Analysis: NT Labor’s COVID-19 election strategy an eyebrow raiser as CLP returns and Territory Alliance crashes and burns

Governments across the nation will be combing through NT Labor’s election strategy, as the once unpopular incumbents look likely to scrape through to a majority.

GOVERNMENTS across the nation will be combing through NT Labor’s election strategy, as the once unpopular incumbents look likely to scrape through to a majority.

This was an election fought and won on convincing voters they should ignore years of fiscal under performance and miscellaneous other stuff-ups and re-elect the government that kept them safe, through hard work and a lot of luck, during a pandemic.

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Imagery from the NT Labor Election Party at Waratah Football Club, Darwin. Picture : Che Chorley

As it turns out, the strategy of “remember we kept you alive” — unheard of before this election — was potent and one others will likely try to replicate.

This will be at their own peril, however, as the NT is a volatile jurisdiction whose voters play by their own unpredictable rules.

Labor’s 18-seat stranglehold on parliament, whittled down to 16 throughout the term, now rests at a confident nine with the likelihood of reaching 13.

Many seats will come down to the wire.

Voters have thrown in a couple of curveballs for Labor in Drysdale with Minister Eva Lawler retaining her seat and an incredible increase in Kate Worden’s margin in Sanderson.

The CLP has made a comeback, unsurprisingly, because they could have never done worse than winning just two seats.

Opposition Leader Lia Finocchiaro has managed to raise the party from the political ashes and for those Territorians disappointed that the CLP looks likely not to overthrow Labor, take solace in a much stronger opposition to hold those in power to account.

CLP leader Lia Finocchiaro. Picture GLENN CAMPBELL

It was clear to most pundits a few weeks ago that the Territory Alliance experiment had failed. The party itself, however, remained confident to the bitter, painful end.

The spectacular crash of NT’s fledgling party will be dissected for weeks to come but most pundits say it had a lot to do with its front-facing leadership.

Candidates on the ground for the party undoubtedly did the best they could and perhaps NT Labor and the CLP were concerned about what damage Territory Alliance could do to the vote at first.

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But then they remembered all they had to do was remind voters about Terry Mills’ track record.

Territory Alliance’s policies were arguably noble but the party failed to clearly define to voters who it was.

Whether or not it ever gets a chance to do so, remains to be seen.