NT votes: Territorians likely to return Gunner’s Labor in first pandemic election
Chief Minister Michael Gunner is set to be returned to the NT’s top job but without a clear majority.
Chief Minister Michael Gunner is set to be returned to the NT’s top job but without a clear majority.
The incumbent Labor government, which went into the polls as the favourite, needed to win 13 of its 16 seats to be re-elected.
But analysts were on Saturday night predicting it would secure 12 seats, and need the support of Independents to govern.
Labor is expected to fend off swings towards the Country Liberal Party (CLP), which made gains from the fall of Territory Alliance.
Several Labor-held seats remained on a knife-edge on the first election night of the coronavirus pandemic.
At 10.50pm ACST 58 per cent of the votes had been counted.
The seat of Braitling remained in play with CLP candidate Joshua Burgoyne on 1374 primary votes, compared to Labor MLA Dale Wakefield on 843 votes.
In the marginal seat of Brennan, Labor MLA Tony Sievers was ahead of Marie-Clare Boothby by 43 votes.
The contest was also close in Katherine where MLA Kate Ganley was 24 votes ahead of CLP candidate Jo Hersey.
Mr Gunner retained his seat of Fannie Bay but there was a 5 per cent swing to CLP candidate Tracey Hayeson.
At 11pm, Mr Gunner was yet to give his election night speech.
Labor MLA Eva Lawler proved too strong for opponents in the marginal seat of Drysdale, where the Territory Alliance had preferenced the incumbents before the CLP.
X-FACTOR FALLS SHORT
Territory Alliance leader and former chief minister Terry Mills is yet to concede his seat of Blain.
The new party, formed in November, spent election night staring down the potential loss of all three of its seats.
Mr Mills, who attracted 789 votes, trailed Labor candidate Mark Turner on 1418 and Country Liberal Party (CLP) candidate Matthew Kerle on 1192.
The party was set to lose the seat of Fong Lim held by Jeff Collins, while Araluen MLA Robyn Lambley was fighting not to give its last seat to the CLP.
Mr Mills told Sky News that he was “disappointed” with the result but was not going to concede in his own seat yet.
Territory Alliance, which had painted itself as the alternative, blamed coronavirus for its failure to win voter confidence.
Mr Mills said coronavirus had made it difficult to doorknock and communicate the new party’s policies.
Earlier in the night, Mr Collins told the ABC that it was likely he and Ms Mills would continue working with the party even if they lost their seats.
COUNTRY LIBERAL PARTY PICKS UP SEATS
Opposition leader Lia Finocchiaro celebrated on election night after leading the Opposition from two to a possible seven seats.
The 36-year-old took to the stage to thank her team for being “a strong conservative voice” for people right across the NT.
The vote in CLP’s favour comes despite Labor attacking Ms Finocchiaro over calls to open the territory’s border to Victorians during the pandemic in June.
CLP will retain Spillet, held by Ms Finocchiaro, and was set to claim victory from Mr Mills in Blain with Territory Alliance preferences.
The CLP is expected to pick up the seat of Nelson, to the east of Darwin and Palmerston, previously held by independent Gerry Wood.
The Opposition was also a chance to pick up the Labor-held seats of Barkly, Braitling and Brennan.
Although it was slightly behind in the primary counts for Katherine, the CLP was ahead in Daly and Namatjira.
INDEPENDENTS TO RETAIN SEATS
Goyder’s independent MLA Kezia Purick is expected to retain her seat, as well as Mulka’s Yingiya Mark Guyula.
Goyder: Kezia Purick (Ind) 1197 to Phil Battye (CLP) 1010
Mulka: Yingiya Mark Guyula (Ind) 1883 to Lynne Walker (ALP) 1489
WHICH PARTY IS SET TO HOLD WHICH SEAT?
Labor holds: Arafura, Wanguri, Sanderson, Port Darwin, Nightcliff, Karama, Johnston, Gwoja, Fong Lim, Fannie Bay, Drysdale, Casuarina
CLP holds: Barkly, Blain, Braitling, Brennan, Nelson, Spillet
Independents hold: Goyder and Mulka
WHAT SEATS ARE STILL IN PLAY?
