Territory Labor claimed last night that it had expelled Member for Blain Mark Turner from the party, but internal documents obtained by the NT Independent show the party failed to follow proper procedures in the matter and an appeal by Mr Turner was unresolved at the time of the announcement.

In a surprise statement to media and party members late Thursday, party president Anthony Venes said Territory Labor had made the decision not to renew Mr Turner’s membership because he had failed to vote with the party in Parliament and had not paid his hefty “parliamentary levy” to Labor.

“This decision comes following a lengthy process where it became obvious that Mr Turner couldn’t abide by our rules and his renewal of membership will not be accepted,” Mr Venes said.

However, in a cruel twist of irony for the party and Mr Venes, documents show Territory Labor has not followed its own rules in the dismissal of Mr Turner and that the statement provided to media was inaccurate.

Mr Venes said in his statement that Territory Labor had made Mr Turner aware of the party’s decision not to renew his membership on Thursday, however documents obtained by the NT Independent show Mr Venes first made the allegations and notified Mr Turner of the party’s intent to expel him on May 3.

He was then given 14 days to respond, “if you wish to remain in the party”.

Mr Turner had a lawyer respond on his behalf on May 17, denying the allegations against him and seeking more information on the specific allegations that were not backed up with “documentary evidence”.

That letter also sought to have Mr Turner’s previous expulsion from the Labor caucus in Parliament raised with the party’s Internal Appeals Tribunal, which is his right through the party’s constitution.

However, the NT Independent understands no further information was provided to Mr Turner before Mr Venes made the surprise statement to expel him Thursday night, while his appeal was still active and unresolved.

The appeal to the party’s Internal Appeals Tribunal referenced the expulsion from caucus and argued that Mr Turner had been denied procedural fairness in that matter and had not been given the opportunity to respond to the allegations.

Mr Turner said in a statement on Friday that he was still pursuing the appeal process guaranteed to him by the party’s constitution and would be pursuing the matter further with the federal executive.

He added he was in the process of filing a formal complaint about his treatment by the party under the party’s National Code of Conduct and Bullying Policy.

“I will be appealing this decision further as in my view the decision demonstrates a gross departure from the rules and procedure available to all members of the Territory Labor Party, and inconsistent with the principles of natural justice,” he said.

“I have no intention of giving up on the Labor Party unless I find it utterly devoid of moral fortitude. The party has rules and processes for a reason, and it is with some irony I note the reason being provided to the media is my alleged inability to follow these party rules.”

Former chief minister Michael Gunner expelled Mr Turner from the Labor caucus in February 2021 for what he claimed was dishonesty following the so-called Labor cocaine sex scandal, in which it was revealed Mr Turner had a relationship with a local sex worker.

There has never been any suggestion Mr Turner engaged in illegal drug use. He denied being involved in an election night sex romp involving the sex worker and now convicted sex offender and former Gunner adviser Kent Rowe.

Current Chief Minister Natasha Fyles ultimately cleared Mr Turner of misleading Parliament in a report by the privileges committee she chaired. Mr Turner was also cleared of wrongdoing by the ICAC.

Mr Gunner had also sought Mr Turner’s full expulsion from the party at the time, but was humiliated by the party’s youth wing who voted to keep Mr Turner in the party despite the chief minister’s calls for him to be ousted.

Party insiders said Labor needed Mr Turner for votes to maintain Labor’s agenda in Parliament since, but after a string of convincing by-election wins, they no longer needed his vote and the party moved to push him out before the party’s accusations against him could be resolved.

Mr Venes did not respond to questions from the NT Independent about his failure to follow the party’s constitution in the expulsion or why he misled the public in the statement.