NT Opposition Leader Defends Office Culture Amid Misconduct Allegations

The Northern Territory opposition leader has defended the culture of her office amid allegations of workplace misconduct against a senior staff member. Selena Uibo has been facing questions about staffer conduct in her office for days, amid a period of instability for her Territory Labor party after the dumping of former deputy Dheran Young last week. Sources with knowledge of the allegations have told the ABC multiple culturally inappropriate comments were allegedly made by a senior staff member to a junior staff member earlier this year. The junior staff member has since left Ms Uibo's office, the sources said, and a review into alleged misconduct was commissioned. Ms Uibo released a statement this morning in which she said her office works in a "highly-charged political environment that is unique and unlike most workplaces". She also said when concerns were raised in her office, she "took them seriously". At a press conference on Friday last week, Ms Uibo said she had addressed "some" of the "internal workings" within her office, but there was still "work to be done in that space". Close vote in deputy contest Ms Uibo's statement today was issued less than five days after she declared the Territory Labor deputy leader position vacant. In a caucus vote, incumbent Dheran Young was ousted by newcomer Ed Smelt, who was elected in March at a by-election. The caucus vote was won by Mr Smelt 3-2, with Mr Young supported by his fellow Left faction colleague Chansey Paech, according to Labor sources. Fellow Left MLA Manuel Brown voted against his own faction and supported the unaligned Mr Smelt. The change in deputy leadership was subsequently announced in a Facebook post by Mr Young on Thursday night, where he said he was "deeply disappointed" by his dumping. Mr Young has also stepped down from all his shadow portfolios. Speaking on Friday, Ms Uibo said she hoped the move to install Mr Smelt as deputy leader would win back the trust of people in Darwin. Mr Smelt's victory in the Nightcliff by-election restored Labor's presence in the NT capital, where Labor was completely wiped out at the 2024 general election.