By MARK J SMITH
In the aftermath of the Johnston by-election the independent Member for Fong Lim, Jeff Collins (pictured), has formally joined Territory Alliance.
The move now gives TA two members of Parliament along with Terry Mills, putting the fledgling party one step closer to seizing formal opposition status from the CLP.
As the only other TA MP Mr Collins could be in the boxed seat for a 30% pay rise should be become the Deputy Leader of the Opposition.
“I have taken my time over this decision and it is not one I have taken lightly”, Mr Collins said in a statement.
Mr Collins entered Parliament in August 2016 as a member of the Labor Party. However, along with Ken Vowles and Scott McConnell, he was expelled from the Labor Caucus at the end of 2018. For the last 12 months Mr Collins has sat as an independent.
Mr Collins had been involved in the TA campaign in Johnston in recent weeks.
“My focus is on getting the economy working, balancing development and protection of the environment while at the same time addressing the issues affecting people in their everyday life,” said Mr Collins.
“In August Territorians can deliver that message directly to the major parties; the message that we are sick of being treated as if we are fools, and things ARE going to change around here,” Mr Collins said.
Saturday, April 27, 2024
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Politicians who jump ship mid term or similar should resign their position and go back to the people to be voted in under their new banner.
I can only feel that they are more interest in their own skins when leaving the banner they were elected under.
You what to make territory voters feel stupid run as one thing that get elected then change.
It is quite unfortunate when you see the acronym for a Territory Alliance Member of Parliament. One could only imagine the raised eyebrows if this party achieves government, and we see the Minister for Corrections is a TAMP.
@ Brian Shearn: I am in total agreement with your comment: When a Member or Senator chooses to quit the party on whose platform s/he was elected while retaining her or his seat in Parliament is an action impairing democracy in that the decision of voters as expressed at a democratic election has been overturned.
The same for preferential voting: Preferential voting is a political innovation more or less unique to Australia.
In almost all other countries, you get the right to cast a single vote for your party or candidate of choice.
All these systems work on the basis that if your choice of candidate or party does not get elected, your vote does not get a second chance to be counted.