Marion Scrymgour - “I chose not to vote”

Below is some of what Marion said yesterday on ABC radio.

It directly contradicts what Clare Martin said immediately after the amendment was passed when she sought to explain Marion’s absence due to attending a meeting at the time of the vote.

In a very frank interview Marion has told us how difficult it is to have principles in the Martin Labor Government. It seems the lowest common denominator wins. In this case if the Chief Minister wants a mine she gets it, and the NT Labor Party doesn’t seem to care about the process.

The new Labor  Party motto could read - Join us. We approve mines. Crush legal rights. Override the judiciary. Dirty deeds done dirt cheap!

Marion: “Look I realised that as a Government Minister, if I had crossed the floor against a Government bill, I would have had no option but to resign and that would have been a breach of that convention, I know that, I had discussions with the Chief Minister and my other colleagues and I made a decision that I would not vote.”

“I did stick to my principles Julia (ABC Interviewer) and that is why I chose not to vote.”

“It’s been a difficult time Julia, I am spent and I suppose I will spend still some weeks contemplating and working through issues.  We all need that time to consider and to make sure and that keeps us honest, I’m only human and I know that politicians have a bad reputation, I’m being totally honest with you here today and with readers, I’m only human, I feel just like everybody else and yes I do have to stand up and represent my constituency and I think they know that I do that.”

Environment Minister disagreed with McArthur ammendment

The Northern Territory Environment Minister denies she let down her constituents by skipping a vote on the McArthur River Mine legislation she disagreed with.

Earlier this month, the Territory Government rushed through an emergency bill to override a Supreme Court decision and allow the mine’s expansion to go ahead.

Three Indigenous backbenchers crossed the floor, claiming the move was insensitive to sorry business happening around Borroloola.

Marion Scrymgour skipped the vote and spent the next fortnight on the Tiwi Islands considering her future.

Ms Scrymgour says she did not want to step down as Minister and so decided to miss the vote.

“I was out of the chamber - that decision has created for me personally a number of issues that I’ve taken myself away for a couple of weeks to really think about,” she said.

“I am only human. I can’t push aside how I feel on a personal level.”

Meanwhile the CLP says Chief Minister Clare Martin waged a deliberate campaign of deception about Ms Scrymgour’s absence from the vote.

At the time, Ms Martin said Ms Scrymgour had other commitments, but Ms Scrymgour says she discussed the issue with Ms Martin and decided to stay away.

Opposition Leader Jodeen Carney says both of them should resign.

“She told Territorians that Marion Scrymgour agreed with the Government’s decision,” Ms Carney said.

“She didn’t. She told Territorians that Marion Scrymgour had something else on, which is why she wasn’t in Parliament when the vote was taken. Clearly, by Marion Scrymgour’s own words, what Clare Martin said was untrue.”

from the ABC    http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200705/s1931356.htm