NT Greens announce Blair McFarland for Lingiari and Jonathan Parry for Solomon
NT Greens have put forward a lawyer and a former NT Australian of the Year in an attempt to unseat the major parties at the federal election.
News
Don't miss out on the headlines from News. Followed categories will be added to My News.
The NT Greens have announced their candidates for Solomon and Lingiari, with hopes of upsetting the major parties’ tight grip on the Territory.
Lawyer Jonathan Parry will contest the Top End seat, while last year’s NT Australian of the Year Blair McFarland will once again run for Lingiari.
Mr McFarland has lived in the Territory for 40 years and is well known for his long career advocating for reforms in justice, health and youth services.
He was named the 2024 NT Australian of the Year for his work in addressing the petrol sniffing crisis across Central Australia.
Mr McFarland was the Greens candidate for Lingiari at the 2022 federal election, and the candidate for Namatjira in the 2024 NT election, winning 11 per cent and 19.5 per cent of first preferences respectively.
“I am again contesting the seat of Lingiari because the two-party system is failing the communities of the Northern Territory,” he said.
“In recent years I’ve watched successive governments sacrifice this beautiful place for the fossil fuel, gambling, and defence industries.
“The Greens will fight to protect the unique environment, culture and heritage of the NT for future generations.”
Mr Parry, a legal aid lawyer, said the major parties were offering “no real solutions to issues that affect everyday people”.
“While Territorians face housing, cost of living, and climate crises, the major parties are just tinkering around the edges,” he said.
“The Greens are offering real action on these issues because we listen to the people, not vested interests.
“In a wealthy country like ours we should be able to meet everyone’s most fundamental needs. The Greens want to make sure that big corporations and billionaires pay their fair share so we can look after everyone.
“The Greens can win in Solomon.”
Since 2004 the Greens have come third behind the two major parties in both of the NT lower house seats, but the gap remains wide – never gaining more than 12.6 per cent of votes in Lingiari, and 14.8 per cent in Solomon.
The NT was the only Australian state or territory where the party had never won a seat until Kat McNamara took Nightcliff in August.
Despite hopes to build on that momentum, the NT remains a difficult jurisdiction for the party, lacking the concentration of urban young professionals that have driven Greens electoral gains in inner Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane.
Mr Parry will also have to contend with independent Phil Scott in Solomon, whose Climate 200 backed campaign has gathered strong grassroots support.
More Coverage
Originally published as NT Greens announce Blair McFarland for Lingiari and Jonathan Parry for Solomon
Territory athlete, school employee accused of having sex with student
A well-known figure in the Northern Territory’s sporting scene has been accused of having sex with a teenage girl he met through his work at a Top End school. Read the latest.
NTFL selects sides brimming with talent for CAFL clash
The NTFL has named two squads brimming with talent ready to take on the CAFL in a match that will reignite the interleague rivalry after 41 years. See who made the squads.