Political expert says large population of public servants in northern suburbs secured majority of first preferences

THE large population of public servants in Darwin’s northern suburbs helped Labor secure the majority of first preference votes across six seats, an NT political expert says

THE large population of public servants in Darwin’s northern suburbs helped Labor secure over 70 per cent of first preference votes across those six seats this election, an NT political expert says.

Analysis of first preference votes until 11am yesterday shows 70.2 per cent of voters across Nightcliff, Casuarina, Johnston, Karama, Sanderson, Wanguri put Labor first compared to only 29.8 per cent who did for CLP.

Overall across the NT, 54.1 per cent of voters went Labor with 45.9 per cent to CLP.

However, without the northern suburbs the results tighten significantly and actually see the CLP leading with 52.2 per cent. and Labor on 47.8 per cent.

Charles Darwin University Professor Rolf Gerritsen said the results confirm the golden rule of Territory politics that whoever wins the northern suburbs wins government.

“These electorates are the greatest beneficiaries of the way any NT Government spends money and Labor splashed quite a bit last term on grandstands and the like.

“A large majority of NT’s public servants also live in these electorates and I think they made a judgment that if the CLP were elected, they might cut the public service.

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“The NT has more than 21,000 public servants or full-time equivalents.

“These people will have dependants and even if they have small families we’re still talking upwards of 30,000 people

Attorney-General Natasha Fyles and Treasurer Nicole Manison won their seats by a landslide. Picture: Che Chorley

.”

Prof Gerritsen said another factor that could have contributed to Labor’s big win is that people tended to vote for the party that’s not in power federally in a state/territory election.

“I suspect that played in favour of Labor this election, especially if people were a little bit grumpy with the Coalition’s performance or for pushing to open all the state borders recently,” he said.

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“We saw Gunner using the same kind of strategy this election, saying that he was going to stand up for the Territory against those who wanted to open its borders and those dreaded interstaters.”