The Fyles Government has shot down a motion to ban the consumption of alcohol in Parliament House, citing its own “high standards” and the Deputy Chief Minister’s assurances of “responsible behaviour” by fifth floor staffers.

The motion was introduced by independent Member for Araluen Robyn Lambley, who had called on the government to support the “symbolic” grog ban in Parliament House in solidarity with Territorians affected by the newly reinstated alcohol bans across the NT’s remote communities and town camps.

“There are so many alcohol restrictions imposed on our fellow Territorians, and in fact last night, the legislation that was passed means that once again, we have alcohol prohibition across more than 90 per cent of the geographical area of the Northern Territory,” Ms Lambley said.

“So this is a profound issue for us, but a very small ask that we put this alcohol restriction on us, that we say that we are no more important than our friends and family living in the Northern Territory, our colleagues, our neighbours, we are exactly the same.

“If we impose alcohol restrictions on them, then surely it is reasonable to put alcohol restrictions on ourselves.

“This is about a symbolic gesture saying to Territorians we are with you.”

But the motion, that would have provided exemptions for special events at Parliament House, was quickly defeated by Labor, with Deputy Chief Minister Nicole Manison calling alcohol a “complex issue” and suggesting that “everyone” in Parliament House “works hard” and does “their best for Territorians”.

“This is a place like most workplaces in Australia, that does have very high standards when it comes to behavior,” she said.

“This isn’t a place where people can just knock off and have a beer in the middle of the day, where people can have a few drinks and walk into this chamber, [is] absolutely not acceptable behaviour whatsoever, certainly from this side of government. And I will say that I have not seen that sort of behaviour from the Opposition either. I have not seen that type of behaviour in this term of government.

“So, I will say that Territorians can be very assured about the conduct of what they see in this building.

“I think what I would say is that we can give Territorians assurances that we do see responsible behaviour in this place and people do take their roles very, very seriously.”

Former chief minister Michael Gunner hired a toxic workplace specialist in 2019 to investigate ministerial offices while he was aware of widespread allegations of illicit drug use amongst staffers. That was only made public after Labor’s so-called cocaine sex scandal and allegations of a drug and alcohol-fuelled sex romp on election night 2020.

Last February, a federal Labor staffer and president of NT Labor’s youth wing resigned his position in Luke Gosling’s office after video emerged of him snorting a white substance.

In February 2021, Mr Gunner came under fire after rejecting calls to drug test politicians and their staffers while calling for police officers to submit to regular testing. Labor rejected a motion brought by the CLP to drug test politicians and staff that month.