Francis Xavier Kurrupuwu

Francis Xavier Kurrupuwu
Councillor of the Tiwi Islands Region
for Bathurst Island
Incumbent
Assumed office
28 August 2021
Member of the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly
for Arafura
In office
25 August 2012 – 27 August 2016
Preceded byMarion Scrymgour
Succeeded byLawrence Costa
Personal details
Born
Maralampuwi Kurrupuwu

(1961-06-10) 10 June 1961 (age 63)
Nguiu, Tiwi Islands, Northern Territory, Australia
Political partyCountry Liberal (2012–2014; 2014-present)
Other political
affiliations		Independent (2014)
Palmer United (2014)
SpouseAncilla Kurrupuwu
OccupationTeacher

Francis Xavier Kurrupuwu (born 10 June 1961), also known as Maralampuwi Kurrupuwu (Aboriginal pronunciation: [maralambuwi ɡurubuwu]), is an Australian politician. He was a member of the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly from 2012 to 2016. He was originally elected for the Country Liberal Party (CLP), but quit the party in April 2014 to sit as an independent. He briefly joined the Palmer United Party (PUP) before returning to the CLP in September 2014.[1]

Northern Territory Legislative Assembly
Years Term Electoral division Party
2012–2014 12th Arafura Country Liberal
2014 Changed allegiance to: Independent
2014 Changed allegiance to: Palmer United
2014–2016 Changed allegiance to: Country Liberal

Kurrupuwu was born in Nguiu on Bathurst Island, the smaller of the two main Tiwi Islands. He was named Francis Xavier by Sister Anne Gardiner, after Bishop Francis Xavier Gsell, who had established a Catholic mission on the island in 1911.[2] A staunch Catholic, he has worked with the Church for over thirty years, and is also manager of the Australian Red Cross on the islands. He has also held many local government roles, including President and Deputy Chair of the Nguiu Community Council, a member on the ATSIC regional council, Deputy Chair of the Tiwi Land Council and a councillor in the Tiwi Islands Shire.[3]

Kurrupuwu once stood for Labor preselection, but switched sides to the Country Liberals after losing faith in progressive politics,[4] in particular what he called Labor's "condescending" policies towards Aboriginal people.[5] At the 2012 general election, he defeated former AFL footballer Dean Rioli who was the Labor candidate for Arafura—both men are related to former member and footballer Maurice Rioli.[6]

In April 2014, Kurrupuwu was one of three indigenous MPs, alongside Alison Anderson and Larisa Lee, who resigned from the Country Liberal Party and sat as independents.[7] The three MPs joined Palmer United later that month, with Anderson becoming the party's parliamentary leader.[8][9] In September 2014, Kurrupuwu resigned from PUP and re-joined the Country Liberal Party.[10]

  1. ^ "NT politician Francis Xavier Kurrupuwu leaves PUP, returns to CLP". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 8 September 2014. Retrieved 8 September 2014.
  2. ^ CLP Taskforce Report Issue 20, Country Liberal Party, March 2012.
  3. ^ Green, Antony: Arafura (Key Seat), NT Votes 2012 (ABC), 2012.
  4. ^ Aikman, Amos (27 August 2012). "Northern Territory cry over loss of faith in progressives". The Australian. Retrieved 8 September 2012.
  5. ^ Aikman, Amos (6 August 2012). "Indigenous leaders desert Labor for CLP". The Australian. Retrieved 8 September 2012.
  6. ^ Byrne, Conor (8 April 2012). "Labor recruits footy player for Arafura". Northern Territory News. Retrieved 8 September 2012.
  7. ^ La Canna, Xavier (15 April 2014). "Giles questions MP's skills". ABC News. Retrieved 15 April 2014.
  8. ^ AAP (27 April 2014). "Clive Palmer says rebel NT indigenous MPs to defect to PUP" – The Australian. Retrieved 27 April 2014.
  9. ^ Matthew Knott and Gareth Hutchens (27 April 2014). "Clive Palmer aims for NT balance of power" – The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 27 April 2014.
  10. ^ Aiken, Amos (9 September 2014). "Rebel indigenous MP Francis Xavier Kurrupuwu quits PUP". The Australian. news.com.au. Retrieved 17 September 2014.