Latest / 360 with Katie Woolf / The CLP's new President Fiona Darcy explains why she's put her hand up to lead the party, and whether there are enough members to hold registration into the Federal Election

Transcript

The CLP's new President Fiona Darcy explains why she's put her hand up to lead the party, and whether there are enough members to hold registration into the Federal Election · 360 with Katie Woolf

• 0:00
  Speaker 1: Now, as I mentioned, it's been a very interesting weekend
• 0:03
  Speaker 1: for the CLP. They held their Central Council meeting and
• 0:06
  Speaker 1: the President, Jamie de Brenney, stood down from the role
• 0:09
  Speaker 1: and well, joining me on the line is the new
• 0:12
  Speaker 1: president of the CLP, Fiona Darcy.
• 0:14
  Speaker 2: Good morning to you, Fiona.
• 0:16
  Speaker 3: Good morning Katie.
• 0:17
  Speaker 2: Thanks so much for your time. Fiona. Why was there
• 0:21
  Speaker 2: a change of president on the weekend?
• 0:25
  Speaker 3: Jamie just felt with the upcoming election that Alice Springs
• 0:29
  Speaker 3: was too far away from Parliament, from the media and
• 0:34
  Speaker 3: from the higher population that's in the Darwin area.
• 0:38
  Speaker 2: And why did you decide to put your hand up.
• 0:43
  Speaker 3: I've been a vice president for about six months now,
• 0:48
  Speaker 3: so I guess that was the time I decided that
• 0:52
  Speaker 3: if the option came came up, that I would accept
• 0:58
  Speaker 3: the role.
• 1:00
  Speaker 1: See, the CLP finds itself in an interesting situation at
• 1:04
  Speaker 1: the moment with the resignation of Senator Sam McMahon.
• 1:08
  Speaker 2: It does mean that there are.
• 1:10
  Speaker 1: Questions being asked about well, the legitimacy of the party
• 1:15
  Speaker 1: as you lead into the federal election. Insiders telling the
• 1:18
  Speaker 1: NT News on Sunday that the National's Director Jonathan Hawke
• 1:23
  Speaker 1: addressed the CLP Central Council meeting unveiling this plan to
• 1:26
  Speaker 1: prevent the party from being deregistered, that the party is
• 1:31
  Speaker 1: going to loan a senator from another state. The owner
• 1:35
  Speaker 1: is that the case, Katie.
• 1:38
  Speaker 3: The case is the situation at the moment. We haven't
• 1:42
  Speaker 3: heard anything from the AEC. They haven't written to us.
• 1:47
  Speaker 3: So there will be many options available to us, and
• 1:51
  Speaker 3: our candidates will be running under the CLP banner.
• 1:54
  Speaker 1: And is that an option is loaning a senator from
• 1:58
  Speaker 1: another state and option.
• 2:00
  Speaker 3: It's a very interesting proposition and we will take several
• 2:06
  Speaker 3: options on board. But our discussions at Central Council are confidential.
• 2:13
  Speaker 1: I mean, is it a situation though you on a
• 2:14
  Speaker 1: where the CLP doesn't have fifteen hundred members.
• 2:21
  Speaker 3: I'm not sure the membership exactly at the moment, but
• 2:26
  Speaker 3: all these discussions are confidential within the party.
• 2:31
  Speaker 1: I mean, it does feel as though if it is
• 2:34
  Speaker 1: the case that we need to loan a senator from
• 2:36
  Speaker 1: another state, that it's a pretty bad situation for the
• 2:41
  Speaker 1: CLP to currently be in, isn't it.
• 2:45
  Speaker 3: We've always had a very close association, not just with
• 2:49
  Speaker 3: the Nationals, with the Liberals as well. Our policies are
• 2:54
  Speaker 3: totally aligned what do you see.
• 2:57
  Speaker 1: I know, like I said, obviously, Senator Sam McMahon making
• 3:00
  Speaker 1: that decision to stand down from the party, she made
• 3:03
  Speaker 1: some allegations saying that people didn't feel safe within the party.
• 3:07
  Speaker 1: Have you taken a bit of a closer look or
• 3:10
  Speaker 1: taken on board any of what the former senator, the
• 3:13
  Speaker 1: former CLP senator still obviously independent, has said.
• 3:19
  Speaker 3: Yes, I have heard about it and it will be
• 3:22
  Speaker 3: looked at further. But Senator Sam McMahon has done some
• 3:27
  Speaker 3: amazing work in parliament and was sad that she decided
• 3:32
  Speaker 3: to step down.
• 3:33
  Speaker 1: All right, So will there be anything done in an
• 3:35
  Speaker 1: effort to try to make everybody within the CLP feel safe,
• 3:40
  Speaker 1: particularly women?
• 3:44
  Speaker 3: Well, speaking to myself, I've always felt safe. People do
• 3:49
  Speaker 3: voice opinions, of course they do, but I haven't personally
• 3:54
  Speaker 3: seen any bullying or anything that would make one feel unsafe.
• 4:01
  Speaker 3: But I actually told the party the other day that please,
• 4:06
  Speaker 3: if you have any problems in this line, please contact
• 4:09
  Speaker 3: me directly, and I hope that they will and that
• 4:13
  Speaker 3: we can work to resolve these problems.
• 4:16
  Speaker 1: I quite a few people getting in contact with us
• 4:19
  Speaker 1: this morning to say that they can't believe that you
• 4:23
  Speaker 1: or anybody from the CLP doesn't know how many members
• 4:26
  Speaker 1: there are within the party, Katie.
• 4:30
  Speaker 3: It's confidential, all right.
• 4:33
  Speaker 1: But at this point in time, I guess what I'm
• 4:36
  Speaker 1: getting to and I know a lot of people listening
• 4:38
  Speaker 1: will be wondering, is are we in a situation where
• 4:41
  Speaker 1: the COLP, you know, it doesn't have the requirements to
• 4:45
  Speaker 1: actually run as a party for the federal election, I e.
• 4:50
  Speaker 1: Doesn't have fifteen one hundred members or that sitting parliamentarian.
• 4:56
  Speaker 3: Katie. We haven't actually heard from the Australian Elector Commission yet.
• 5:01
  Speaker 3: When we do, we will read their communication and we'll
• 5:05
  Speaker 3: work on that then.
• 5:06
  Speaker 2: All right.
• 5:07
  Speaker 1: So, Fiona, those candidates, though, you are confident that they
• 5:10
  Speaker 1: are going to run as members of the COLP, not
• 5:14
  Speaker 1: as independents selectly.
• 5:16
  Speaker 2: Yes, all right, so you candidate at this point.
• 5:19
  Speaker 3: In time, I'm very proud of them. We have the
• 5:22
  Speaker 3: amazing candidates and they're working so hard.
• 5:25
  Speaker 1: And at this point in time, do you have fears
• 5:28
  Speaker 1: that the party is going to be deregistered?
• 5:31
  Speaker 3: No?
• 5:32
  Speaker 2: All right, well, Fiona, it's good to speak to you.
• 5:35
  Speaker 1: I know it's a difficult interview or an interesting interview
• 5:38
  Speaker 1: for your first one on the show.
• 5:39
  Speaker 2: No, doubt we will talk to you again.
• 5:42
  Speaker 3: In the very near future, after I've been in the
• 5:45
  Speaker 3: position a bit longer, and yes, I hope.
• 5:48
  Speaker 1: Fiona Darcy, I appreciate your time. We will talk to
• 5:51
  Speaker 1: you again soon.
• 5:52
  Speaker 3: Thank you, thank you, Katie.
• 5:54
  Speaker 2: Thanks