Speeding shadow minister's driving record sparks controversy in NT Labor

A Northern Territory politician's extensive history of driving offenses has surfaced, casting a shadow over the NT Labor party's efforts to rebuild its image. Arafura MLA Manuel Brown was suspended from driving for three months last year due to speeding.

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Hindsight's always a great thing

Upon regaining his license, Brown was reportedly fined again for speeding. Adding to the controversy, the NT Independent reported that Brown's 14-year-old son was allegedly photographed driving his vehicle, a claim the shadow minister has not denied. This pattern of behavior is particularly concerning given that it occurred 17 years after Brown was convicted of driving without due care following a 2009 crash that led to a woman's death in Katherine.

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I do wish now that we had been very up-front.

The revelations come at a difficult time for the NT Labor party, which has been grappling with internal scandals and the fallout from a recent leadership reshuffle. Opposition Leader Selena Uibo admitted she had been aware of Brown's license suspension for months, expressing regret for not disclosing the matter sooner. "Hindsight's always a great thing," she told ABC Radio Darwin, adding, "I do wish now that we had been very up-front."

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That's not the standard I expect from him or my team

Uibo stated she had conveyed her "extreme disappointment" to Brown, emphasizing the seriousness of his driving record, especially in a region with high road fatality rates. "That's not the standard I expect from him or my team," she said. Brown, in a statement, conceded that his speeding represented a "pattern of behaviour that I need to address properly" and committed to undertaking "driver training to ensure it does not happen again." Despite these issues, he has retained his shadow portfolios, including education and training.

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pattern of behaviour that I need to address properly