Last minute financial leg up for CLP as party hopes support translates at the ballot box

The CLP are hoping a last minute surge in donations will equate to a swing toward them at the ballot box, after the party amassed more than $91,000 in the first 16 days of the official campaign.

THE CLP are hoping a last minute surge in donations will equate to a swing toward them at the ballot box, after the party amassed more than $91,000 in the first 16 days of the official campaign.

Donation disclosures, released by the NT Electoral Commission on the eve of the Territory election, covered the period between July 31 and August 16.

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The NTEC also revealed only 15 of the 25 independents vying for a spot in parliament had submitted donation disclosures.

The CLP secured the largest final financial push among the three major parties.

Overall the party will have secured $459,577 between the middle of 2019 to August 16 to spend on their bid to rise from the ashes and topple the incumbent Labor government.

The CLP’s top donors through the campaign have been Gaymark Investments ($45,000) which is run by the Finocchiaro family, followed by ASX listed oil and gas company Empire Energy Group Ltd ($25,000).

CLP Fannie Bay candidate Tracey Hayes has also received third-party campaigner help through an outfit called “Friends of Fannie Bay”, which she said is run by former NT Cattleman’s Association boss Tom Stockwell.

Opposition Leader Lia Finocchiaro speaks to the media on the eve of the 2020 NT election campaign. Picture GLENN CAMPBEL

Donors to Friends of Fannie Bay include Keith and Roxy Holzwart of Avago Station in Daly Waters and Margaret McBean.

NT Labor amassed $84,118 between July 31 and August 16, bringing their total donation takings to $625,820 since mid-2019.

The Shop, Distributive and Allied Employees Association, the union that went on the attack for Chief Minister Michael Gunner after a controversial CLP ad, was NT Labor’s largest donor at $60,000.

Empire Energy Group Ltd also donated $25,000 to NT Labor.

Territory Alliance, in comparison to their opponents, have had a much smaller jump in donations in toward the end of the election, picking up an extra $41,928.

Gina Panagopoulos, one half of Territory building company Makrylos Group, donated a generous $15,000 to the party.