Dozens have nominated for CLP pre-selection as election nears

With the NT election months away, the CLP is taking stock after dozens nominated for a limited number of seats. Read who hasn’t nominated.

Dozens of candidates are vying for limited vacancies as the opposition prepares to finalise pre-selections later this month.

With nominations closing last Friday, 41 candidates are seeking Country Liberal Party pre-selection ahead of the party’s central council meeting in Mataranka on Friday, February 23.

Most interest is focused on the Port Darwin and Fong Lim electorates, both of which the CLP would almost certainly need to win if the party was to form government this year.

Eight candidates have nominated for Fong Lim and 12 have put up their hand for Port Darwin.

CLP President Shane Stone. Picture: MATT THOMPSON

The party has already pre-selected candidates for four Top End electorates - Matthew Kerle in Blain, Clinton Howe in Drysdale, Kris Civitarese in Daly and Andrew Mackay in Goyder and has kept nominations open for Araluen and Mulka, which are held by independents Robyn Lambley and Yingiya Guyula.

Other electorates been contested are Gowja, Casuarina, Johnston, Fannie Bay and Nightcliff.

CLP president Shane Stone said the quality of candidates reflected “an overwhelming” desire for change in the Northern Territory.

“What’s really clear to me is people have lost confidence and faith in the Northern Territory Labor government and they see this as the last chance to save the Territory,” Mr Stone said.

“That’s why there are so many applicants, because people across the Northern Territory are crying out for change.”

Mr Stone said while Darwin’s northern suburbs were the focus of candidate interest, all NT electorates were important and potentially winnable.

Ben Hosking has left the Territory. Picture: Monique Van Der Heyden

“There’s a pre-occupation with the northern suburbs but they are no more important than the bush,” he said.

“Everybody is vulnerable and in these small electorates every electorate is winnable and nothing can be taken for granted.”

CLP’s Toby George polled 1625 to Labor’s Paul Kirby’s 1611 primary votes in the 2020 election, with preferences from Territory Alliance’s Gary Strachan helping Labor take the seat 52.1 per cent to 47.9 per cent two-party preferred.

Labor’s Mark Monaghan out-polled the CLP’s Kylie Bonanni 1756 to 1488 on primary votes, but Territory Alliance preferences helped narrow the two-party preferred vote, with Labor winning 52.6 per cent to 47.4 per cent.

The CLP is without two candidates who moved interstate following the 2022 Fannie Bay by-election.

Businessman Ben Hosking, who narrowly won pre-selection but lost the poll, and Emily Fanning, who he narrowly defeated in the pre-selection ballot, have both left the Territory.

Territorians will vote on August 24.

Originally published as Dozens have nominated for CLP pre-selection as election nears