Arafura by-election: Early polling results, key issues for voters
We asked Arafura community leaders about the biggest concerns for people in the Top End electorate. Here’s how candidates vying for their vote would fix them.
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With just a few days before the official by-election, three candidates vying to claim the Territory seat of Arafura have been out and about at polling stations from the Tiwi Islands to Maningrida.
This Saturday, March 18, is the last day for voters to cast their pick for a new MLA.
Regional leaders of the Top End electorate have said roads, health, education, infrastructure and local decision-making are the biggest concerns to people in the Top End seat.
SCROLL to see how the candidates aim to fix key issues in Arafura.
Manuel Brown, Territory Labor
“Improving roads, housing and health outcomes for the constituents of Arafura will be my biggest priorities,” Mr Brown said.
“Roads are vital to ensuring adequate service delivery to our communities and ensure we can remain connected.
“The upgrading and sealing of Paru Rd and bridge construction has been a long-term issue for the residents of Melville Island and I will be making sure this happens quickly and efficiently.
“I will help drive local decision making agreements so my people can have a say in how we want to live, how we want to educate our kids, and what services and programs we want to see in our region.”
Alan Middleton, Federation Party NT
“All of these are ‘headline’ issues promised to be fixed by the ‘Closing the Gap’ announcements in 2007,” Mr Middleton said.
“Our statistics have worsened despite multiple millions to billions of dollars supposedly put into this effort.
“I and my Indigenous colleagues have concluded that most of the money has gone into bloated bureaucracies and not to the communities.
“We believe the answer is to return program development and funding to local community Aboriginal corporations and to substantially reduce the bureaucracies and consultants that divert too much of the money and distort the efforts of locally motivated leaders.”
Each candidate was asked the same questions with the same deadline, however Country Liberal Party candidate Leslie Tungatalum did not respond in time.
Roads, health, education: Here are the main issues for Arafura voters
Arafura is heading into its second week of voting to elect a new representative on the back of some dismal turnout results.
NT Electoral Commission teams visited 12 of the Top End electorate’s smaller communities and outstations last week in a bid to boost polling numbers ahead of ‘election day’ on March 18.
Only 45 per cent of enrolled residents in Minjilang and Warruwi cast their vote, while Mamadawerre had a 69 per cent turnout.
NT Electoral Commissioner Iain Longanathan has urged Arafura voters across the Tiwi Islands and West Arnhem region to make sure their vote counts.
“In the 2020 Territory Election Arafura had the lowest turnout of any electorate with 52.7 per cent, Maningrida had a turnout of just 28 per cent,” Mr Longanathan said.
“The voting time for Maningrida has been increased from two days at the 2020 election to five days for the by-election, giving residents more opportunity to vote”.
Electoral teams will this week visit the Tiwi Islands, Gunbalanya, Maningrida and Jabiru, which between them contain just over four-fifths of the seat’s enrolled voters.
Tiwi Land Council chairman Gibson Farmer Illortaminni said roads and health were two of the biggest concerns for voters.
“Roads are a major issue,” Mr Farmer said.
“(We welcome) the recent NT government commitment of $28m to upgrade the Paru Rd but much more work is needed.
“The internal roads in the communities have many potholes making it dangerous to travel.
“Health is a major issue for the Tiwi people.
“Too many people are passing away well before the national life expectancy age.
“In recent months we have lost two important leaders way before their time.
“We need to look at the causes and fund programs that will make a real difference.”
Mr Farmer also said sewage systems around Wurrumiyanga prone to overflowing “urgently needed upgrading”, while Tiwi people needed a revitalisation of culture.
“We used to have lots of music in our communities but this has fallen away,” he said.
“Regular music programs and recording facilities would be good for the people and good for mental health.”
West Arnhem Regional Council mayor Matthew Ryan agreed funding for health and roads, as well as infrastructure, were some of his region’s biggest priorities.
“We’d like to see funding for the build of the Gunbalanya Clinic and roads right throughout the region, including local roads and homeland access roads,” he said.
“West Arnhem also needs direct funding to regional councils and Aboriginal-controlled organisations on initiatives such as Traditional Owner and senior-led rehabilitation centres in communities.
“Economic development through funding for Indigenous business opportunities and education via independent/hybrid schools in the homelands and communities are some other areas for improvement.”
Mr Ryan said he would like to see education standards lifted through funding based on enrolment rather than attendance – something the Territory government has committed to changing.
“West Arnhem people would like to see the government working in equal partnerships with community on local led solutions,” he said.
“We also need more emphasis by senior politicians to visit our communities and start fulfilling their promises, not breaking them.”
Mr Farmer said the Tiwi Land Council was proud to see the two major parties put forth Aboriginal candidates.
“This shows the nature of the modern Northern Territory,” he said.
“Aboriginal people can and are now participating and competing in every area of Territory life
“I’m sure all Territorians welcome this.”
‘Record low’ Arafura voter turnout could damage Labor’s chances
A low voter turnout could spell the end of Territory Labor’s hold on Arafura, a leading political academic has predicted.
Only 52 per cent of Arafura enrolled voters, who span the Tiwi Islands to West Arnhem, headed to the polls at the last election in 2020.
It marked the lowest turnout of all seats across the Territory.
However Charles Darwin University Professorial Research Fellow Rolf Gerritsen said he expected the turnout on Saturday’s by-election to be as low as 40 per cent.
“I would fearlessly predict that turnout will be at a record low, and that could be worse for the Labor Party than the Country Liberal Party in this case,” he said.
“It will be lower because of the wet season, people in outstations will not travel into the regional hubs to vote, as well as it being a by-election.
“And unless there’s a major issue that brings people to vote then turnout will be low.
“I’d say housing is the biggest issue in Arafura but that’s an ongoing issue that will take the government years to get on top of, if it ever does.
“You can also expect a swing against the government generally speaking in a by-election, there’s a saying two or three per cent.
“I suspect it will bigger in this by-election … I think the government have lost a lot of gloss.”
The late Arafura MLA Lawrence Costa retained the seat for Labor with just 228 primary votes up on the CLP in the last general election.
Professor Gerritsen said Labor would rely on a higher participation rate more than the opposition, as those wishing to vote against the government were more likely to cast a ballot.
However he said “it’s a question of enrolment as well as participation,” with the number of unenrolled Aboriginal voters suspected to be much higher than official figures.
Professor Gerritsen also said the sudden death of a sitting member hurt the government’s chances of retaining the seat.
“By definition the government has lost the incumbency factor and to Aboriginal communities that is fairly important,” he said.
“The loyalty is greater to the individual than to the party.
“That hands an automatic advantage to the CLP.”
For most of its history Arafura has been a safe Labor seat.
Former MLA Francis Kurrupuwu’s time in office during the CLP government from 2012 to 2016 marks the only period the conservative party has held Arafura.
The last two by-elections during the current Labor government’s term saw it win both despite low voter turnouts.
Labor’s Dheran Young claimed a historic win over the CLP in Daly’s 2021 by-election, while Brent Potter retained Fannie Bay for Labor after Michael Gunner’s shock resignation last year.
The voter turnout in both was about 66 per cent and 63 per cent respectively.
March 18 marks the final day for Arafura residents to cast their vote.
The result is expected to be announced before April 3.
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Originally published as Arafura by-election: Early polling results, key issues for voters
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