Territory Labor has refused to sack the president of its youth wing after video emerged of him snorting a white substance with a $50 note two months after he helped the party’s politicians campaign at the 2020 election, raising more questions about what the Opposition called a “toxic culture” in the Labor Party.

The incident has once again raised the issue of a drug culture in the NT Labor Party, just a year after Chief Minister Michael Gunner said he was aware of allegations of illegal cocaine use among ministerial staffers during the fallout from the cocaine sex scandal but took no action.

Labor staffer and Young Labor president Harvie Stiller resigned from his job in Federal Member for Solomon Luke Gosling’s office on Monday, shortly after the NT Independent sent questions about the video that was filmed in October 2020 and shared publicly on Snapchat last October.

While his resignation has been accepted by Mr Gosling, the Territory Labor Party has refused to stand Mr Stiller down from the most senior role on the youth wing’s executive management team.

Party president Erina Early has refused to respond to repeated questions, including where the substance that was being snorted was purchased and if the party has a widespread drug problem.

Independent MLA Robyn Lambley took a massive swipe at Territory Labor on Facebook after the latest scandal broke Tuesday morning, implying the party was run by drug users and perverts.

“Labor and cocaine appear to be synonymous in the NT,” she wrote.

“Throw in a sex scandal and an alleged paedophile (Kent Rowe, former NT ALP president and Gunner advisor/bestie currently standing trial for ‘historical sex offences’) and you have what appears to be far greater dysfunction than the current heated spat with the CLP.”

“I wonder if Gunner will be addressing these cultural and systemic problems in his party today in Parliament. Pigs might fly!!”

The Opposition CLP said Labor leader Mr Gunner had allowed a “toxic culture” to consume the party by not taking any action about drug allegations for years.

“It appears that toxic culture the Chief Minister has allowed to fester within his own party has leeched from the fifth floor of Parliament, into the office of Labor’s Federal Member for Solomon, and to the top of the executive management team of NT Young Labor,” said CLP Leader Lia Finocchiaro.

“NT Young Labor is the same group that pleaded with the Chief Minister not to boot the disgraced Member for Blain for his involvement in the Labor ‘Cocaine Sex’ Scandal. They backed his bad behaviour, while the NT Labor Party refused to cancel the Member for Blain’s membership.

“How much does Michael Gunner, or Federal Member Luke Gosling know about this Young Labor Member’s possible illegal activities?

“Will he be thrown out of the party?”

Ms Finocchiaro added that Mr Gunner continually rewarded bad behaviour in the party.

“Territorians deserve a leader who won’t turn a blind eye or cover-up behaviour that fundamentally breaches community standards – and condemns, in the strongest terms, illicit drug use by members of his party,” she said.

“That’s not what Territorians are getting from this scandal-plagued government.”

Gunner says video filmed 18 months ago, so not important now

Mr Gunner said in Parliament that since the video of the alleged drug use was filmed 18 months ago – it was actually 16 months ago – that it was not an issue.

“I don’t condone illegal behaviour of any kind, but let’s be clear, I understand this happened 18 months ago at an 18 birthday party and by someone who is not employed by the Territory government in any respect,” he said.

“While the Opposition is consumed about something that happened 18 months ago, we are more concerned about what is happening today in the Territory, we are more concerned about COVID.”

Last February, Mr Gunner said he had been made aware of allegations about drug use of Labor staffers but then confusingly said he had “no knowledge” or “information” to investigate the claims.

Mr Stiller was pictured in numerous Territory Labor social media photos since 2019, including campaigning with Mr Gunner, Health Minister Natasha Fyles, Small Business Minister Paul Kirby and other Labor politicians.