Selena Uibo named as new Labor leader after election loss

ABC NEWS (Australia)

Northern Territory Labor has appointed Selena Uibo to lead the party after a bruising electoral defeat just over a week ago. The new leader will be tasked with rebuilding the party with its presence in the NT Parliament reduced to just five seats.

Transcript

00:00On the off-ramp from government, Selina Yubo stepping up as Labor's new opposition leader

00:08after last month's bruising election loss.

00:11Of course we have a lot of lessons to learn from the territory election.

00:15We've heard loud and clear from Territorians that they wanted a change.

00:19Ms Yubo is the first Indigenous woman to lead a major party in Australia's history.

00:25Also elected today, her deputy, Duran Young.

00:28It's an absolute privilege and an honour today to have the backing of my caucus colleagues.

00:33Counting continues, but it's likely Ms Yubo will lead a territory Labor party with just

00:38five seats in the new-look NT Parliament, including just one member of the Legislative

00:43Assembly in Darwin.

00:45She has her work cut out for her against a CLP government with 17 seats.

00:51It's absolutely going to be a difficult challenge, there's no understating that, but it's one

00:55that we're up for.

00:57Ms Yubo was first elected in 2016 as the member for Arnhem, elevated to Cabinet in

01:012018, and has held roles including Attorney-General and Health Minister.

01:06Today she took the opportunity to introduce herself.

01:09I've been a top-end girl, I do love going to Central Australia and the Barclay as well,

01:14which is a privilege I've been able to do and represent the whole of the territory as

01:18a former Labor Minister.

01:20Ms Yubo not saying whether another former Labor Minister, Chancey Paik, also nominated

01:26for the leadership.

01:27It comes as the Chief Minister gets to work on law and order, flagging police watch houses

01:31will soon no longer be used to hold people on remand.

01:35Details promised soon.

01:37It's very important that our police get their watch houses back and that we have suitable

01:42accommodation for the right category of prisoner right across the territory.

01:46The post-election review of Labor's catastrophic result last month will be essential reading

01:51for Luke Gosling and Marion Scrimgeour.

01:53Those two federal Labor MPs from the territory will be nervous ahead of a federal election

01:59due before May next year.

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