NT Greens to open preselections for six Darwin, Alice Springs electorates

The NT Greens has revealed it’s gunning to take the Chief Minister’s seat along with at least five others in next year’s election. See where.

The Greens believe successful protests at Lee Point and opposition to Middle Arm prove there’s an appetite for change, however not all agree. Picture: Sierra Haigh

The Territory’s most progressive party has its eye on claiming the Chief Minister’s seat at the next election, revealing it is preselecting for at least six electorates.

The NT Greens is gunning for Top End seats Nightcliff, Johnson and Fannie Bay, as well as Braitling, Namatjira and Araluen in Alice Springs.

The Darwin seats are currently held by Labor’s Chief Minister Natasha Fyles, Joel Bowden and Brent Potter, while the CLP’s Josh Burgoyne and Bill Yan and conservative independent Robyn Lambley hold the Red Centre electorates.

It comes after Greens-endorsed Suki Dorras-Walker won the primary vote in the recent Darwin council by-election but lost after the two-party preferred count.

The party has never won a Territory seat and NT parliament is the only in the country without a Greens member, however party convener Jonathan Parry believes “it’s time for that to change”.

NT Greens convener Jonathan Parry also contested the Fannie Bay by-election. Picture: Monique Van Der Heyden

“Nothing changes if nothing changes, and we are looking forward to giving Territorians a real alternative choice at the ballot box this next election,” he said.

“The overwhelming response on the ground (during the council by-election) was that people feel like they aren’t being listened to.

“Their calls for change are going unanswered, especially in relation to climate, justice and short-term bad decisions being made by the Labor government including Lee Point and the Middle Arm project.”

However Charles Darwin University political economist Rolf Gerritsen said despite recent environmental protests, the party was unlikely to claim many successes at the polls next year.

“If you look at the last few elections, the Greens seem to be stuck between 8 and 10 per cent (of votes),” he said.

“In other parts of Australia, they’re up to 14-16 per cent, even in Brisbane they got up to 18 per cent.”

Professor Gerritsen said the difference partly came down to how wealthy voters were.

“Those sorts of seats where people are economically secure, you’ve got a better chance of getting a green,” he said.

Professor Rolf Gerritsen believes there are too many Territorians who rely on jobs and a strong economy to take a chance on voting Greens.

“If you look at it in socio economic terms, you’d think a natural conservative seat (equals) rich people.

“But rich people, if they’re rich they’ve got rich and they might be prepared to look around.”

Professor Gerritsen said there was a “prevailing political culture”, particularly in regional NT towns, that the government was responsible for creating a strong economy.

“People come to the Territory for jobs ... the jobs thing is always paramount, because if there isn’t economic growth, then people leave,” he said.

The Greens will open nominations for preselections in December, ahead of the general election in August 2024.