Can You Help?

This website is in imminent danger of being shut down. It has been online since 1995, but the personal circumstances of the owner, Malcolm Farnsworth, are such that economies have to be made. Server costs and suchlike have become prohibitive. At the urging of people online, I have agreed to see if Patreon provides a solution. More information is available at the Patreon website. If you are able to contribute even $1.00/month to keep the site running, please click the Patreon button below.


Become a Patron!


COUNTRY LIBERALS WIPED OUT IN NORTHERN TERRITORY ELECTION

MICHAEL GUNNER NEW CHIEF MINISTER AS LABOR STORMS TO OFFICE; CLP LIKELY TO HOLD 3-4 SEATS; SAFE SEATS FALL TO ALP IN LARGE SWINGS

Gunner

The Country Liberal Party was routed in today’s Northern Territory election, losing at least 8 of its 12 seats to the ALP, which will govern with at least 16 seats in the 25-seat Parliament.

The CLP has lost 18.6% of its primary vote and currently sits on 32.0%. The ALP’s primary vote has risen 6.4% to 42.8%.

Swings of around 12-16% were common across the Territory and reaching 20% in some areas. The CLP lost heavily in the Darwin suburbs and failed to hold the bush seats with large numbers of indigenous voters that it won in 2012.

As counting drew to a close for the night, commentators agreed that the CLP had retained just 2 seats (Daly and Spillett). Chief Minister Adam Giles was trailing by 21 votes in his seat of Braitling. Giles’s previous margin was 19.6%. In Katherine, Willem Westra van Holthe trailed the ALP by 31 votes. Held by 22.3%, Katherine was the CLP’s safest seat going into the election. Van Holthe attempted to overthrow Giles in February 2015, in a farcical tussle that ended with van Holthe becoming Deputy Chief Minister before being forced to resign in 2016 over conflict of interest allegations. [Read more…]


Northern Territory Senate Results Finalised: One Each To ALP And CLP

The Senate result in the Northern Territory has been announced by the Australian Electoral Commission.

As is always the case, the ALP has won one of the two available seats and the Country Liberals (CLP) the other. Under proportional representation, the NT and the ACT always produces a 1-all result.

The ALP received 37.44% of the primary vote, more than a full quota. Its new senator will be an indigenous woman, Malarndirri McCarthy. She replaces Nova Peris, who served just one term.

The CLP received 36.42% of the primary vote, a quota in its own right, re-electing Nigel Scullion to a sixth term. He was first elected in 2001. Scullion sits with The Nationals in Canberra and is their leader in the Senate. He is also Minister for Indigenous Affairs in the Turnbull government. [Read more…]


Natasha Griggs (CLP-Solomon) – Maiden Speech

This is the maiden speech of Natasha Griggs, the Country Liberal Party member for Solomon.

Griggs won the Northern Territory seat after defeating the sitting ALP member, Damian Hale, with a swing of 1.94%. She secured 51.75% of the two-party-preferred vote.

Griggs, 41, has had a variety of jobs in the information technology field. Prior to entering Parliament, she was a Project Manager with the Northern Territory government. [Read more…]