NT Labor will form a majority government as Opposition Leader Lia Finocchiaro calls Gunner to concede

OPPOSITION Leader Lia Finocchiaro has conceded defeat as NT Labor claims majority government.

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OPPOSITION Leader Lia Finocchiaro has conceded defeat as NT Labor claims majority government.

Saying it was “now clear” NT Labor would win enough seats to form government, Ms Finocchiaro sent out a statement saying she had called Chief Minister Michael Gunner to congratulate him.

“I called Michael Gunner a short time ago to congratulate him and the Labor Party on winning the election, and urged him to move immediately to take real action on the economy,” she said.

“The rhetoric from the Gunner Government about ‘saving jobs and savings lives’ needs to stop and tangible action must be taken without delay.

“Now more than ever the Territory needs leadership and Territorians need to see early results from the Government before they lose faith.”

Territory Labor is within a hair’s breadth of holding 15 seats in NT parliament, as rejigged preference flows put them ahead in two seats.

Frontbencher Selena Uibo has retained Arnhem.

The NT Electoral Commission has rechecked preference flows in Arnhem, Blain, Daly, Fong Lim and Barkly and is also set to count absentee votes.

Labor’s Mark Turner is currently heading toward a historic win in Blain though psephologist Dr Kevin Bonham is still pinning the seat as too close to call.

Minister for Aboriginal Affairs Selena Uibo looks likely to retain the seat of Arnhem.

Labor’s Mark Monaghan has also pulled ahead in Blain, with ABC’s Antony Green pipping the incumbent party to reclaim this seat with a margin of 2.3 per cent.

Labor’s Sid Vashist is about 100 votes ahead of CLP’s Steve Edgington in Barkly, though the ABC is not yet calling this seat.

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If Labor pull through in Barkly, and claim Fong Lim and Blain, they will have 15 seats on the floor of parliament, which is just one less than what they came into the election with.

CLP Gary Higgins’ old seat of Daly looks to be held by the party in newcomer Ian Sloan.

The CLP remain ahead in Brennan, Namatjira and Braitling.

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