Lisa Bayliss concedes Solomon to Labor’s Luke Gosling

A political candidate has conceded to her Labor opponent. Read who threw in the towel.

Solomon CLP candidate Lisa Bayliss has conceded she will not win the Top End electorate after Saturday’s election.

Ms Bayliss telephoned Labor’s Luke Gosling on Sunday afternoon to concede the electorate and to congratulate him for his win.

“A short time ago, I called the Member for Solomon, Luke Gosling, to congratulate him on retaining the seat of Solomon,” Ms Bayliss posted on Facebook.

“Thank you to every one who put their faith in me. Many Territorians voted for change.

“I would like to thank everyone who voted for me, helped on my campaign and my family and friends.

Luke Gosling at Darwin's Labor HQ on election night. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

“I put my hand up to run because I love this place and know we deserve better. I’ll always keep working for a better go for Territorians in whatever capacity I can.”

Ms Bayliss thumped Mr Gosling in the primary vote, securing 19,612 to her opponent’s 17,662 votes, but was sunk on progressive preferences distributed his way via the Greens’ Jonathan Parry and independent Phil Scott.

But Ms Bayliss secured a 10.87 per cent swing towards the Country Liberals, while Labor posted a 5.87 per cent swing against.

Mr Gosling said his opponent “showed respect throughout the campaign” and despite their political differences was “a great opposition”.

The result shows that the work done over our first term as Government has proved Territorians are better under federal Labor.”

In neighbouring Lingiari, Labor MP Marion Scrymgour said she would be “coming for the CLP” as she retained a second term in the Territory’s largest federal electorate.

“There is a lot of money, 80 per cent of the CLP’s money that comes into the NT comes from the federal government,” Ms Scrymgour said.

“What I have seen is disadvantaged communities where we signed the biggest housing agreement, $4.2 billion with the NT government, and we’ve seen zero houses being built. So I’ll be coming after the CLP.”

Ms Scrymgour made the comments at the Labor election after-party in Alice Springs, where she claimed the seat over CLP candidate Lisa Siebert.

Ms Scrymgour said it was a gruelling campaign, during which she “saw Interstate volunteers come into the NT and stand over our women”.

“I haven’t seen this level of threats or intimidation that I’ve seen over the last three weeks,” she said.

Now re-elected, she said she will “work hard to make sure that we deliver for all of everybody”. She said she began work on Sunday.

Originally published as Lisa Bayliss concedes Solomon to Labor’s Luke Gosling