1
00:00:00,600 --> 00:00:03,120
Speaker 1: Now, as I mentioned, it's been a very interesting weekend

2
00:00:03,160 --> 00:00:06,240
Speaker 1: for the CLP. They held their Central Council meeting and

3
00:00:06,280 --> 00:00:09,280
Speaker 1: the President, Jamie de Brenney, stood down from the role

4
00:00:09,720 --> 00:00:12,040
Speaker 1: and well, joining me on the line is the new

5
00:00:12,119 --> 00:00:14,640
Speaker 1: president of the CLP, Fiona Darcy.

6
00:00:14,680 --> 00:00:15,840
Speaker 2: Good morning to you, Fiona.

7
00:00:16,640 --> 00:00:17,840
Speaker 3: Good morning Katie.

8
00:00:17,920 --> 00:00:21,000
Speaker 2: Thanks so much for your time. Fiona. Why was there

9
00:00:21,040 --> 00:00:22,960
Speaker 2: a change of president on the weekend?

10
00:00:25,320 --> 00:00:29,440
Speaker 3: Jamie just felt with the upcoming election that Alice Springs

11
00:00:29,520 --> 00:00:34,639
Speaker 3: was too far away from Parliament, from the media and

12
00:00:34,760 --> 00:00:37,920
Speaker 3: from the higher population that's in the Darwin area.

13
00:00:38,400 --> 00:00:40,559
Speaker 2: And why did you decide to put your hand up.

14
00:00:43,520 --> 00:00:47,520
Speaker 3: I've been a vice president for about six months now,

15
00:00:48,120 --> 00:00:52,560
Speaker 3: so I guess that was the time I decided that

16
00:00:52,840 --> 00:00:58,520
Speaker 3: if the option came came up, that I would accept

17
00:00:58,560 --> 00:00:58,920
Speaker 3: the role.

18
00:01:00,120 --> 00:01:04,120
Speaker 1: See, the CLP finds itself in an interesting situation at

19
00:01:04,120 --> 00:01:07,720
Speaker 1: the moment with the resignation of Senator Sam McMahon.

20
00:01:08,720 --> 00:01:10,679
Speaker 2: It does mean that there are.

21
00:01:10,640 --> 00:01:15,119
Speaker 1: Questions being asked about well, the legitimacy of the party

22
00:01:15,160 --> 00:01:18,800
Speaker 1: as you lead into the federal election. Insiders telling the

23
00:01:18,920 --> 00:01:23,000
Speaker 1: NT News on Sunday that the National's Director Jonathan Hawke

24
00:01:23,080 --> 00:01:26,760
Speaker 1: addressed the CLP Central Council meeting unveiling this plan to

25
00:01:26,840 --> 00:01:31,600
Speaker 1: prevent the party from being deregistered, that the party is

26
00:01:31,640 --> 00:01:35,760
Speaker 1: going to loan a senator from another state. The owner

27
00:01:35,800 --> 00:01:38,720
Speaker 1: is that the case, Katie.

28
00:01:38,760 --> 00:01:42,240
Speaker 3: The case is the situation at the moment. We haven't

29
00:01:42,319 --> 00:01:46,360
Speaker 3: heard anything from the AEC. They haven't written to us.

30
00:01:47,240 --> 00:01:51,040
Speaker 3: So there will be many options available to us, and

31
00:01:51,120 --> 00:01:53,880
Speaker 3: our candidates will be running under the CLP banner.

32
00:01:54,240 --> 00:01:58,000
Speaker 1: And is that an option is loaning a senator from

33
00:01:58,040 --> 00:01:59,360
Speaker 1: another state and option.

34
00:02:00,400 --> 00:02:06,520
Speaker 3: It's a very interesting proposition and we will take several

35
00:02:06,520 --> 00:02:12,600
Speaker 3: options on board. But our discussions at Central Council are confidential.

36
00:02:13,120 --> 00:02:14,840
Speaker 1: I mean, is it a situation though you on a

37
00:02:14,919 --> 00:02:18,160
Speaker 1: where the CLP doesn't have fifteen hundred members.

38
00:02:21,400 --> 00:02:25,240
Speaker 3: I'm not sure the membership exactly at the moment, but

39
00:02:26,040 --> 00:02:29,600
Speaker 3: all these discussions are confidential within the party.

40
00:02:31,440 --> 00:02:34,080
Speaker 1: I mean, it does feel as though if it is

41
00:02:34,120 --> 00:02:36,839
Speaker 1: the case that we need to loan a senator from

42
00:02:36,880 --> 00:02:41,440
Speaker 1: another state, that it's a pretty bad situation for the

43
00:02:41,440 --> 00:02:45,160
Speaker 1: CLP to currently be in, isn't it.

44
00:02:45,639 --> 00:02:49,240
Speaker 3: We've always had a very close association, not just with

45
00:02:49,320 --> 00:02:53,080
Speaker 3: the Nationals, with the Liberals as well. Our policies are

46
00:02:54,000 --> 00:02:56,920
Speaker 3: totally aligned what do you see.

47
00:02:57,480 --> 00:03:00,639
Speaker 1: I know, like I said, obviously, Senator Sam McMahon making

48
00:03:00,639 --> 00:03:03,080
Speaker 1: that decision to stand down from the party, she made

49
00:03:03,120 --> 00:03:07,400
Speaker 1: some allegations saying that people didn't feel safe within the party.

