Chief Minister says he’s not keeping away from Joel Bowden Johnston by-election campaign

LABOR candidate for Johnston Joel Bowden has posted more photos of dogs to his campaign Facebook than pictures with Chief Minister Michael Gunner

Joel bowden with vote winning puppies

CHIEF Minister Michael Gunner has brushed off suggestions he is purposely keeping clear of the campaign of Labor’s by-election candidate Joel Bowden.

With just days remaining before Johnston voters go to the polls in what is billed as a referendum on his leadership, Mr Gunner spent Wednesday in Alice Springs.

The Chief Minister has been noticeably absent from Mr Bowden’s campaign materials.

Only 13 of the 257 photographs posted to Mr Bowden’s campaign Facebook page feature Mr Gunner.

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Mr Bowden has posted more photographs of dogs – 15 – than he has of the Labor leader.

Television advertisements distance the former Richmond star from the unpopular Labor regime.

In one, Mr Bowden says: “No government is perfect. But I know the difference between a good team and a not so good team”.

Opposition Leader Lia Finocchiaro said it was a clear strategy to keep Mr Gunner from tarnishing Mr Bowden in the minds of voters.

“We haven’t seen him with the Labor candidate at the markets, during early voting, or out doorknocking,” she said.

“Anyone would think that Labor have told him to stay away, and why wouldn’t they?”

But Mr Gunner said there was no strategy to keep him away from Mr Bowden’s campaign. The only time he spent away from the hustings was while recovering from his January heart attack and subsequent surgery, he said.

“It’s been a three-month campaign and I’ve spent a lot of time on the doors in Johnston,” he said.

Meanwhile fledgling conservative force Territory Alliance has reported to the
NT Electoral Commission and the Director of Public Prosecutions evidence of what it claims are breaches of the Electoral Act by Labor.

Party secretary Danial Kelly sent to the DPP’s Jack Karczewski QC screenshots of Territory Labor’s Facebook page which associate leader Terry Mills with the move by the CLP to sell public assets.

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Mr Mills was not part of the CLP government which sold off the Darwin Port and TIO in 2015.

Dr Kelly alleged the posts breached electoral laws which make it an “offence to mislead or deceive a voter or to publish campaign material that contains an untrue of incorrect statement”.

Almost a quarter of Johnston electors have already cast their vote through pre-polling.