Former CLP vice president Jed Hansen launches bid for Senate with the Liberal Democrats

Another prominent former CLP figure has defected to the Liberal Democrats in a bid to secure Senate spot at the upcoming federal election.

FORMER Country Liberal Party Vice President Jed Hansen has become the third party figure to announce they will contest the federal election with the Liberal Democrats in the Northern Territory.

Mr Hansen, who had volunteered with the his former party for 17 years, this week announced he had defected to the Liberal Democrats and would run in second place on the minor party’s senate ticket.

It follows Mr Hansen’s bombshell resignation from the Country Liberals in March, one week after their president, Jamie De Brenni, resigned from his role.

Mr Hansen at first said he would run as an independent candidate for the Darwin and Palmerston seat of Solomon, but has now joined Senator Sam McMahon and Kylie Bonanni at the Liberal Democratic Party.

Mr Hansen said he hoped the Liberal Democrats will become the Territory’s conservative voice in parliament.

Jed Hansen will run for the Senate with the Liberal Democrats in the Northern Territory. Picture: Supplied

“What the Liberal Democrats stand for is essentially getting government out of people’s lives,” he said.

“It’s not government’s responsibility to tell people how to live their life, it’s not government’s responsibility to dictate or mandate things that people should be following.

“Standing by the creed of the Liberal Democrats is allowing people to have freedom to live their life.”

Mr Hansen said he will look into registering the Liberal Democrats in the Territory following the federal election.

The Senate candidate said he wanted to improve the lives of Territorians but was unable able to do that with his former party.

“Unfortunately, I felt like towards the end the CLP had lost its way and that’s why so many people have left and I don’t think the CLP has got the best interest of Territorians at heart,” he said.

“The LDP has been around for 20 years and has held on to their values, which is good to see.”

On Wednesday, former Queensland premier and LDP senate candidate Campbell Newman joined Senator McMahon and Mr Hansen in announcing the party’s second Senate pick for the Territory.

Addressing the media, Mr Newman said the CLP’s support for the NT government’s vaccine mandate showed the CLP had “sold out”.

“They haven’t stood against the vaccine mandates,” Mr Newman said.

“They haven’t pointed out the illogical and stupid inconsistencies that have been inflicted on people in the Territory.”

Investigation into CLP suspended

A REVIEW into whether the Northern Territory Country Liberal Party can remain a registered federal party has been suspended ahead of the upcoming election.

In January, the Australian Electoral Commission launched a review into the CLP, triggered by the resignation of Senator Sam McMahon from the party.

The review is a legal requirement due to a law that requires a party to either have a sitting federal politician or at least 1500 paid-up members in order to remain registered federally.

The AEC confirmed its investigation had been paused, meaning CLP candidates would be able to run under their party banner when Territorians cast their votes next month.

“The register of political parties has now frozen, as is the legislative requirement when writs are issued for a federal election,” an AEC spokesman said.

CLP candidates will be able to run under their party banner when Territorians cast their votes in May, 2022.

“CLP remains registered for the federal election and can run candidates just like any other registered party.

“After the writs are returned for a federal election we pick up any process that was paused.”

Senator McMahon is one of several high-profile resignations from the party in recent months.

Last week Senator McMahon announced she would stand as a Liberal Democrats candidate at the upcoming federal election

Political economist Rolf Gerritsen said even if the CLP wins a senator at the election, longstanding problems within the party would remain.

“Organisationally, the CLP have a problem in transitioning to a new generation and attracting younger members,” he said.

“The CLP have a disadvantage because they can’t draw on the unions in the same way Labor does.”

“And because the Territory government subsidises virtually every civil organisation, you can’t expect the CLP to draw on civil organisations in that way, unless of course they’re in government.”

Prof Gerritsen said the CLP’s problems appeared to be “personality problems” and “confined mostly to Darwin”.

CLP candidate for Solomon living outside electorate

DESPITE promoting herself as “a true local” in advertising material, the Country Liberal Party candidate for Solomon, Tina MacFarlane, does not – and has never – lived in the electoral division, the NT News understands.

Ms MacFarlane, who unsuccessfully ran for the seat of Lingiari in 2013 and 2016, lives in the rural suburb of Virginia, according to Australian Electoral Commission records.

A spokesman for Ms MacFarlane said the location of her residence would not impact on her ability to represent the people of Solomon, which covers the Darwin and Palmerston metropolitan area.

“Tina MacFarlane has lived in the Territory for more than 35 years and will be a strong voice fighting for a stronger future for people living in Darwin and Palmerston,” the spokesman said.

“Tina has had a strong and positive response on the ground and is determined to give the people of Darwin and Palmerston a stronger voice in Canberra.”

Poster for CLP’s Solomon candidate Tina MacFarlane outside her Darwin office. Picture: Supplied.

There is no requirement in Australian parliament for members to live within the boundaries of the district they represent.

Ms MacFarlane, a former grazier from Mataranka, has denied allegations that some CLP members considered replacing her as the party’s Solomon candidate in late 2021.

The upcoming election will be her first time running for the seat of Solomon.

The contest for the marginal Labor-held seat is heating up following the election being called.

Solomon has been held by both major parties since its inception in 2001, with Labor’s incumbent Luke Gosling currently holding the seat with a narrow margin of 3.1 per cent.

If Mr Gosling is successful at the this election, he will become the longest serving member for the Darwin and Palmerston-based seat.

With the seat of Lingiari also up for grabs, the Coalition and Labor have made the Northern Territory a focal point in the lead up to the official election campaign.

While the vast electorate is less marginal on paper – with Labor holding the seat by 5.5 per cent – the retirement of longtime Labor incumbent Warren Snowdon has opened the door for a newcomer to represent the people of the outback seat.

Two CLP heavyweights make shock resignation

TWO heavyweights of the Country Liberal Party have resigned in blistering fashion, citing “poor management” and “backstabbings, character assassinations and vicious whisper campaigns”.

Prominent figure Linda Fazldeen AM and former deputy chief minister Peter Styles tendered their resignations to the party on Thursday night.

It’s the latest in a string of high-profile resignations for the party.

One insider has described the departure of Mr Styles and Ms Fazldeen as a “monumental loss”.

In his resignation letter, Mr Styles said his decision to resign was “the culmination of my deep dissatisfaction with the direction that the Party has taken in recent years and it appears committed to continue to take”.

Former deputy chief minister Peter Styles tendered his resignation to the CLP on Thursday night.

“In my view, the Party’s poor management and lack of leadership lies deep within its inability to honestly self-reflect, analyse gaps and make the changes necessary to remain relevant and effective in the rapidly changing political environment, where I believe, Territorians are deserving of transparency, integrity and intelligent policy direction,” he said.

Ms Fazldeen said her decision to leave was motivated by the CLP’s drift from its earlier days, when it “was progressive, welcoming new ideas and new ways of doing things”.

“The backstabbing, character assassinations and vicious whisper campaigns that I have witnessed and have been personally subjected to … does not reflect the good leadership, common decency nor democratic process that I seek in a political organisation,” she said.