Michael Gunner

Mr Gunner made the announcement in parliament, immediately after handing down today's budget.

He became Labor leader in 2015 and was elected chief minister the following year. "My head and my heart are no longer here, they are at home," Gunner said. He said his heart is no longer in the job and that he made the decision after the birth of hissecond child last week.

Labor leader says he grappled with decision for weeks but birth of his second child 'sealed the deal'

And a government that is in safe hands.” “And I like to think my own story shows that. A budget that is heading back to surplus.

Northern Territory Chief Minister Michael Gunner has announced his resignation, citing the birth of his second child, the pressure of a pandemic and a heart ...

He blamed the pandemic, but said the budget charted a “clear, credible, achievable” path to surplus that the next chief minister would deliver. Gunner is the fourth leader to quit or be dumped, in less than a year. “I don’t need a second near-death experience to know that life is unpredictable and can be cut short ... And when I held Nash for the first time, that was it. “I was born here, I’ve worked to start a family here, I will die happy here,” Gunner said. Gunner will continue as the Member for Fannie Bay and move to the backbench when he returns from paternity leave. “Add to that a heart attack and a couple of kids, [it] has caused me to reflect a lot over the past few weeks ... I’ve always given 100 per cent to this job, anything less is shortchanging the people who sent me here.

Northern Territory Chief Minister Michael Gunner has announced his decision to resign, almost immediately after he delivered the territory's budget.

But for me and my family, this feels like the right time," Mr Gunner wrote in a social media post on Tuesday. And a government that is in safe hands," he said. A budget that is heading back to surplus. But for me and my family, this feels like the right time," Mr Gunner wrote in a social media post on Tuesday. And a government that is in safe hands," he said. A budget that is heading back to surplus.

BREAKING: Chief Minister Michael Gunner has announced his shock resignation while delivering this morning's budget in Parliament.

They are solid, an economy that is strong and getting stronger.” “Born here, grew up here, working and raising a family here and I’ll die happy here,” he said. “The Territory is entering a new era of growth of opportunity and a new era of leadership,” he said.

Mr Gunner announced his decision to resign almost immediately after he delivered the territory's budget.

"And I like to think my own story shows that. You are a legend," she said. "When I held Nash for the first time, that was it, game over. They are at home," he said. "And I like to think my own story shows that. You are a legend," she said. "When I held Nash for the first time, that was it, game over. They are at home," he said. Mr Gunner said he loved the territory because it was a place of potential and possibility. Mr Gunner said he was still young for a politician but old to be the father of a newborn and a toddler daughter. Mr Gunner said he loved the territory because it was a place of potential and possibility. Mr Gunner said he was still young for a politician but old to be the father of a newborn and a toddler daughter.

NT Chief Minister Michael Gunner has paid tribute to his wife and his mother in a teary farewell...

This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: We appreciate your support of journalism in our great area. When asked if she thinks she will become the next Chief Minister, Ms Manison said that would be determined by the caucus. I knew straight away that I was done." If I can't do that then I shouldn't be in the chair," he said. "When I held Nash for the first time, that was it.

How might Gunner's resignation affect the federal seat of Lingiari?

We have had lots of rhetoric from the Gunner government about Indigenous housing and conditions, but not a lot of action. He’s been the subject of vituperative attacks in the media, but I believe him when he says he wants to spend more time with his family. A lot of politicians say that, but in his case the idea has more credibility than usual. He took over that role after Nicole Manison, who is currently deputy chief minister and will probably be the next leader. Labor’s opponent is the Country Liberal Party (known as the CLP), which has been running hard on crime in its federal election campaign. But he wants to be remembered for a budget that suggests economic and fiscal recovery is underway.

September 2013: Mr Gunner challenges then-Labor leader Delia Lawrie for the party's top spot, but is unsuccessful. April 2015: Elected leader of the NT Labor ...

In response Mr Gunner said he respected the decision and that the government had positioned the NT as "a leading jurisdiction when it comes to alcohol reforms in Australia". August 2021: His government launches the Aboriginal Justice Agreement, a document designed to reduce high Indigenous incarceration rates in the Northern Territory. The agreement was finalised after more than three years of consultation led by NT Australian of the Year Leanne Liddle. September 2019: Proposed plans for a Dan Murphy's store in Darwin are rejected by NT Liquor Commission. In response, Mr Gunner says he still wants to build one, describing the decision as a "kick in the guts for responsible drinkers who want more choice in the Darwin market". September 2016: Mr Gunner vows to keep his pre-election promise of removing the Northern Territory's open speed zones. August 2016: Leads Territory Labor to a landslide and historic victory at the 2016 Northern Territory election, with Labor winning 18 of the NT's 25 seats in Parliament. Mr Gunner, the first person born in the Northern Territory to be elected into the role, said he could no longer dedicate his full focus to the job after the birth of his second son earlier this year.

In recent weeks, a rumour spread among political observers in the Northern Territory that Michael Gunner would call time on his role.

But closer to home, the Chief Minister has been a polarising figure, both internally within the Labor caucus and externally in different sections of the community. On a national scale, Mr Gunner has come across as a larrikin leader from the north, who at the height of the pandemic had a tendency to drop the odd swear word during live press conferences. At the age of 46, and just five and a half years after his party's landslide victory over the chaos-riddled former CLP government, Mr Gunner is relinquishing the most powerful role in the territory.