Speaker Robyn Lambley has taken CLP backbencher Tanzil Rahman to task in an extraordinary public scolding in Parliament, telling him that threatening defamation action over allegations he bullied two female parliamentary staffers is a direct attempt “to silence people who have every right to speak”, the latest blow in the growing scandal the Chief Minister has tried to ignore.
The unprecedented public dressing-down, in which Ms Lambley told Mr Rahman on Wednesday he could have shown “genuine remorse” and apologised to the staffers but chose to hire lawyers instead – while implying he may be threatening to sue his “colleagues” – is expected to increase pressure on the CLP to properly and publicly address the matter that has continued to fester since its was first revealed last month.
Political insiders said the scandal is becoming more politically untenable by the day, with Mr Rahman likely to lose pre-selection for the seat of Fong Lim by the party, the longer it drags on.
Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro, who has publicly refused to explain the matter, was asked earlier in Question Time on Wednesday what actions she took against Mr Rahman after becoming aware of the bullying allegations, but claimed again it was an “HR matter” that had been resolved by the Speaker, “so there really is nothing further to add”.
But when Labor asked Ms Lambley about her involvement in the matter, she opened fire, directing her comments to Mr Rahman.
Ms Lambley explained that as Speaker she is responsible for the safety of two aggrieved female staffers who came to her with the bullying complaints and moved to ensure their concerns were addressed.
“Serious allegations of workplace bullying have been made against you [Mr Rahman], arising from your conduct as chair of the Legal and Constitutional Affairs Committee, this is all on the public record,” Ms Lambley said.
“Now someone provided that [to media], it wasn’t me, [but] it’s on the public record.
“The staff who raised those concerns behaved throughout with restraint and dignity. They did not seek media attention. They did not come to this place looking for a fight. They came forward because they felt they had no other choice. When those allegations became public, you had a moment – a very human moment – to decide how you would respond.
“You could have acknowledged that your conduct caused distress, you could have expressed genuine remorse. You did not need a formal process or a direction from this chair, me, to do anything [like] that. You simply needed the courage to say, ‘I’m sorry’, and you did not say that.
“You apparently have reached for your lawyers instead. Who exactly are you intending to sue?”
Ms Lambley then asked if Mr Rahman wanted to sue his “colleagues”, the Department of Legislative Assembly, staffers, the media or “indeed me?”
“Let me be direct with you about what that means, threatening defamation: the defamation action against colleagues who have spoken about your parliamentary conduct is not just a personal matter, it is an attempt, whether you intend it that way or not, to silence people who have every right to speak.
“And this chair takes that very seriously, this assembly takes this very seriously. The path available to you is not complicated: withdraw the legal threats, apologise genuinely and directly to the staff who are harmed.
“That is not weakness, that is what leadership looks like. The people have elected you to represent them with integrity. The staff of this Parliament deserve to know this assembly will not look away when they are heard, and this institution deserves better than to have its members answer allegations of harm with threats of litigation.”
She added that it was “not too late to the right thing but time and goodwill are not unlimited”.
Under NT legislation, Ms Lambley as Speaker, acts as the public employment commissioner for staff of the Department of Legislative Assembly. She previously told the NT Independent that means she has no jurisdiction to investigate MLAs, only to ensure parliamentary staff are protected.
“My job was not to investigate the Member for Fong Lim,” she said last month.
On Tuesday, the CLP used its numbers in Parliament to block a Labor motion to refer Mr Rahman to the privileges committee for investigation in relation to the bullying allegations.
Mr Rahman was sent questions by the NT Independent yesterday following Ms Lambley’s remarks in Parliament.
“I’ve nothing to add to my existing statement – for now,” he said.
Questions to Ms Finocchiaro’s office, including when she would properly address the matter, were ignored.
I find the NT Speaker of the NT Parliament comments in NT Parliament on Wednesday this week underwhelming and highly dissappointing and in my view not best practice HR management.
I recall the NT Speaker’s, when not a Speaker, but as the MLA for Araluen silence at the time was deafening in relation to the matter of of the decision of the Northern Territory Work Heakth Court in [2024] NTWHC 2 Maria Rust v Northern Territory of Australia (8 July 2024)
This occurred both before and after an unprecedented 16 day court hearing that found Mr Andrew Kirkman had caused a serious mental health injury to a female staff member. The judge also found his conduct included swearing, table-thumping, and behaviour that was aggressive, dismissive, insensitive and inappropriate.
