Federal MP accused of assault is charged with breaching bail after allegedly going to the cricket
Federal Labor MP Luke Gosling has been charged with breaching his bail conditions after allegedly attending a Test cricket match in Darwin, adding to legal troubles stemming from an earlier assault accusation. He was originally arrested on 30 July over an alleged assault on Northern Territory administrator David Connolly at a Thai cultural festival on 18 July, which he denies and intends to contest in court. The new charge has intensified political pressure on Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, with the Coalition demanding Gosling be stood down from his role as special envoy while the matter proceeds.
Police allege Gosling breached his bail conditions on 14 August while watching day two of the First Test between Australia and Bangladesh, and he was charged on Tuesday, with a court appearance set for Darwin Local Court on 30 September. His bail terms bar him from coming within 50 metres of Government House and require 48 hours' notice to Connolly's office before attending any event both men might attend, plus a 15-metre distance if they are present together. Opposition figures including Angus Taylor, along with Nationals and Liberal senators, have called for Gosling's removal from his envoy post, though he remains in the role for now.
- Labor MP Luke Gosling charged with breaching bail conditions.
- Alleged breach occurred while he attended a Test cricket match.
- Opposition urges PM to stand him down from envoy role.
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Luke Gosling is a federal Labor MP for the Darwin-based seat of Solomon and serves as a special envoy in the Albanese government. Last month he was arrested and charged over an alleged assault on David Connolly, the administrator of the Northern Territory, following an incident at a Thai cultural festival. Gosling denies the assault allegation and says he will fight the charge in court.
As part of his release on bail, Gosling was given conditions restricting where he can go and requiring him to keep his distance from Connolly, including staying away from certain venues and giving advance notice if he might be at the same event as Connolly. He has now been charged with a separate offence of breaching those bail conditions, which is a distinct legal matter from the original assault allegation.
The case has become politically sensitive because Gosling is a member of the governing Labor party and holds an official envoy position appointed by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese. Opposition politicians have seized on the new charge to call for him to be removed from that role while the legal process continues, putting pressure on Albanese over how to respond.