,” Mr Burgoyne said.

“As I outlined in parliament at the time, Dheran used words to the effect of ‘You’re that [expletive] Josh Burgoyne. You better watch your language’ and ‘Watch what you say’.

Labor Daly candidate for Daly Dheran Young. Picture: Supplied

CLP MLA Josh Burgoyne said he was “astounded” by the pick. Picture: File

Mr Burgoyne said he was “astounded” Mr Young had been picked as Labor’s candidate for the by-election in Daly, due to be held on September 11.

“My concern is, that if I do not speak up now, the Territory risks having a thug in parliament who, by Labor’s own admission, does not reflect the party’s values,” he said.

But Mr Young said while he acknowledged his involvement in the incident, he did not use expletives and it was in fact Mr Burgoyne who had made “divisive, unfortunate and insensitive” comments earlier the same day, in parliament.

“Josh Burgoyne used the parliament on February 18 to encourage people to view footage of an alleged murder in Alice Springs on January 7,” Mr Young said.

“Mr Burgoyne later apologised to the parliament for his comments.

“I recognise he apologised for them and that it was not my place at that time to address the issue directly with him.”

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Originally published as Labor Daly candidate Dheran Young received formal warning over run-in with CLP MLA