Mark Turner (politician)

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Mark Turner

MLA
Mark Turner and Linda Farrand.jpg
Turner receiving the National Police Bravery Award, 2019
Member of the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly
for Blain
Assumed office
22 August 2020
Preceded byTerry Mills
Deputy Speaker of the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly
In office
20 October 2020 – 18 February 2021
Preceded byNgaree Ah Kit
Succeeded byJoel Bowden
Personal details
BornLondon
CitizenshipAustralian
NationalityBritish
Political partyLabor Party
OccupationPolice officer
AwardsNational Police Bravery Award 2019

Mark Paul Michael Turner (born August 1983) is an Australian politician and former Northern Territory Police negotiator. He was elected as the Labor member for the electoral division of Blain in the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly at the 2020 Northern Territory election.

Turner was raised in West London, by his mother (a nurse) and father (an officer in the Metropolitan Police). Turner also served in the Metropolitan Police at the Southall, Ealing and Acton Police Stations before transferring to the Territorial Support Group then emigrating to Australia. He joined the Western Australia Police who had been heavily recruiting officers from the United Kingdom and after serving in the Kimberley Region of Western Australia he moved across the border joining the Northern Territory Police.[1] Turner served in the township of Katherine and several locations around Arnhem Land before being transferred to Darwin after an injury on duty for surgery to reconstruct a tendon in his left hand.

In September 2019, police negotiators Turner and Linda Farrand were awarded the National Police Bravery Award by the Police Federation of Australia for preventing a suicide on Darwin Esplanade.[2][3][4]

Later that month, Turner was preselected by the Labor Party to contest the electoral division of Blain at the 2020 Northern Territory general election in August. In November 2019, it was reported that there was an ongoing workers compensation process progressing with the Police, Fire & Emergency Services for worker's compensation of medical costs incurred from the aforementioned tendon ruptured in the line of duty resulting in Turner losing the use of his hand for a number of years whilst undergoing repeated surgery.[5]

At the 2020 election, Turner was elected as the member for Blain, which had previously been held by Territory Alliance leader and former Country Liberal Chief Minister Terry Mills.[6] Turner led the field on the first count, and defeated the CLP candidate collecting about 38% of Mills' preferences despite both Mills and the CLP candidate putting him last on their how to vote cards. He became the first Labor member to hold the seat, which had traditionally been regarded as a CLP stronghold, winning the booths of Bellamack and Rosebery along with the early voting centre and narrowly losing the suburb of Woodroffe.[7]

On 18 February 2021, Turner was expelled from the NT Labor caucus and removed as deputy speaker by chief minister Michael Gunner, following allegations he had engaged in illegal activity during a relationship with a Labor Party staffer. Turner denied any illegal activity but acknowledged an inappropriate relationship.[8][9] Gunner stated that Turner had "lost my trust. He has lost the trust of the caucus. He is no longer a member of Labor's parliamentary team."[10]

References[]

  1. ^ "Mark Turner: Candidate for Blain". Australian Labor Party. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  2. ^ "NT Police officers receive bravery awards". NT Police, Fire & Emergency Services. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  3. ^ "Police Journal October 2019". Police Association of South Australia. Retrieved 3 October 2020.
  4. ^ "Article from 2019 National Police Bravery Awards" (PDF). Police Week National Bravery Awards.
  5. ^ "Hero cop taking NT police to court" (PDF). Centralian Advocate. 8 November 2019. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  6. ^ "NT election goes down to the wire as final four seats are announced". ABC News. 4 September 2020. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  7. ^ "Blain". Northern Territory Electoral Commission. Retrieved 14 February 2021.
  8. ^ "'My family's private hurt is now public': Politician forced to address NT Parliament rumours". ABC News. 17 February 2021. Retrieved 18 February 2021.
  9. ^ Jane Gibson (18 February 2021). "Blain MLA Mark Turner exiled from NT Labor caucus as staffer resigns over scandal". ABC News.
  10. ^ "'He has lost my trust': Gunner kicks MLA out of caucus". The NT News. 18 February 2021. Retrieved 18 February 2021.
Northern Territory Legislative Assembly
Preceded by
Terry Mills 		Member for Blain
2020–present 		Incumbent
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