Loraine Braham - Re-emergence As An Independent

Re-emergence As An Independent

Braham's second term as Speaker was only marginally more eventful than her first. As both an Alice Springs MP and as Speaker, Braham was instrumental in arranging the first ever sitting of the Assembly in Alice Springs in 2003, which was held in the Convention Centre she had agitated for five years earlier - though she attracted some attention by calling for the resignations of MPs Chris Burns and John Elferink after a highly publicised clash in the Assembly during the Alice Springs sittings. She suspended them both in 2005 as well. She also helped arrange a second round of Alice Springs sittings in 2005. While these were generally acclaimed as being successful, she has also attracted some criticism for her actions as Speaker - most notably when she angered disabled groups by overriding previous arrangements and banning a nude art exhibition dealing with disabled people that was due to be held at Parliament House.

Braham's second stint as Speaker meant that although she was now an independent MP, she was still bound by convention to refrain from debate on most political issues and could not vote in the Assembly except in the extremely rare event of a tie. On a small number of occasions, she temporarily stood down as Speaker in order to speak as a regular member or move legislation, as seen in her 2002 Private Member's Bill concerning container deposit legislation and again in March 2005, when she used parliamentary privilege to claim that the head of the Alice Springs hospital had been appointed in breach of regulations (which she was later forced to retract).

Braham ran for another term in parliament at the 2005 election, facing the new endorsed CLP candidate, former councillor and local party figure Michael Jones. Braham had been widely tipped to win another term, but ended up facing a much stronger challenge than most had predicted; the result was not known for several days after the election, and while Braham was eventually declared the winner, she now has a much smaller margin than in 2001. While she had not expressed a preference either way as to whether she wanted to remain Speaker (in contrast to Deputy Speaker Gerry Wood, who had made clear that he wanted to retain the position), it was widely expected that Braham would continue in office after the election if she retained her seat. However, with the government achieving a much larger majority at the election, there was little incentive for them to maintain an independent as Speaker, and the government nominated former minister Jane Aagaard for the position instead.

Braham has two children, one son and one daughter. She was married to husband Graeme for 41 years, but was widowed in October 2003 when he died unexpectedly of a heart attack.

Braham hosts a weekly radio program called "Share Your Story" on 8CCC.