2012 Northern Territory general election

Last updated

2012 Northern Territory general election
Flag of the Northern Territory.svg
←  2008 25 August 2012 2016  →
All 25 seats of the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly
13 seats were needed for a majority
Turnout76.9 (Increase2.svg 1.3 pp)
 First partySecond party
  Terry Mills in 2005 (cropped).jpg Paul Henderson in 2001.jpg
Leader Terry Mills Paul Henderson
Party Country Liberal Labor
Leader since29 January 200826 November 2007
Leader's seat Blain Wanguri
Last election11 seats13 seats
Seats before1112
Seats won168
Seat changeIncrease2.svg 5Decrease2.svg 4
Popular vote46,65333,594
Percentage50.6%36.5%
SwingIncrease2.svg 5.2Decrease2.svg 6.7
TPP 55.8% [1] 44.2% [1]
TPP swingIncrease2.svg 5.1Decrease2.svg 5.1
2012 Northern Territory Election.svg
Chief Minister before election

Paul Henderson
Labor

Elected Chief Minister

Terry Mills
Country Liberal

A general election was held in the Northern Territory on Saturday 25 August 2012, which elected all 25 members of the Legislative Assembly in the unicameral Northern Territory Parliament.

Contents

The 11-year Labor Party government led by Chief Minister Paul Henderson was decisively defeated in their attempt to win a fourth term against the opposition Country Liberal Party led by opposition leader Terry Mills with a swing of five seats, losing the normally safe Labor remote seats of Arafura, Arnhem, Daly, Namatjira and Stuart, whilst retaining their urban seats picked up at the 2001 election. [2] [3]

The election was the beginning of an ongoing political realignment in the Northern Territory. Traditionally, remote Indigenous communities had strongly voted Labor. However, at this election, there was a large swing against Labor in Indigenous communities, resulting in the CLP gaining five remote seats usually considered safe Labor seats.

Results

↓ 
1618
CLPIndALP
Results of the Northern Territory general election, Legislative Assembly [4]
2012 NT Legislative Assembly.svg
PartyVotes%+/–Seats+/–
Country Liberal 46,65350.63Increase2.svg 5.2316+5
Labor 33,59436.46Decrease2.svg 6.728-5
Independents 5,5666.04Decrease2.svg 1.081±0
Greens 3,0393.30Decrease2.svg 1.000±0
First Nations 2,0482.22New0±0
Sex Party 7170.78New0±0
No Affiliation5260.57New0±0
Total92,143100.00–25–
Valid votes92,14396.77
Invalid/blank votes3,0723.23-0.9
Total votes95,215100.00–
Registered voters/turnout123,80576.91+1.3

Independents: Gerry Wood

Two safe Labor seats were uncontested at the previous election and therefore did not contribute to votes and results, all seats were contested at this election with the two previously uncontested Labor seats both won by the CLP.

Popular vote
Country Liberal
 
50.6%
Labor
 
36.5%
Greens
 
3.3%
First Nations
 
2.2%
Sex Party
 
0.8%
Independents
 
6.0%
Other
 
0.6%
Two-party-preferred vote
Country Liberal
 
55.8%
Labor
 
44.2%
Seats
Country Liberal
 
64.0%
Labor
 
32.0%
Independents
 
4.00%

Seats changing hands

Members in italics did not re-contest their Legislative Assembly seats at this election.

SeatPre-2012SwingPost-2012
PartyMemberMarginMarginMemberParty
Arafura Labor Marion Scrymgour 14.015.01.0 Francis Xavier Kurrupuwu Country Liberal
Arnhem Labor Malarndirri McCarthy UnoppN/A5.3 Larisa Lee Country Liberal
Daly Labor Rob Knight 5.810.54.7 Gary Higgins Country Liberal
Namatjira Labor Alison Anderson UnoppN/A18.6 Alison Anderson Country Liberal
Stuart Labor Karl Hampton 15.118.63.5 Bess Price Country Liberal

Background

Historically, remote areas had voted Labor while the urban areas had voted CLP. The CLP had governed since the initial 1974 election until Labor led by Clare Martin surprisingly came to power with a one-seat majority government at the 2001 election, mainly by sweeping Darwin's more diverse northern suburbs. Labor won in a landslide at the 2005 election, winning the second-largest majority in the Territory's history and reducing the CLP to only four seats. Although Labor led by Henderson retained a one-seat majority government at the 2008 election on 13 Labor, 11 CLP, 1 independent with only 49.3 percent of the two-party preferred vote, Labor had won two seats uncontested by the CLP—all seats were contested again at the 2012 election. Labor, the CLP, the Northern Territory Greens, the First Nations Political Party and the Australian Sex Party were running endorsed candidates.

