Gunner backs ‘practical’ rethink on another postal vote reform in the NT, as another day of counting produces no clear result

IT would be ‘practical’ to reconsider the NT’s generous two-week time frame for postal votes to be returned as part of the next round of electoral reforms, Chief Minister Michael Gunner has said.

IT would be “practical” to reconsider the NT’s generous two-week time frame for postal votes to be returned as part of the next round of electoral reforms, Chief Minister Michael Gunner has said.

As another day of vote counting ended without Territorians being any closer to knowing the official make up of the next parliament, Mr Gunner said he would also be open to the NT Electoral Commission putting forward recommendations on how early votes can be counted before polls closed as long as those methods don’t put the integrity and legitimacy of the election into doubt.

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More than a week after Territorians went to the polls, four of 25 seats, namely Araluen, Namatjira, Blain and Barkly, remain in doubt.

This means the make-up of NT Labor’s caucus remains unknown.

Therefore, Mr Gunner said his next cabinet could not yet be set in stone.

There are two ministerial vacancies due to the loss of Dale Wakefield in Braitling and the retirement of Gerry McCarthy in Barkly.

“We need to know who’s going to be in the caucus, and the caucus decides the final ministry,” Mr Gunner said.

The NT’s Electoral Act was reformed in Mr Gunner’s last term of government, which is when the time to return postal votes was switched from a week to two, a move that so far has thrown into question how valid some of those may be particularly considering Australia Post does not time stamp mail anymore.

But with the Electoral Act up for review and reform after each election, Mr Gunner said there would be “some obvious things” that NTEC Commissioner Iain Loganathan could put forward in his next report, such as the casting period for postal votes.

“I think that’s a live issue for the NTEC to consider about what is counted and what is not,” Mr Gunner said.

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As of yesterday afternoon, the number of votes between the top two candidates in Araluen, Barkly, Blain and Namatjira were 18, 15, 13 and seven respectively.