Josh Thomas announced as CLP candidate for Johnston
The CLP have announced their candidate for the Johnston by-election.
Northern Territory
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DARWIN blues guitarist Josh Thomas has been preselected as the Country Liberal Party’s candidate for the upcoming Johnston by-election.
A former guitar teacher of about 20 years, Mr Thomas grew up in the Johnston electorate and founded the Darwin Blues Festival.
He currently works as an Indigenous consultant for Rise Ventures, providing support for prisoners at Darwin Correctional Centre and preparing them for life on the outside.
Mr Thomas said his background gave him a “realistic insight” into how to tackle the key concerns of Johnston voters like crime.
“I was also as a drug and alcohol outreach worker around Darwin for a long time, so I have a firm understanding on the issues and problems people are faced with right now,” he said.
“You can’t get better than me cause I’ve been working on the inside.”
Mr Thomas’ father Harold Thomas is also the Indigenous artist who created the Aboriginal flag in 1971.
It comes after retiring Labor MLA Ken Vowles announced his exit from politics in November, with his last day of work on January 31, 2020.
His resignation will force a by-election in Johnston, the seat he has held since 2012.
The CLP candidate will run against Unions NT president and former AFL player Joel Bowden who is standing for Labor in Johnston.
The by-election will also be the first test for Terry Mills’ new political party Territory Alliance.
Their candidate Steven Klose, who unsuccessfully took on Vowles for the CLP in 2016, previously worked as a political adviser at the Northern Territory Electoral Commission.
A spokesman from the NT Greens party said they have yet to finalise preselection for Johnston.
2016 ELECTION RESULTS – JOHNSTON
Primary votes
Melanie ROSS (GRN) 676
Steven KLOSE (CLP) 1234
Ken VOWLES (ALP) 2019
Two candidate preferred
Ken VOWLES (ALP) 2453 — 64.7%
Steven KLOSE (CLP) 1339 — 35.3%
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