50
00:03:07,840 --> 00:03:10,080
Speaker 1: Have you taken a bit of a closer look or

51
00:03:10,120 --> 00:03:13,640
Speaker 1: taken on board any of what the former senator, the

52
00:03:13,680 --> 00:03:17,520
Speaker 1: former CLP senator still obviously independent, has said.

53
00:03:19,360 --> 00:03:22,640
Speaker 3: Yes, I have heard about it and it will be

54
00:03:22,680 --> 00:03:27,440
Speaker 3: looked at further. But Senator Sam McMahon has done some

55
00:03:27,560 --> 00:03:32,240
Speaker 3: amazing work in parliament and was sad that she decided

56
00:03:32,280 --> 00:03:32,919
Speaker 3: to step down.

57
00:03:33,360 --> 00:03:35,640
Speaker 1: All right, So will there be anything done in an

58
00:03:35,680 --> 00:03:40,040
Speaker 1: effort to try to make everybody within the CLP feel safe,

59
00:03:40,040 --> 00:03:41,080
Speaker 1: particularly women?

60
00:03:44,240 --> 00:03:49,560
Speaker 3: Well, speaking to myself, I've always felt safe. People do

61
00:03:49,720 --> 00:03:54,400
Speaker 3: voice opinions, of course they do, but I haven't personally

62
00:03:54,440 --> 00:04:00,600
Speaker 3: seen any bullying or anything that would make one feel unsafe.

63
00:04:01,360 --> 00:04:06,600
Speaker 3: But I actually told the party the other day that please,

64
00:04:06,720 --> 00:04:09,960
Speaker 3: if you have any problems in this line, please contact

65
00:04:09,960 --> 00:04:13,640
Speaker 3: me directly, and I hope that they will and that

66
00:04:13,680 --> 00:04:16,360
Speaker 3: we can work to resolve these problems.

67
00:04:16,960 --> 00:04:19,280
Speaker 1: I quite a few people getting in contact with us

68
00:04:19,320 --> 00:04:23,159
Speaker 1: this morning to say that they can't believe that you

69
00:04:23,680 --> 00:04:26,800
Speaker 1: or anybody from the CLP doesn't know how many members

70
00:04:26,839 --> 00:04:30,200
Speaker 1: there are within the party, Katie.

71
00:04:30,320 --> 00:04:33,240
Speaker 3: It's confidential, all right.

72
00:04:33,320 --> 00:04:36,520
Speaker 1: But at this point in time, I guess what I'm

73
00:04:36,520 --> 00:04:38,279
Speaker 1: getting to and I know a lot of people listening

74
00:04:38,320 --> 00:04:41,400
Speaker 1: will be wondering, is are we in a situation where

75
00:04:41,440 --> 00:04:45,479
Speaker 1: the COLP, you know, it doesn't have the requirements to

76
00:04:45,600 --> 00:04:49,800
Speaker 1: actually run as a party for the federal election, I e.

77
00:04:50,160 --> 00:04:54,119
Speaker 1: Doesn't have fifteen one hundred members or that sitting parliamentarian.

78
00:04:56,720 --> 00:05:00,960
Speaker 3: Katie. We haven't actually heard from the Australian Elector Commission yet.

79
00:05:01,560 --> 00:05:05,360
Speaker 3: When we do, we will read their communication and we'll

80
00:05:05,360 --> 00:05:06,240
Speaker 3: work on that then.

81
00:05:06,720 --> 00:05:07,120
Speaker 2: All right.

82
00:05:07,160 --> 00:05:10,920
Speaker 1: So, Fiona, those candidates, though, you are confident that they

83
00:05:10,960 --> 00:05:14,000
Speaker 1: are going to run as members of the COLP, not

84
00:05:14,080 --> 00:05:15,480
Speaker 1: as independents selectly.

85
00:05:16,200 --> 00:05:20,040
Speaker 2: Yes, all right, so you candidate at this point.

86
00:05:19,800 --> 00:05:22,240
Speaker 3: In time, I'm very proud of them. We have the

87
00:05:22,320 --> 00:05:24,839
Speaker 3: amazing candidates and they're working so hard.

88
00:05:25,320 --> 00:05:28,040
Speaker 1: And at this point in time, do you have fears

89
00:05:28,040 --> 00:05:29,880
Speaker 1: that the party is going to be deregistered?

90
00:05:31,240 --> 00:05:31,400
Speaker 3: No?

91
00:05:32,880 --> 00:05:34,880
Speaker 2: All right, well, Fiona, it's good to speak to you.

92
00:05:35,120 --> 00:05:38,279
Speaker 1: I know it's a difficult interview or an interesting interview

93
00:05:38,320 --> 00:05:39,599
Speaker 1: for your first one on the show.

94
00:05:39,680 --> 00:05:41,600
Speaker 2: No, doubt we will talk to you again.

95
00:05:42,839 --> 00:05:45,599
Speaker 3: In the very near future, after I've been in the

96
00:05:45,600 --> 00:05:48,480
Speaker 3: position a bit longer, and yes, I hope.

97
00:05:48,880 --> 00:05:51,480
Speaker 1: Fiona Darcy, I appreciate your time. We will talk to

98
00:05:51,520 --> 00:05:52,160
Speaker 1: you again soon.

99
00:05:52,240 --> 00:05:54,120
Speaker 3: Thank you, thank you, Katie.

100
00:05:54,160 --> 00:05:54,480
Speaker 2: Thanks