KATIE WOOLF, HOST: But let's get into our first interview because we know that Luke Gosling, well, smashed his opponents in the seat of Solomon to take the seat for a third term. The Australian Electoral Commission on Sunday tallied that Mr. Gosling had received 59.4% of the two-party preferred vote in a seat which was considered to be a swinging seat. Now, it is the first time that Luke Gosling is going to be in government since becoming that member in 2006. And Luke joins me on the show right now. Good morning to you, Luke.

LUKE GOSLING, MEMBER FOR SOLOMON: Morning, Katie.

WOOLF: Congratulations. How are you? How are you feeling?

GOSLING: Oh, a bit fatigued. Nah, it’s all good. Yeah, really happy. I was just watching some of the footage of Albo, Richard Marles, Penny Wong, Jim Chalmers and Kate Gallagher being sworn in by the Governor-General, which is awesome because they can get off to the Quad meeting, which is a meeting of the leaders of the US, India, Japan and us, which is really important meeting. So happy days.

WOOLF: Luke, what do you reckon the Saturday night win means for the people of the Northern Territory and indeed the people of Solomon?

GOSLING: Well, it's a great opportunity. I have been working for two terms in opposition to try and keep the government of the day to account for their promises. I haven't always been successful in doing that, but I've really been just embedded in the community in a way where I have a good understanding about what we need to make the Territory an even better place to live, and Darwin and Palmerston to be respected around the country as the capital of the north. We've been successful in getting support from Federal Labor for some great commitments, so now it's delivery time. The good thing for the people of Darwin and Palmerston – and Marion's looking good for Lingiari – is it will be able to work with the new Chief Minister, Natasha Fyles, and Federal Labor with Territory Labor working together and delivering.

WOOLF: Now have you spoken to Albo since Saturday night and how are things looking in terms of you potentially getting a portfolio?

GOSLING: Albo’s spoken positively about that in the past. We haven't had a proper conversation since then, he’s had a bit on, but we've traded some text messages and these things are worked out through kind of a party process, a bit of argy bargy. And so people will no doubt see on the front page of the NT News this morning, I'm just making it pretty clear that I've got a broad based life experience in which I could contribute to a number of ministries. So I've very definitely put my hand up.

WOOLF: What portfolio would you like to try and get, Luke?

GOSLING: I am very passionate about the economic and social development of the Northern Territory. Darwin and Palmerston, obviously the seat that I'm so honoured to represent,  but more broadly across the north I think there's a lot we can do. So that ministry for Northern Australia, I think that will enable me to deliver for Territorians and I think it's about time that we had someone from the North in in that role. Having said that Murray Watt is the current Minister and has done a good job and has been up here quite often. But obviously with the defence experience that I have, being a veteran, working in our Indo-Pacific region before politics as I have, and the languages I can speak, I've also said to Penny Wong I'd be happy to work with her in the Indo-Pacific.

WOOLF: Now what posturing do you need to do to try and get one of those jobs? Because I think it would be incredible for the Northern Territory to have the Minister for Northern Australia here in the Northern Territory. We know that we've got so many opportunities. We have, you know, when you talk about our strategic location, there is so much going for us. What needs to happen here for you to pick up a role like that?

GOSLING: Well, I think across industry – and I know that the Chief Minister is supportive and her support will also be important because obviously it involves a lot of contact with the three jurisdictions, WA, the NT, and northern Queensland. My pitch is that we're central but we also can get into the region. So when it comes to, you know, growing the live cattle trade for example, being able to speak Indonesian is helpful. But we can get over to Bali, over to Jakarta, over to where we're working there and build on that. But I've worked in Indigenous health at the same time, so I can work across into the Kimberley and into the Cape as well. So we're pretty well placed here to do the job. Party processes will now work out who's where. But I don't think we should undersell ourselves. We are the capital of the north at the fulcrum of the Indo-Pacific at the time where there's more growth in our region of the world than there ever has been in human history. We are perfectly situated. And so with my background and experience and passion for developing our country, securing our country, defending our country, I wait to see. We'll go down to Canberra early next week. I'll wait to see how the wise ones work it out.

WOOLF: Well, Luke, I reckon it'd be a good thing. It would be a wonderful thing for us in the Northern Territory to have our member for Solomon actually as a minister inside that cabinet room and able to fight for the Territory and fight for northern Australia. We know in some of these seats across the board, across Australia, there has been a swing in some of those areas, some Liberal strongholds particularly, but also against the major parties more generally. But people voting for climate change and that Federal Integrity Commission in those teal seats. Now what does that push towards climate change mean for the Northern Territory when we're largely seen as a gas powerhouse?

GOSLING: Yeah, I think there's many ramifications from the weekend's result that people are still trying to come to terms with. We still haven't got a majority officially from the AEC. We've got at least 72 seats, a full majority is 76. We're confident we can get to 77. But there's for the first time more independents than there's ever been. But I don't shy away from those conversations because it's clear to anyone that we've got more land and more sun than anywhere else in the country. And we're going to have the world's largest solar farm here. It's not as if we're going to be dropping the ball or not playing our part in renewables. When it comes to gas, it's got to stack up economically, has got to stack up environmentally. Water’s precious. So—

WOOLF: And do you reckon it can? Do you think that we can be this manufacturing hub and really be tapping into that gas in the way that the Coalition thought that we could and would?

GOSLING: Well, I'm really looking forward to the briefs from the departments, both from the government side and from the federal departments, to see where they're at with the planning, how the business plans will stack up. And we're obviously committed, as the Coalition did, to the $1.5 billion. The thing that I'm concerned about, though, I guess, is that the multi-user aspect doesn't seem sound to me. When I say that, Defence hasn't been consulted enough and they don't see where their role is. And if this is a secondary port, we still haven't been briefed on the security review of the Darwin Port. That's something that will happen in Government, but it's really unclear. Barnaby Joyce didn't make it clear. I think he was on your program a couple of times. Defence's view about such massive investment needs to be taken into account. And obviously Richard Marles as Defence Minister and Deputy Leader, will have those briefings now and then we'll move forward.

WOOLF: So Luke, what do you say? I mean, is there potential here that the port lease could be handed back?

GOSLING: Well, we just don't know what the security review is. We just haven't been briefed. You've really got to wonder why Scott Morrison and his team, who obviously played a part in in the port disappearing from Australian hands in the first place, would hide that security review, keep it from the people before a vote. It's puzzling. But, you know, we are where we are. We need to be to be briefed by the security agencies, not just Defence, but the other security agencies, and then we'll be in a better position to take appropriate action.

WOOLF: Well, Luke Gosling, we are going to have to leave it there because the Chief Minister has just announced this cabinet reshuffle. So we're going to go across to her. Mate, thanks so much for your time this morning. Big congratulations to you. And I think it would be a wonderful thing if we had the Minister for Northern Australia based right here in the Northern Territory.

GOSLING: Good on you, mate, fingers crossed for Marion and well done Malarndirri as well.

WOOLF: Thanks for your time this morning.

GOSLING: And Jacinta, in a bipartisan way.

WOOLF: Absolutely, yeah. No, I think it's a good thing to make sure Territorians get it right and no matter how they vote, you've always got to respect the way that the electorate votes. And yeah, I think it's going to be a good thing for us.

GOSLING: Good on you, mate.

WOOLF: Thank you.

ENDS