A minority government was led by Henderson from mid-2009 when Alison Anderson resigned from the Labor Party to sit as an independent member of parliament. Anderson along with the existing independent Gerry Wood signed a letter to the speaker of parliament to push sittings forward, prompting CLP leader Mills to table a motion of no confidence on Monday 10 August 2009. [5] [6] [7] Wood ended up voting with the government, defeating the motion of no confidence. [8] Anderson joined the CLP in September 2011, resulting in 12 Labor, 12 CLP, 1 independent. [9] Wood and Anderson retained their seats at the 2012 election.

In October 2010, former CLP leader Jodeen Carney resigned in her seat, an Araluen by-election was held, the CLP retained the seat but suffered a 6.6-point two-party preferred swing.

Method

Like the Australian House of Representatives, members were elected through full-preference instant-runoff voting in single-member electorates. The election was conducted by the Northern Territory Electoral Commission, an independent body answerable to Parliament.

In a change to polling in remote electorates, where most voting was previously conducted by mobile polling teams, for the first time there was full election day voting in major regional indigenous centres. As such, swings may be distorted. The conducting of a formal polling place could also alter the way voting takes places and increase the local turnout. Mobile polling teams were still used but they took many fewer votes than in the past. In addition, for the first time in the territory, there was an electronic feed of results, the last administration in Australia to go electronic. [10]

Date

The Henderson Labor government introduced fixed four-year terms following the previous election. [11]

The Legislative Assembly was dissolved on 6 August 2012. The electoral roll was closed on 8 August and nominations on 10 August, prior to polling day on 25 August. [12]

The election was held on the same day as the Heffron state by-election in New South Wales.

Retiring MPs

Labor

Candidates

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

ElectorateHeld by Labor candidate CLP candidate Greens candidateOther candidates
 
Arafura Labor Dean Rioli Francis Xavier Kurrupuwu George PascoeJeannie Gadambua (FNPP)
Araluen CLP Adam Findlay Robyn Lambley Edan Baxter (FNPP)
Arnhem Labor Malarndirri McCarthy Larisa Lee
Barkly Labor Gerry McCarthy Rebecca HealyValda Shannon (FNPP)
Stewart Willey (Ind)
Blain CLP Geoff Bahnert Terry Mills Daniel Fejo (FNPP)
Braitling CLP Deborah Rock Adam Giles Barbara ShawColin Furphy (Ind)
Brennan CLP Russell Jeffrey Peter Chandler
Casuarina Labor Kon Vatskalis Jane Johnson
Daly Labor Rob Knight Gary Higgins David PollockTrevor Jenkins (-)
Bill Risk (FNPP)
Drysdale CLP James Burke Lia Finocchiaro Ross Bohlin (Ind)
Fannie Bay Labor Michael Gunner Tony ClementsonKen Bird
Fong Lim CLP Ashley Marsh Dave Tollner Matt HaubrickPeter Burnheim (ASP)
Goyder CLP Damien Smith Kezia Purick John Kearney (-)
Greatorex CLP Rowan Foley Matt Conlan Evelyne RoulletPhil Walcott (Ind)
Johnston Labor Ken Vowles Jo SangsterAlana Parrott-JollyPeter Bussa (-)
Krystal Metcalf (ASP)
Karama Labor Delia Lawrie Rohan KellyFrances Elcoate
Katherine CLP Cerise King Willem Westra van Holthe Teresa Cummings (Ind)
Namatjira Labor Des Rogers Alison Anderson Warren H Williams (FNPP)
Nelson Independent Sharon McAlearJudy Cole Gerry Wood (Ind)
Nhulunbuy Labor Lynne Walker Allen FanningKendall Trudgen (Ind)
Nightcliff Labor Natasha Fyles Kim LovedayOwen GaleAndrew Arthur (Ind)
Stuart Blanch (Ind)
Peter Rudge (Ind)
Felicity Wardle (ASP)
Port Darwin CLP Alan James John Elferink David AndrewsRowena Leunig (ASP)
Sanderson CLP Jodie Green Peter Styles Jillian Briggs (ASP)
Dimitrious Magriplis (FNPP)
Stuart Labor Karl Hampton Bess Price Maurie Japarta Ryan (FNPP)
Wanguri Labor Paul Henderson Rhianna Harker

