1997 Northern Territory general election

Last updated

1997 Northern Territory general election
Flag of the Northern Territory.svg
  1994 30 August 1997 (1997-08-30) 2001  

All 25 seats of the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly
13 seats needed for a majority
Turnout79.0 (Decrease2.svg 1.7 pp)
 First partySecond party
 
Shane Stone (cropped).jpg
Labor Placeholder.png
Leader Shane Stone Maggie Hickey
Party Country Liberal Labor
Leader since26 May 199516 April 1996
Leader's seat Port Darwin Barkly
Last election17 seats7 seats
Seats before168
Seats won187
Seat changeIncrease2.svg 2Decrease2.svg 1
Popular vote41,72229,365
Percentage54.5%38.5%
SwingIncrease2.svg 2.6Decrease2.svg 2.9
TPP 57.9%42.1%
TPP Increase2.svg 1.6Decrease2.svg 1.6

1997 Northern Territory Election.svg

Chief Minister before election

Shane Stone
Country Liberal

Elected Chief Minister

Shane Stone
Country Liberal

A general election was held in the Northern Territory on Saturday August 30, 1997, and was won by the incumbent Country Liberal Party (CLP).

Contents

Shane Stone continued as Chief Minister.

During the previous term, the CLP had lost the seat of Fannie Bay to Labor in a by-election. The CLP did not win the seat back, but managed to take MacDonnell from Labor and Nelson after Independent Noel Padgham-Purich retired.

Retiring MPs

Labor

Country Liberal

Independent

Results

187
CLPLabor
1997 NT Legislative Assembly.svg
PartyVotes%+/–Seats+/–
Country Liberal 41,72254.67Increase2.svg 2.7618+1
Labor 29,36538.48Decrease2.svg 2.907±0
Independents 4,3275.67Decrease2.svg 0.210-1
Democrats 4840.63Increase2.svg 0.550±0
Greens 4200.55Decrease2.svg 0.200±0
Total76,318100.0025
Valid votes76,31894.83
Invalid/blank votes4,1615.17+1.2
Total votes80,479100.00
Registered voters/turnout101,88678.99-1.7
Country Liberal 57.9
Labor 42.1
Total
Popular vote
Country Liberal
54.67%
Labor
38.48%
Democrats
0.63%
Greens
0.55%
Independents
5.67%
Two-party-preferred vote
Country Liberal
57.90%
Labor
42.10%
Seats
Country Liberal
72.00%
Labor
28.00%

Candidates

Sitting members are listed in bold. Successful candidates are highlighted in the relevant colour.

ElectorateHeld by Labor CLP Other
Arafura Labor Maurice Rioli Jacob Nayinggul
Araluen CLP Lilliah McCulloch Eric Poole
Arnhem Labor Jack Ah Kit Alan WrightLance Lawrence (Ind)
Thomas Maywundjiwuy (Grn)
Barkly Labor Maggie Hickey Mark JohnBarry Nattrass (Ind)
Blain CLP Richard Bawden Barry Coulter
Braitling CLP Peter Brooke Loraine Braham
Brennan CLP Stephen Bennett Denis Burke
Casuarina CLP Douglas McLeod Peter Adamson
Drysdale CLP Paul Nieuwenhoven Stephen Dunham Stuart Edwards (Dem)
Fannie Bay Labor Clare Martin Michael Kilgariff
Goyder CLP Wayne Connop Terry McCarthy Strider (Ind)
Greatorex CLP Peter Kavanagh Richard Lim
Jingili CLP Catherine Phillips Steve Balch Stephen Barnes (Ind)
Ross Forday (Ind)
Karama CLP John Tobin Mick Palmer
Katherine CLP Michael Peirce Mike Reed Peter Byers (Ind)
MacDonnell Labor Mark Wheeler John Elferink Kenneth Lechleitner (Ind)
Millner CLP Peter O'Hagan Phil Mitchell Ian Mills (Ind)
June Mills (Grn)
Nelson Independent Theresa Francis Chris Lugg Dave Tollner (Ind)
Nhulunbuy Labor Syd Stirling Richard Davey
Nightcliff CLP Paul Henderson Stephen Hatton Theo Katapodis (Ind)
Betty McCleary (Ind)
Port Darwin CLP Geoffrey Carter Shane Stone Lex Martin (Ind)
Sanderson CLP Michael Atkinson Daryl Manzie
Stuart Labor Peter Toyne John Bohning
Victoria River CLP Paul La Fontaine Tim Baldwin
Wanguri Labor John Bailey Peter Styles

Seats changing hands

SeatPre-1997SwingPost-1997
PartyMemberMarginMarginMemberParty
MacDonnell  Labor Neil Bell 15.918.72.8 John Elferink Country Liberal 
Nelson  Independent Noel Padgham-Purich 3.13.70.6 Chris Lugg Country Liberal 

Post-election pendulum

The following pendulum is known as the Mackerras pendulum, invented by psephologist Malcolm Mackerras. The pendulum works by lining up all of the seats held in the Legislative Assembly according to the percentage point margin they are held by on a two-party-preferred basis. This is also known as the swing required for the seat to change hands. Given a uniform swing to the opposition or government parties, the number of seats that change hands can be predicted.

Country Liberal seats
Marginal
Nelson Chris Lugg CLP0.6 v IND
Karama Mick Palmer CLP1.7
Macdonnell John Elferink CLP2.8
Nightcliff Stephen Hatton CLP4.6
Fairly safe
Jingili Steve Balch CLP6.7
Casuarina Peter Adamson CLP7.9
Millner Phil Mitchell CLP8.7
Sanderson Daryl Manzie CLP9.3
Safe
Greatorex Richard Lim CLP10.5
Goyder Terry McCarthy CLP11.7
Drysdale Stephen Dunham CLP13.3
Victoria River Tim Baldwin CLP16.1
Braitling Loraine Braham CLP16.4
Port Darwin Shane Stone CLP17.0
Araluen Eric Poole CLP19.2
Very safe
Blain Barry Coulter CLP23.8
Brennan Denis Burke CLP24.3
Katherine Mike Reed CLP24.5
Labor seats
Marginal
Stuart Peter Toyne ALP1.5
Wanguri John Bailey ALP2.0
Fannie Bay Clare Martin ALP3.0
Fairly safe
Arafura Maurice Rioli ALP9.0
Arnhem Jack Ah Kit ALP7.8
Barkly Maggie Hickey ALP8.0
Safe
Very safe
Nhulunbuy Syd Stirling ALP22.1

References