So where to now for the CLP and its leader after historic loss?

The CLP’s loss of Daly is a huge blow for a party that was on the rebound just 12 months ago after the voting public had punished the scandal-plagued Giles government.

THE CLP’s loss of Daly is a huge blow for a party that was on the rebound 12 months ago, with a strong showing four years on from when the voting public punished the scandal-plagued Giles government.

So where to now for the CLP and its leader, Lia Finocchiaro?

It’s hard to tell, with the party running a strong campaign focusing on the issues central to living life in ­regional NT.

So where to now for the CLP and its leader, Lia Finocchiaro? Picture: Glenn Campbell

What went wrong?

Are Covid-19 and keeping tight borders still major issues for Territorians?

Was it a protest because Daly voters didn’t appreciate having to elect an MLA only a year into the government in a by-­election held only two weeks after the local government elections?

The CLP will have a lot of work to do to regain the trust of the Daly ­people if they want to form a government in the 2024 NT election.

The picture is looking ever brighter for Chief Minister Michael Gunner, who can claim what seemed an unlikely victory with a candidate few people in Daly would have been aware of prior to his nomination.

Dheran Young now has three years to prove to the voters of Daly they made the right choice.