SEATS IN FOCUS: Long history of picking independents in Nelson
Independents have dominated in the rural Top End electorate of Nelson for 25 of its 30-year existence and its retiring long-serving MLA hope it remains that way.
Northern Territory
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INDEPENDENTS have dominated in the rural Top End electorate of Nelson for 25 of its 30-year existence and its retiring long-serving MLA hope it remains that way.
There are three candidates in the seat of Nelson so far, though oddly, NT Labor has yet to announce candidate.
Retiring MLA Gerry Wood, who has served the seat of Nelson since 2001, thinks his preferred successor, independent candidate Beverley Ratahi, could pick up some NT Labor voters who have no place to park their vote.
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“I think she has quite a good chance of winning,” he said.
“It may be that she has to rely on preferences.”
Other candidates in the seat include CLP’s Gerard Maley, who also ran in the 2016 election, and Territory Alliance’s Andrew Harley.
Polling done by MediaReach, commissioned by Territory Alliance, had the seat as a too close to call between Territory Alliance and an independent.
Mr Wood was a highly popular MLA among his constituents, who in 2016 awarded him with a 17.5 per cent swing to bring his margin to 23 per cent.
His endorsement of Ms Ratahi could therefore bring a boost to her vote, though this has not worked in the past. Created in 1990, the seat of Nelson’s first MLA was Noel Padgham-Purich.
Ms Padgham-Purich, upon announcing that she would retire, endorsed independent candidate Dave Tollner as her successor. Mr Tollner was defeated at the polls by CLP’s Chris Lugg, though he only lasted one term.
Mr Wood believes the people of Nelson prefer independents as they don’t feel either major party truly understands their needs and preferred way of life.
“As a rural place, the major parties can slowly nibble away and urbanise parts of the rural area,” he said.
“(The people of Nelson) want their MLA to tell the government we want to keep the rural area rural.”
The NT’s 13th Assembly will end its term on July 31 with four independents among its 25 MLAs.
Mr Wood said it was important to have independents in parliament because there are “always more than two opinions on life” and having a group of people that drove Toyotas in a room full of people that drove only Fords or Holdens would improve the quality of debate.
But whomever wins, it’s almost certain the gamba grass will keep growing.
CANDIDATES
NAME: Gerard Maley
PARTY: CLP
WHY PEOPLE SHOULD VOTE FOR YOU:
Rural people need a strong voice in parliament.
Rural people deserve someone who is committed to protecting our lifestyle and securing a future for our children.
Gerry Wood has always been available to rural people and I intend to do the same.
As part of the CLP team I can keep government regulations and rules away from the rural area. Our bores will not be metered, and our reserves will be properly funded. You can have no doubt I am committed to you and our community.
Put your family and lifestyle first and consider supporting me at the August election.
NAME: Beverley Ratahi
PARTY: Independent
WHY PEOPLE SHOULD VOTE FOR YOU:
As an independent I will serve rural people, not the parties. I have lived rural for over 30 years and have a long history of community volunteering and government advocacy which I have used to fight decisions that have been against our rural lifestyle. I have a proven track record of delivering outcomes, with skills in strategic thinking, financial management and nurturing relationships. I research, fact check and consult to ensure informed decision making. I am persistent and consistent. My core values of fairness, accountability and transparency are evident in my behaviours and the culture I create wherever I serve.
NAME: Andrew Harley
PARTY: Territory Alliance
WHY PEOPLE SHOULD VOTE FOR YOU: Having spent 32 years in the NT I count myself as a true Territorian. I have strong business planning skills, having run multimillion-dollar retail stores and currently manage a property loan portfolio of +$200 million. I’m a mango grower and fisherman, and I’m a registered Justice of the Peace and have delivered this service to the rural communities for over 13 years. I’ve been a volunteer firefighter now for over 14 years. I’ve been in the back yards of Nelson properties standing between houses and fire fronts. I now want to put these skills and my passion to serve our community where I feel it is needed the most — as the Member for Nelson.
HISTORY
Nelson was first created in 1990, and was named after Harold Nelson, the first member for the federal NT electorate. It has traditionally been an independent-held seat, first won by independent Noel Padgham-Purich, a former CLP minister, after her seat of Koolpinyah had vanished. After retiring in 1997, Nelson was won by the CLP’s Chris Lugg who served for one term before being defeated at the 2001 election by Litchfield Shire mayor Gerry Wood. Wood was re-elected in 2005 and 2008.
AREA/SUBURBS:
The division lies in the rural area immediately to the east of Darwin and Palmerston. It includes the Darwin rural suburbs of Girraween, Herbert, Holtze, Howard Springs, Koolpinyah, Knuckey Lagoon, McMinns Lagoon, Murrumujuk, and Shoal Bay. The division was unchanged in the latest redistribution.
2016 RESULTS:
Two-party-preferred independent Gerry Wood 73%, CLP Gerard Maley 27%.
PREVIOUS MEMBERS:
Noel Padgham-Purich (independent) 1990–1997;
Chris Lugg (CLP) 1997–2001;
Gerry Wood (independent) 2001 – present.
Originally published as SEATS IN FOCUS: Long history of picking independents in Nelson