Kat McNamara Kicks off As Our First Territory MP

By Team Nightcliff

The NT Greens’ fantastic election campaign delivered our first MP to the Territory parliament, and Kat McNamara has hit the ground running as the MLA for Nightcliff. 

The office is open and humming in Nightcliff on beautiful Larrakia Country, and Kat was sworn in to Parliament on 15 October. On the same day, Kat delivered their first speech which laid out a passionate and committed vision for First Nations justice, climate action, integrity in politics, justice reform, and building strong grassroots movements.

“I am beyond humbled to be sworn in as the representative for the Nightcliff community. It is a 
wonderful, vibrant community. The Nightcliff electorate itself follows the coastline from the mangroves 
at Kulaluk in Coconut Grove to the mouth of Gurumbai, Rapid Creek. Famous for sunset picnics, 
walks along the jetty, food trucks galore and swimming, for those brave enough, it's definitely the best 
foreshore in Darwin, sorry Fannie Bay. Nightcliff has been known as the progressive heartland of the 
Top End, and yes, whilst it has always had a large contingent of progressive, environmentally 
conscious residents, it's also so much more than that. 

I am indebted to the activism that is ongoing in the Top End community for my place in this parliament - and there’s more than what I’ve had time to describe here.  I will strive to represent these  movements of people – people who are motivated not by self-interest, or financial gain, or  professional obligation, but people who are active in their corner of their world because they care  about it and have a desire to see justice.

To the people of Nightcliff, thank you, for every conversation you had with me on your doorsteps, there will be many more to come. I am eternally grateful and humbled that you have chosen me to represent you. I will carry your voices with me here every day. I work for you and you alone. I look forward to the next 4 years and what we can achieve together. Thank you.” - Kat McNamara, First Speech. 

Along with the high of Kat’s first speech, the first sitting week of the new NT parliament brought some devastating lows with the new CLP government pushing through punitive bail laws, mandatory minimum sentencing and lowering the age of criminal responsibility to 10. Kat spoke strongly in parliament against “this unholy trifecta of legislation”, which will criminalise and damage children and fuel the devastating incarceration of Aboriginal kids even further. 

A strong Greens voice is needed more than ever in the NT Parliament and Kat McNamara is showing Territorians how politics can put people first. Follow Kat’s work on social media: Facebook and Instagram.