Meet the CLP’s new candidates

THE CLP has voted for who will stand in the 2020 Territory election. Meet the candidates.

Opposition Leader Lia Finocchiaro with Josh Thomas the candidate for Johnston and Tracey Hayes the candidate for Fannie Bay. Picture: GLENN CAMPBELL

THE NT Country Liberal Party has selected a land council chairman, who last year escaped conviction after pleading guilty to bringing liquor into an alcohol prohibited area, as one of its candidates for the 2020 Territory election.

Nine candidates were announced Saturday after day one of the CLP’s Central Council meeting, including Tiwi Land Council chairman Gibson Farmer Illortaminni for the seat of Arafura.

In January last year, Mr Farmer pleaded guilty to both the grog running and having an unrestrained minor in his car. Mr Farmer argued he drove the alcohol into Gunbalanya for his drunk daughter who was arguing with him. In fining Farmer $500 along with a $300 victims levy, Judge Tanya Fong Lim said he “should have been able to say no and left (his daughter) there in Jabiru”.

CLP president Ron Kelly yesterday said the party was aware of the incident but said Mr Farmer’s record as Tiwi Land Council chairman was outstanding.

“He has a good, strong record of standing up for people in his home community,” he said. “He’s intelligent, articulate and speaks about issues and stands up.”

Other new faces for the CLP were commercial lawyer Rose Watts for the seat of Port Darwin and Salvation Army caseworker Leanne Butler for the seat of Drysdale. Mr Kelly said the remaining eight candidates would be selected in the coming months.

Former NT Cattlemen’s Association chief executive Tracey Hayes will take on Chief Minister Michael Gunner for the seat of Fannie Bay.

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“It’s going to be very busy,” she said. “The Member for Fannie Bay, the incumbent, has been there for 10 years so I’ll be taking nothing for granted.

“The electorate of Fannie Bay can expect to see me at their doors in the near future and I’ll certainly be pounding the pavement and talking to people and hearing from them exactly what the issues are that they would like us to take on.”

Ms Hayes planned to tackle local infrastructure, economic issues, the residential property market and crime, which she said were at the forefront of the Fannie Bay community’s concerns.

“We’re going to need to ae some time to talk to the electorate but also not just in the seat of Fannie Bay. but really understand the root cause of the problem we’re facing,” she said.

“It’s very clear that the policies that are in place now simply are not working so in order for us to take the time to formulate our policies and cut some rigour. We need to understand the full depth of the problem right across the range of issues that the Territory’s facing currently, right across the entire Northern Territory.”

On Saturday night, the party held a $110-a-head fundraising dinner at Mindil Beach Casino Resort where Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce was the guest speaker.

Despite criticising Chief Minister Michael Gunner for not revealing who he dined with at a $5000-a-head fundraising lunch in November, the CLP would not say which donors attended last night’s dinner.

THE CANDIDATES:

Arafura

Gibson Farmer Illortaminni

Araluen

Damien Ryan

Barkly

Steven Edgington

Blain

Matthew Kerle

Braitling

Joshua Burgoyne

Brennan

Marie-Clare Boothby

Drysdale

Leanne Butler

Fannie Bay

Tracey Hayes

Fong Lim

Kylie Bonanni

Johnston

Josh Thomas

Katherine

Jo Hersey

Namatjira

Bill Yan

Nelson

Gerard Maley

Nightcliff

Steve Doherty

Port Darwin

Rose Watts

Sanderson

Derek Mayger

Spillett

Lia Finocchiaro

ELECTORATES CURRENTLY WITHOUT CANDIDATES

Arnhem

Casuarina

Daly

Goyder

Karama

Nhulunbuy

Stuart

Wanguri