‘Fair’ for ‘privileged’ NT to lose one of its two seats in federal parliament, election analyst says

THE NT is ‘treated very generously indeed’ by electoral laws that have so far allocated the Territory two MPs in federal parliament and a Bill to retain them should be rejected, according to a prominent election analyst.

The NT’s two sitting MPs in federal parliament, Lingiari MP Warren Snowdon and Solomon MP Luke Gosling.

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THE NT is “treated very generously indeed” by electoral laws that have so far allocated the Territory two MPs in federal parliament and a Bill to retain them should be rejected, according to a prominent election analyst.

A Bill that would see the NT hold on to its two lower house seats regardless of its population is currently before the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters with submissions due to close next Friday.

In one of four submissions received so far, psephologist Malcolm Mackerras — who received an AO for “commitment to reform and improvement of the electoral system” — argues a reduction to a single Territory MP would only be fair.

Mr Mackerras said he would only accept a “principled alternative formula” if it did not unfairly impact the other “disadvantaged” states of NSW, Victoria, Queensland and Western Australia.

He said there were, as of 2017, 61,878 people in the NT for each of its four federal representatives, fewer than anywhere else in Australia except Tasmania.

Luke Gosling’s federal seat of Solomon could be abolished if a bill to retain two representatives in the federal lower house is rejected. Picture: Gary Ramage

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“Those numbers show clearly that the NT is the second most privileged jurisdiction at present,” he said.

“But what if it had only three federal parliamentarians to speak up for it? The number would rise to 82,504. It would then be on a par with South Australia and the ACT.

“That clearly shows the extent of the disadvantage suffered by the four most populous states. That is why I say I would not accept a formula which weakened the entitlements of NSW, Victoria, Queensland or WA.”

In his submission, Mr Mackerras said “democratic principle requires the implementation of the precept ‘let the chips fall where they may’”.

“The Northern Territory is generously treated at present,” he said.

“It would be fairly treated if there were only one NT member of the House of Representatives. Let the chips fall where they may.”

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The current Bill was sponsored by Labor Senator Malarndirri McCarthy and backed by the Country Liberals’ Sam McMahon who said Tasmania was treated far more generously than the Northern Territory.

“If you compare the NT to Tasmania you will see they have more than four times the federal representation Territorians have, yet their population is not much more than double our own,” she said.