In the decision of the Northern Territory Work Heakth Court in [2024] NTWHC 2 Maria Rust v Northern Territory of Australia (8 July 2024), Judge John Neill found that the CEO Mr Andrew Kirkman of an NT Public Service Department told employee Ms Maria Rust that her career would be destroyed if she complained about him.
In the Northern Territory Work Health Court decision [2024] NTWHC 2 Maria Rust v Northern Territory of Australia (8 July 2024) Judge John Neill states at paragraph [61] –
“On the basis of Mr. Andrew Kirkman’s volume and tone of voice and interruptions of Mrs Maria Rust in the recording of the meeting, on the basis of the transcript of the recording, of the admissions made by Mr. Andrew Kirkman to the Investigator Ms Raelene Burke set out above, and of the admissions and concessions of Mr. Andrew Kirkman set out above in his evidence before me, I am satisfied and I find that in the course of the recorded part of the meeting on 30 July 2021 Andrew Kirkman, the CEO of the NT Department of Infrastructure, Planning and Logistics, behaved toward the Ms Maria Rust, an A06 clerk in his Department, in an aggressive, threatening, dismissive, insensitive and inappropriate manner.”
In the subsequent decision [2024] NTWHC 2 Maria Rust v Northern Territory of Australia (Costs) (31 July 2024) Judge John Neill also awarded 100 % costs against the Northern Territory Government in this case.
There was extensive media coverage of this matter at the time, yet the NT Labor Government at the time remained silent.
Where was the outrage then by the MLA for Araluen? Where were the demands for answers and accountability back then by MLA for Araluen?
In the modern world, simply giving someone a telling off for a failure to do their job properly is considered bullying.
Hard to say if there is any merit to the bullying claims in this case.
But the decades old truth remains, just don’t interact with women in the workplace… it’s safer that way.
I understand you may have triggered every Karen in Nightcliff, but from anyone thats seen the legal fall outs, the office productivity drops, and the resources spent with IR/Legal advisors, thats perfectly sound advice.
NTG Political play book of networked ALP & CLP retribution. Sounds like Tanzil is being targeted ready for an CLP expulsion because he is actually educated with a PhD, attended Oxford University & is questioning CLP CM Finnochiaro from Calder branch. These Freemasons have a deep dark history. Tanzil is learning NTG politics exists for money & power, citizens are the deplorables. Good luck Tanzil, you’ll need it.
You are a blight on the NT, devote your time to that disaster of an electorate or resign.
At least someone recognises it’s Dr, rather than Mr, Rahman. If he earned the PhD at least recognise it in the article and show the courtesy it sounds like he failed to show the parliamentary staffers.
Tanzil was never supposed to win. The good old boys pulled the pin on him as soon as he got preselected and their pick didn’t.
SO i see a pattern!
All these useless , ineffective MLA’s who are not in Government (Uibo/Justine Davis/former Nightcliff Greens/Peach/whats his face in Daly/whats his face in Arnhemland) can only make noise and pull off Media stunts! Thats it! Thats all they can do!
Alice Springs is burning, whats Mad Harry Alice Springs MLA Robyn Lambley doing?
She cant do anything!
Look at these recent Alice Springs news headlines:
“Four men are on the run after breaking into a home in Alice Springs”
“Cocaine allegedly found in Alice Springs post office, 22yo man charged”
“Naomi Frank, 31, given suspended sentence for breaking sister-in-law’s leg during boozy argument”
“Police fire shots after man allegedly drives car at officers in Alice Springs”
Wheres the Outrage and Vocal Rage from the local MLA Robyn Lambley regarding events in her backyard?
Why the Special Performance from a Allegedly impartial Speaker on a particular MLA?
I See Another Pattern
I attended a function a few weeks back! All the Ministers and MLA’s attended. A political pundit said “They all attend the same functions, most nights. The same people all attend socialise and break their backs to make sure their snouts are photographed in the hope it hits a Newsletter or strike Gold and it gets published in the NT News.
These are not people at each others throat, divided by principles or politics, they are one cohesive group that socialise together very very frequently.
Allegedly Impartial Speaker, Lambley performed a Hatchet Job, never seen before from a Speaker, on a local MLA.
Well done Robyn Lambley, your constituents cannot thank you enough for providing legal advice to a Law Degree holding MLA regarding his rights to defend himself from someones claims!