Territory Alliance leader Terry Mills calls for two-month NT election delay

TERRITORY Alliance leader Terry Mills has called for the Territory election to be delayed by two months due to the coronavirus crisis

Territory Alliance leader Terry Mills has called for the Territory election to be delayed by two months due to the coronavirus crisis. Picture: Che Chorley

TERRITORY Alliance leader Terry Mills has called for the Territory election to be delayed by two months due to the coronavirus crisis.

Mr Mills wants the election delayed until October 17, saying an August election will lead to a “compromised democratic process” and “increased health risks”.

But Chief Mr Michael Gunner has rejected the call, saying he is “not a dictator”, and that “Territorians decide their government, not me and not coronavirus”.

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In a letter sent to Mr Gunner, Mr Mills has outlined 10 reasons his party believes the election – due to be held on August 22 – needs to be delayed.

These include:

The inability of the Northern Territory Electoral Commission to be able to enter remote communities to enrol people to vote;

The dangers of sending NTEC staff to remote communities for mobile polling amid fears they could take the coronavirus with them;

The health concerns of NTEC staff, who would have to spend two weeks in isolation before heading out for remote polling;

Concerns of people living on outstations who do not want contact with NTEC staff;

The reduced capacity for scrutineers to oversee the voting process in remote and regional areas;

The reduced capacity for scrutineers to do their jobs in urban areas;

The inability of candidates to properly campaign due to social distancing measures;

The health risks associated with queueing at polling booths;

Concerns about conduction pre-polling at aged care facilities, hospitals and prisons; and

The impracticality of standing up online voting systems before election day.

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Mr Mills said the Government should recall parliament to postpone the poll.

“The democratic right of Territorians to elect their Government must be above politics,” he said.

“A decision to retain the 22 August election date would dramatically disenfranchise voters across the remote areas of the Northern Territory and dramatically curtail the custom and practice of all campaigns – reducing the ability for the members and candidates to articulate their value proposition and be tested on same.”

But Mr Gunner said there were no plans to change the date.

“I’m not a dictator,” he said. “We still live in a democracy. Territorians decide their government, not me and not coronavirus.”

“The Electoral Commission has months to prepare for the election so that it can be done safely and securely.

“In August Territorians can back me in or kick me out, until then I’ll keep doing whatever it takes to save lives and save jobs.”

The NTEC had planned a major campaign to increase enrolment among indigenous Territorians ahead of this year’s election amid data that showed about 25,000 Territorians were missing from the electoral role and about one-third of Aboriginal Territorians were not enrolled.

Electoral Commissioner Iain Loganathan said the NTEC was still planning for an August 22 poll and was working with the Health Department on health protocols.