Gosling Faces Second Charge, Stands Aside as Special Envoy
Federal Labor MP Luke Gosling has been charged with breaching his bail conditions, less than a month after being charged with assault over an alleged incident involving Northern Territory Administrator David Connolly. The new charge has reignited political pressure on Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, with Opposition Leader Angus Taylor calling for Gosling to be stood down.
Gosling, who holds the Darwin-based seat of Solomon, was charged on Tuesday with one count of breach of bail and is due to appear in Darwin Local Court on September 30. Police allege he breached his bail conditions on August 14. According to multiple reports, he was released on bail in July after being charged with two counts of assault over an alleged incident at the NT Thailand Grand Festival in Darwin on July 18.
Taylor said Albanese faced an even "stronger test" of his leadership since the charges were first laid. "(Albanese) must act. It's completely unacceptable for a second charge to be placed on Luke Gosling, he should be stood down," Taylor told ABC News Breakfast. He added that while the presumption of innocence is important, Gosling "should be stood down whilst these proceedings continue."
In response, cabinet minister Tim Ayres said nothing had changed and that the Darwin-based MP still had an "important" job to do. "The matter is before the courts ... the legal process is going to have to take its course here," Ayres told ABC radio.
NT Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro said the matter was for Albanese to deal with. "Ultimately, if all of these allegations are true, it clearly doesn't meet the expectation of our community," she told ABC radio. "There's an expectation of behaviour of elected members of parliament, no matter what level you sit at."
Gosling Steps Aside Temporarily
In a statement, Gosling categorically denied all allegations against him and said he would rigorously defend himself in court. He also announced he had decided to temporarily stand aside as Special Envoy for Defence, Veterans' Affairs and Northern Australia until the matters have been heard.
"However, due to the ongoing media attention and the distraction this is causing to the business of government, I have decided to temporarily stand aside as Special Envoy for Defence, Veterans' Affairs and Northern Australia until these matters have been heard," he said.
Gosling's bail conditions, as reported, banned him from coming within 50 metres of NT Government House, required him to give Mr Connolly's office 48 hours' notice before attending any event where both men would be present, and required him to stay 15 metres away from the administrator at all times if they attended the same event.
The Administrator's office refused to comment after police announced the breach of bail charge, saying it was a matter for police. A spokesperson for Gosling said no details had been shared by police regarding the alleged breach.
Gosling's lawyer, Marty Aust SC, has previously criticised police for arresting the politician at his home instead of issuing a summons or notice to appear.
Broader Political Context
National cabinet met in Sydney with an agenda including data centres, artificial intelligence, and gun buybacks. The federal government plans to impose national standards for data centres, which would require developers to bring their own renewable energy, a move opposed by Queensland and the Northern Territory.
Opposition Leader Angus Taylor said the government should not discriminate which energy is used to power data centres, saying "All technologies should be available."