21 Results

John not only broke news with a vigor and passion rarely seen but on occasion made it. The year fades into memory but John was the object of then NT cabinet minister Mick Palmer’s attention when he ‘snotted’ John during a session at the local Petty Sessions bar. From that event came, in part, John’s place in the annals of journalism in the Territory as being the man responsible for the immortal headline ‘Toothless MP head butts reporter’. Palmer, first removing his watch and teeth, admitted to having ‘snotted’ our man, then working at the Sunday Territorian.

For mine we need more Little Pricks puncturing the speech bubbles, cant and spin of politicians and to provide some much needed levity into political debates that are all too often almost impossibly obscure and removed from our blunted daily realities.

Robyn Lambley on the media: “By placing our own advertisement and paying for it, we can word it the way we like in a very clear fashion so the people of the Northern Territory get it correctly given to them rather than relying on journalists and their interpretation.”

It brings me no joy to record that while Vikki was lying in the hospital fighting for what little life she had left there were people willing to traduce the memory of a woman who at her worst would always be better than them at their pathetic best.

Johns, Price and her supporters and advisers and the editorial team at The Australian need to wake up to the realisation that as much as they may dislike it the politics of racial division have little place in the contemporary Northern Territory.New Chief Minister Terry Mills has made clear that in relation to Aboriginal issues his CLP government will concentrate on the politics of unity – not division.

Robyn Lambley is seen as a safe – and perhaps the only choice – for the CLP deputy. With strong representation outside of Darwin it was only logical that the deputy should come from the bush. Problem is that the CLP member for Braitling, Adam Giles, seen by many as in no small way responsible for the CLP’s recent success in the bush and thus best deserving of the deputy’s job, is a key ally of MLA for the Darwin seat of Fong Lim, Dave Tollner

Paul Henderson’s NT Labor is a shoo-in to win the NT election next Saturday. Not because its policies or political performances are any better than the opposition Country Liberals (they aren’t) or because it has won the battle for the hearts and minds of the NT electorate (what battle?) but because it has sold the party to voters better on screen and in the press. Henderson (“Hendo to you, mate”) set the tone from the start — this election would be a presidential contest between he and the Country Liberals’ Terry Mills.

Bess Price, CLP candidate for the massive seat of Stuart (think Victoria plus Tasmania), kicked off her election campaign with an attack on local Amnesty International workers and a senior Aboriginal activist that smacked more of Pauline Hanson’s politics than the sedate election campaign conduct we are used to in Territory politics. Price went on national TV to join a debate that for most in the NT had long faded into history — intra-racial envy.

Professor Karen Edyvane: “With the inaccurate, misinformed and highly partisan, ‘anti-Marine Park’ views of the Territory’s only daily newspaper, the NT News, Territorians are neither being informed of the basic scientific facts, nor the overwhelming scientific consensus and support for Marine Parks – including ‘no-take’ Marine Sanctuaries. The NT News has instead, engaged in gross misinformation, inflammatory and partisan anti-Marine Park media coverage and editorial commentary.”

Nigel Adlam’s award as NT Journalist of the Year was unsurprising and – in light of the three minor gongs awarded for solid work – deserved. But there were more than a few mutterings that it might have been better for him to leave the field to the many younger, and no less deserving, early career journalists who might appreciate the the nice cheque and trip to Brisbane for the Walkley Awards in a few weeks as much as he will.