NT Election 2024: Independent Justine Davis launches campaign for Johnston

ACT Senator and thorn in the side of major parties, David Pocock, is backing a Darwin local who hopes to be the same. Here’s her vision to tackle crime, cost of living, and political integrity.

Independent candidate for the Northern Territory seat of Johnston Justine Davis. Picture: Supplied.

Local justice mediator Justine Davis has announced her bid for the Darwin seat of Johnston at this year’s Northern Territory general election.

Senator David Pocock will speak at her campaign launch on Wednesday evening, and Ms Davis said seeing the influence the ACT independent had in advocating for his community was part of what inspired her to run outside of party politics.

“Part of my drive to run is the success that we’ve seen of Independents throughout Australia, and here in the NT, and the impact they can have,” she said.

“David Pocock is a really amazing example of that – being able to lead with integrity, as a pragmatist – really working with what’s best for community interests.

“I’m running for Johnston because the current Labor government and the CLP have spent decades failing to find real solutions for our communities.”

Ms Davis has lived with her family in Johnston for more than 25 years.

She said key issues facing residents were community safety, cost of living, and frustration with the political system.

Independent candidate for the Northern Territory seat of Johnston Justine Davis. Picture: Supplied.

Three decades of experience assisting people to work through conflicts helped shape her approach to “fixing the way we do justice”.

“I know people in my community and more broadly in the NT don’t feel safe and I think we have to do something about that, it’s not okay,” she said.

“Everyone agrees that these are long term problems that we’ve made over generations and there isn’t any quick fix.

“When I talk to people it’s not that they want kids to be locked up – what they want is to feel safe, they don’t want to be broken into or feel unsafe in the streets.

“They want the people who’ve done that to be accountable for their actions, and they want to know it’s not going to happen again.”

She said reaching that point meant addressing drivers of crime, alternative models for detention, and community led, culturally appropriate programs to support young people.

“I’ve seen first-hand that there’s a better way of doing things … we know there are solutions, we just need to be brave enough to use them.

“The system might be broken but our community is full of strength, and we can work together to make it right.”

Ms Davis also supported stronger rights for renters and more integrity in government.

Johnston has been held by Labor since the seat was formed in 2001.

Incumbent Joel Bowden won with a comfortable 66.5 per cent to 33.5 per cent two-party-preferred margin in 2020.

Redistribution of electoral boundaries coming into place at the August election will see the whole of Alawa moved into Johnston and parts of Coconut Grove removed, meaning the division covers four whole suburbs: Alawa, Jingili, Millner and Moil.

Ms Davis’s campaign will be held at Jingili Water Gardens, April 10 at 5.30pm.

Originally published as NT Election 2024: Independent Justine Davis launches campaign for Johnston