The Australia Labor Party is set to endorse Indigenous community leader Marion Scrymgour for the Northern Territory seat of Lingiari.

March 18, 2021

Indigenous community leader Marion Scrymgour is set to be endorsed as the Labor candidate for the fedral Northern Territory seat of Lingiari.

Current sitting member Warren Snowdon announced in December he would not contest the next election, likely to be held in 2022.

“Marion Scrymgour is an inspirational woman and will be an exceptional candidate,” Opposition leader Anthony Albanese said on Thursday.

She is also an experienced and committed community leader and will make a formidable addition to the Labor team, he said.

Ms Scrymgour was preselected with “overwhelming support” from NT Labor’s rank and file, Mr Albanese said.

The 60-year-old was NT Labor’s Deputy Chief Minister from November 2007 until February 2009 and at that time the highest-ranked Indigenous woman in government in Australia’s history.

Ms Scrymgour was also the first Indigenous woman elected to the Territory’s parliament.

She retired from NT politics in 2012 and returned to Wurli Wurlinjang Aboriginal Corporation as chief executive and was later elected chair of the Aboriginal Medical Services Alliance Northern Territory.

In November 2013, Ms Scrymgour was awarded an honorary doctorate in Health Sciences by the University of Sydney, the first Aboriginal recipient of such an honour from the faculty.

In March 2019, she was appointed chief executive of the Northern Land Council, becoming the first woman chief executive of any land council in the NT.

The seat of Lingiari covers 1,348,157 square kilometres or 99 per cent of the NT and the Christmas and Cocos Islands.