Joel Bowden wins Johnston by-election but both Labor, CLP punished by voters
RICHMOND star turned union boss Joel Bowden has won the Johnston by-election despite a huge swing against Labor. But if Labor’s result was bad, the CLP’s was worse
Northern Territory
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TO use one of the football cliches of which the next member for Johnston is so fond — a win is a win.
Richmond star turned union boss Joel Bowden has won the Johnston by-election, but it was an ugly way to do it.
In 2016, Ken Vowles took the seat for Labor with 51 per cent of the primary vote.
Last night against the same candidate – though this time for a different party – the party’s primary vote collapsed to a miserly 30 per cent.
It was a terrible result but will be enough to maintain Labor’s 16 seats in parliament.
Chief Minister Michael Gunner put on a brave face at the PINT club in Marrara Saturday night, telling party faithful they had convinced the voters of Johnston to stick with his government.
“It’s a by-election, odd results can happen at a by-election,” he said.
“Obviously there were more parties than normal running and those parties did team up against us.”
Seven candidates contested the Johnston poll, compared to just three in 2016.
The biggest cheer of the night at the PINT club went to Mr Bowden’s 72-year-old father, Labor life member Michael who is suffering form motor neurone disease.
“He got out of hospital yesterday,” Mr Bowden said of his father.
“It’s really heartwarming and brings a tear to my eye to see him so overjoyed late in his life and seeing one of his sons do well.”
Mr Bowden acknowledged his was far from a convincing by-election win.
“I look at it as a one or two goal victory. What I would love to do is work my absolute butt off again so we can have a similar result in August to what the Tigers had in the 2019 grand final,” he said.
While it was a poor result for Labor, it was worse for the once mighty Country Liberals, who picked up fewer first preference votes than the Greens.
The CLP’s candidate Josh Thomas polled just 16 per cent to the Greens’ 17 per cent.
The Greens were the only party not to lose on its 2016 primary vote.
Lia Finocchiaro, who took over as CLP leader from the retiring Gary Higgins just a month ago, said the result showed voters weren’t happy with the Labor Government.
She acknowledged her party still had a long way to go before it regained the trust and respect of voters. Ms Finocchiaro challenged those who wrote the CLP off as a spent force in Territory politics.
“The CLP has been a party that has served the NT for many decades and will for many decades to come,” she said.
“We’re focused on the future and restoring and rebuilding trust with voters.”
The CLP’s 2016 candidate Steven Klose contested Saturday’s by-election but this time for fledgling conservative force Territory Alliance.
Mr Klose picked up 22 per cent of the primary vote — a good result for a party which didn’t exist six months ago — but leader Terry Mills expected to win.
On a two-candidate preferred basis, Territory Alliance won 47.4 per cent to Labor’s 52.6 per cent. “It’s an exceptionally good result for a party that was just formed in November,” Mr Mills said.
“To come from nowhere to a position such as this I think is an indication of what is to come.”
Mr Mills denied his party had split the conservative vote and risked allowing Labor a chance to Bradbury a second term come August.
“We’ve occupied the sensible centre and took votes from both sides, left and right,” he said.
He took a swipe at the party of which he was once leader for its move to put Labor second on how to vote cards.
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“It’s sad to see the once great CLP lose its way and identity,” he said.
“Effectively, they have assisted in Labor winning and delegitimised the role of the CLP in the future politics in the Northern Territory.”
Mr Mills said he expected Territory Alliance to announce its next crop of candidates for the August general election within a week.
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