The current treasurer of the Northern Territory, Eva Lawler, will be the territory’s new chief minister.
Lawler will replace the outgoing chief minister, Natasha Fyles, who resigned after it was uncovered she owned undisclosed shares in a mining company with interests in the territory.
A statement from Lawler’s office late Wednesday confirmed her appointment. The current attorney general, Chanston Paech, will be deputy chief minister.
“This afternoon the Territory Labor caucus met, unanimously deciding that the member for Drysdale, Eva Lawler, will be chief minister of the Northern Territory and the member for Gwoja, Chanston Paech, will be deputy chief minister,” the statement read.
“Today, we also announcing that current deputy chief minister Nicole Manison has decided to move to the backbench. We thank Nicole for her hard work over the last seven years in Cabinet, and the work that she has put into growing the Territory’s jobs and economy. Nicole will continue to serve her constituents as the member for Wanguri.”
The new leadership team will be sworn in on Thursday.
Fyles said in a press conference on Tuesday afternoon she would step down as chief minister after failing to declare a small number of shares in South32, the company at the helm of a controversial mine in the remote community of Groote Eylandt.
Earlier this year, she said the government would not investigate air pollution levels or health impacts after community members raised concerns over potential manganese dust leaks.
Fyles’ resignation follows an earlier scandal relating to undisclosed shareholdings in the gas company Woodside. Fyles divested those shares last month after they came under scrutiny. Fyles had also been under pressure over her employment of a political consultant who co-owned a lobbying firm that listed gas company Tamboran as one of its clients.