Unregistered parties and groups

Electoral 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. Results are notional calculations of the redistribution. [13]

Pre-election pendulum

Members listed in italics did not re-contest their seat at the election.

Labor seats
Marginal
Fannie Bay Michael Gunner ALP0.9
Daly Robert Knight ALP5.8
Fairly safe
Johnston Chris Burns ALP6.9
Safe
Nightcliff Jane Aagaard ALP10.7
Karama Delia Lawrie ALP10.8
Arafura Marion Scrymgour ALP14.0
Casuarina Kon Vatskalis ALP14.3
Wanguri Paul Henderson ALP14.7
Stuart Karl Hampton ALP15.0
Barkly Gerry McCarthy ALP15.6
Very safe
Nhulunbuy Lynne Walker ALP24.2
Arnhem Malarndirri McCarthy ALPUnopp
Namatjira Alison Anderson ALPUnopp
Independent seats
Nelson Gerry Wood IND28.7 v CLP
Country Liberal seats
Marginal
Brennan Peter Chandler CLP2.7
Port Darwin John Elferink CLP2.9
Fong Lim Dave Tollner CLP4.3
Sanderson Peter Styles CLP5.2
Fairly safe
Goyder Kezia Purick CLP8.4
Katherine Willem W-v-Holthe CLP8.4
Drysdale Ross Bohlin CLP9.3
Safe
Blain Terry Mills CLP10.6
Greatorex Matt Conlan CLP16.5
Very safe
Braitling Adam Giles CLP20.3 v GRN
Araluen Robyn Lambley CLP24.7

Post-election pendulum

Country Liberal seats
Marginal
Arafura Francis Maralampuwi Xavier CLP1.0
Sanderson Peter Styles CLP3.1
Stuart Bess Price CLP3.5
Daly Gary Higgins CLP4.7
Arnhem Larisa Lee CLP5.3
Fairly safe
Fong Lim Dave Tollner CLP7.3
Port Darwin John Elferink CLP9.6
Safe
Blain Terry Mills CLP13.2
Brennan Peter Chandler CLP14.2
Greatorex Matt Conlan CLP14.8
Drysdale Lia Finocchiaro CLP15.3
Goyder Kezia Purick CLP16.7
Namatjira Alison Anderson CLP18.6
Very safe
Araluen Robyn Lambley CLP22.2
Katherine Willem Westra Van Holthe CLP22.3
Braitling Adam Giles CLP23.6
Labor seats
Marginal
Johnston Ken Vowles ALP5.7
Fairly safe
Karama Delia Lawrie ALP6.4
Fannie Bay Michael Gunner ALP6.8
Wanguri Paul Henderson ALP7.0
Barkly Gerry McCarthy ALP7.6
Nightcliff Natasha Fyles ALP9.2
Casuarina Kon Vatskalis ALP9.3
Safe
Nhulunbuy Lynne Walker ALP19.0
Independent seats
Nelson Gerry Wood IND9.2 v CLP

Newspaper endorsements

NewspaperEndorsement
The Australian Country Liberal [14]
NT News Labor [ citation needed ]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Country Liberal Party</span> Northern Territory political party

The Country Liberal Party of the Northern Territory (CLP), commonly known as the Country Liberals, is a centre-right political party in Australia's Northern Territory. In local politics, it operates in a two-party system with the Australian Labor Party (ALP). It also contests federal elections as an affiliate of the Liberal Party of Australia and National Party of Australia, the two partners in the federal coalition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Northern Territory Legislative Assembly</span> Legislative house of the unicameral legislature of the Northern Territory