Labor-held seat of: Katherine and Arnhem
CLP-held seat of: Daly and Namatjira
Territory Alliance-held seat of: Araluen
HOW MANY SEATS DID EACH PARTY HOLD?
There are 25 seats in the NT Legislative Assembly. Labor held a majority with 16 seats, Territory Alliance had three, CLP had two and there were four independents.
Thirteen seats are needed to gain a majority. Labor kicked off election day saying it would not do any deals with the other parties to form government.
CLP and Territory Alliance have some strong differences, including on energy policies, but have not ruled out forming a Coalition.
HOW ARE THE VOTES BEING COUNTED?
Thousands turned out at the ballot box on Saturday as the territory holds Australia’s first pandemic election.
The counting of votes made at early, remote and election day polling booths started at 6pm.
However, postal votes will be counted from 10am on Sunday due to social distancing requirements at counting centres.
More than half of voters, 53 per cent, had attended voting booths early which was a new record according to the NT Electoral Commission.
At least 141,225 people to cast their ballot.
WHO WAS THE FAVOURITE TO WIN GOVERNMENT?
Burt the psychic crocodile was reported to have taken a number of swipes at pictures of the candidates before finally tipping Lia Finocchiaro as the next Chief Minister of the Northern Territory.
While the market showed odds in favour of Labor to win the Territory election at $1.35 with Chief Minister Michael Gunner tipped to hold onto his top job, according to bookies.
The Country Liberal Party was the second favourite at $4.00, followed by the Territory Alliance at $8.50.
WHAT DID THE EXPERTS SAY?
Charles Darwin University Professor Rolf Gerritsen told the NT News CLP candidate Bill Yan would win the seat of Namatjira and that Labor MP Chansey Paech would win the seat of Gwoja.
However, he said the seats of Araluen and Braitling were too close to predict.
WHERE DO THE PARTIES STAND ON THE BIG ISSUES?
Budget
Current figures suggest the NT’s debt is set to reach $8.2 billion this year.
Labor said one-third of the recommendations made in a budget repair plan – with 74 recommendations – were implemented by March this year.
This included a reduction in public service executives by 10 per cent and a salary freeze for executives and politicians.
CLP plans to have contracts terminated for department chief executives who overspent their budgets.
TA promised to review the budget repair roadmap then decide what recommendations to enforce.
Jobs
All parties say they want to boost private investment.
Labor, which set up the Territory Economic Reconstruction Commission in May, said it would act on recommendations from the commission’s full report, which is not due until after the election.
CLP aims to create a taskforce to halve approval times across government and reduce mining taxes.
TA will have the Chief Minister take over the agriculture portfolio and will focus on diversification of pastoral leases.
Crime
Labor plans to increase bail compliance checks, review penalties for property crime and expand it’s Back on Track diversion programs. However, no extra funding has been announced.
CLP has pledged changes to the Bail Act which will see mandatory electronic monitoring for those on bail.
TA said it would introduce a new community court and a youth curfew in Alice Springs.
Education
Labor said four more remote communities would have access to its Families as First Teachers program.
CLP will address non-attendance by reintroducing truancy officers and will start a phonics trial.
TA promised $100 million for school infrastructure which would be distributed between schools based on their needs.
Health
The Labor government has signed off on funding to design and upgrade a health clinic and morgue in Gunbalanya, which Mr Gunner announced while campaigning.
CLP will look into the viability of mobile surgeries to visit remote clinics and create a cardiothoracic surgery program at the Royal Darwin Hospital.
TA said it would look into delivering a new Alice Springs Hospital before 2032 and would secure federal funding for a dedicated ice rehab centre in Darwin.
It also plans to legalise and regulate vaping and provide $5 million in seed funding for medicinal cannabis.
Aboriginal affairs
All parties say they support the development of treaties with Aboriginal people.
Labor said it would update its Aboriginal Affairs Strategy to include new Closing the Gap targets. CLP plans to set up a community-controlled housing body.
TA promised to establish a Chief Minister’s Aboriginal Reference Group within 100 days of being elected and strengthen the Treaty Commissioner’s office.
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