Selena Uibo, the new opposition leader in the Northern Territory, has become the first Indigenous woman to lead a major political party in Australia’s history.
Last month, the Country Liberal Party won the territory election in a landslide victory, winning 17 seats in the Legislative Assembly. Lia Finocchiaro was subsequently named the new Chief Minister of the Northern Territory, replacing the outgoing leader of the Labor party, Eva Lawler.
Labor secured just four seats in the Legislative Assembly in the election. All of its MLAs are Indigenous, including Uibo, who is a Nunggubuyu woman, and the deputy opposition leader, Dheran Young.
Posting on social media, the opposition leader and member for Arnhem said she was thrilled to be leading Labor to hold Lia Finocchiaro’s government to account.
“I love the Territory and the amazing place I have grown up in and now my kids and family are able to enjoy,” Uibo said.
“Today I am honoured and humbled to become the Territory Labor Opposition Leader alongside my colleague the new Deputy Opposition Leader Dheran Young: Member for Daly to serve Territorians for the next four years.
“Thank you everyone for your support and encouragement so far, my team and I are looking forward to ensuring the new CLP Government is held to account.”
The Northern Territory is now the only state and/or territory in Australia that has two women as leader and opposition leader.
Uibo, a former schoolteacher, was first elected to Parliament in 2016 and was elevated to a cabinet position two years into the job. The cabinet portfolios she has held since include Remote Housing and Homelands, Corporate and Digital Development, Health, Local Decision Making, Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, Parks and Rangers, and Public Employment.
Uibo is multilingual and speaks English, Kriol – a language that originated in the Sydney and Newcastle region of NSW – and some of the Wubuy language of Numbulwar in the Northern Territory.
She was appointed as the leader of the opposition in a unanimous caucus vote, alongside her deputy, Dheran Young.
Uibo is replacing the outgoing Chief Minister of the Northern Territory, Eva Lawler, while Young replaces the former deputy and Arrente, Arabana and Gurindji man, Chansey Paech. Paech still holds his seat of Gwoja.
It’s not the only history-making moment to come from the recent Northern Territory election. Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro became the first female Country Liberal Party chief minister in the territory.
With a swing of 12.3 per cent to the CLP on a two-party preferred basis, the ALP gained just 25.9 per cent of the primary vote.
Territory Labor had been in power 19 of the past 23 years in the Northern Territory.