Delia Lawrie

Delia Lawrie
MLA
Leader of the Opposition (Northern Territory)
In office
29 August 2012 – 20 April 2015
Deputy Gerry McCarthy
Preceded by Terry Mills
Succeeded by Michael Gunner
Member of the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly
for Karama
Incumbent
Assumed office
18 August 2001
Preceded by Mick Palmer
Majority 6.4 points
Personal details
Born Delia Phoebe Lawrie
30 July 1966
Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia
Nationality Australian
Political party Australian Labor Party
Spouse(s) Peter Hillier
Relations Dawn Lawrie (mother)
Children Three
Occupation Journalist

Delia Phoebe Lawrie (born 30 July 1966)[1] is an Australian politician. She is a Labor member of the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly, having held the seat of Karama since the 2001 election. She served as the Leader of the Opposition from 2012 to 2015.

Early life

Born in the original Darwin Hospital, she attended Nightcliff Primary and Nightcliff High School. She then worked as a journalist and then as an industrial officer before entering Parliament.

Political career

Lawrie served as Deputy Chief Minister, Treasurer, Attorney-General and Minister for Justice in the Henderson ministry under Chief Minister Paul Henderson. Following 25 August 2012 territory elections at which Labor was defeated, Henderson resigned as party leader and Lawrie was elected as his replacement.[2]

In 2012, the Henderson Labor government granted Unions NT a rent-free ten-year lease of the historic Stella Maris site in Darwin. An inquiry into the circumstances of the grant was initiated by the CLP government after the 2012 territory election, and commissioner John Lawler found that the process was not transparent, and that the conduct of Lawrie (then treasurer) and Gerry McCarthy (then lands minister) in relation to the grant was "not accountable or responsible".[3] Lawrie claimed she had been denied procedural fairness, and took the case to the NT Supreme Court, which dismissed her case on 1 April 2015.[4] Attorney-general John Elferink then referred Lawrie to the Northern Territory Police for investigation of "possible breaches of the criminal law".[5] After the failure of the Supreme Court case, the Labor caucus announced it had lost confidence in Lawrie's leadership, and passed a spill motion, although she resigned as leader on 19 April to concentrate on the upcoming legal challenge, and was replaced by Michael Gunner.[6]

She declined a place in the shadow ministry of her successor Michael Gunner and becomes the only backbench member of the eight-member ALP Caucus.[7]

Personal life

Delia Lawrie is the daughter of former Northern Territory politician Dawn Lawrie.[8]

References

  1. ↑ The Hon. Delia Phoebe LAWRIE MLA, Parliament@Work.
  2. ↑ "Ex-NT chief minister takes backbench role". ninemsn.com.au. Retrieved 29 August 2012.
  3. ↑ Di Stefano, Mark (23 June 2014). "Inquiry finds gifting of Darwin's Stella Maris site to Unions NT 'not transparent', recommends claim on site be relinquished". ABC News. Retrieved 20 April 2015.
  4. ↑ Smee, Ben (1 April 2015). "Opposition leader Delia Lawrie has lost her NT Supreme court Case against Stella Maris lawyer John Lawler". The NT News. Retrieved 20 April 2015.
  5. ↑ "Delia Lawrie: NT Labor leader being investigated by police for 'possible breaches of the criminal law'". ABC News. 18 April 2015. Retrieved 20 April 2015.
  6. ↑ "Delia Lawrie: NT Opposition Leader resigns in face of police investigation, Michael Gunner takes over". ABC News. 10 April 2015. Retrieved 20 April 2015.
  7. ↑ http://www.skynews.com.au/news/politics/national/2015/04/23/nt-labor-announces-new-frontbench.html
  8. ↑ Karama, Northern Territory Votes 2012, ABC.
Northern Territory Legislative Assembly
Preceded by
Mick Palmer		 Member for Karama
2001–present 		Incumbent
Political offices
Preceded by
Terry Mills		 Leader of the Opposition
2012–2015 		Succeeded by
Michael Gunner
Party political offices
Preceded by
Paul Henderson		 Leader of the Australian Labor Party in the Northern Territory
2012–2015 		Succeeded by
Michael Gunner