The Legislative Assembly of the Northern Territory is the unicameral legislature of the Northern Territory of Australia. The Legislative Assembly has 25 members, each elected in single-member electorates for four-year terms. The voting method for the Assembly is the full-preferential voting system, having previously been optional preferential voting. Elections are on the fourth Saturday in August of the fourth year after the previous election, but can be earlier in the event of a no confidence vote in the Government. The most recent election for the Legislative Assembly was the 2020 election held on 22 August 2020. The next election is scheduled for 24 August 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2005 Northern Territory general election</span>

A general election was held in the Northern Territory, Australia, on 18 June 2005. The centre-left Labor Party, led by Chief Minister Clare Martin, won a second term with a landslide victory, winning six of the ten seats held by the opposition Country Liberal Party in the 25-member Northern Territory Legislative Assembly, bringing their total to 19. It was the second largest victory in any Northern Territory election. The only larger majority in the history of the Territory was in the first election, in 1974. In that contest, the CLP won 17 of the 19 seats in the chamber, and faced only two independents as opposition.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Electoral division of Arnhem</span>

Arnhem is an electoral division of the Legislative Assembly in Australia's Northern Territory. It was first created in 1974, and takes its name from Arnhem Land, the region encompassing much of the northern part of the Territory.

Daniel Robert Knight is a former Australian politician. He was a Labor Party member of the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly from 2005 to 2012, representing the remote electorate of Daly. He served as Minister for Local Government and Minister for Central Australia from 2008 to 2012. He also served as the Deputy Speaker of the Legislative Assembly from 2006 to 2012, having been appointed to the position after the resignation of Len Kiely.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2001 Northern Territory general election</span>

A general election was held in the Northern Territory, Australia, on 18 August 2001. The centre-left Labor Party (ALP), led by Clare Martin, won a surprising victory over the Country Liberal Party (CLP). Before this, the CLP had held 18 out the 25 seats in the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly to the ALP's 7. After this election, the ALP held the majority with 13 seats to the CLP's 10, consigning the CLP to opposition for the first time since the Territory gained responsible government. Martin became Chief Minister, succeeding the CLP's Denis Burke.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1990 Northern Territory general election</span>

A general election was held in the Northern Territory on Saturday 27 October 1990, and was won by the incumbent Country Liberal Party (CLP) under Chief Minister Marshall Perron.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">1987 Northern Territory general election</span> Australian Regional Election

A general election was held in the Northern Territory, Australia on Saturday 7 March 1987. Although the incumbent Country Liberal Party (CLP) won a majority under new leader Stephen Hatton, the party's vote was down almost 20 percentage points.

Alison Nampitjinpa Anderson is an Australian politician.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Terry Mills (Australian politician)</span> Australian politician

Terence Kennedy Mills is an Australian politician. He served as chief minister of the Northern Territory from 2012 to 2013 and was leader of the Country Liberal Party (CLP) from 2003 to 2005 and 2008 to 2012.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2008 Northern Territory general election</span>

General elections were held in the Northern Territory of Australia on 9 August 2008. Of the 25 seats in the Legislative Assembly, 23 were contested; two safe Labor seats were uncontested. The incumbent centre-left Labor Party (ALP), led by Chief Minister Paul Henderson won a narrow third term victory against the opposition centre-right Country Liberal Party (CLP), led by Terry Mills. Labor suffered a massive and unexpected swing against it, to hold a one-seat majority in the new parliament.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Adam Giles</span> Australian politician

Adam Graham Giles is an Australian former politician and former Chief Minister of the Northern Territory (2013–2016) as well as the former leader of the Country Liberal Party (CLP) in the unicameral Northern Territory Parliament. Giles is the first Indigenous Australian to serve as a head of government in Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Michael Gunner</span> Australian politician

Michael Patrick Francis Gunner is an Australian former politician who was the 11th Chief Minister of the Northern Territory from 2016 to 2022. He was a Labor member of the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly, holding the seat of Fannie Bay in Darwin from the retirement of then Chief Minister Clare Martin at the 2008 election until his resignation in July 2022.

Kezia Dorcas Tibisay Purick is an Australian politician. She is an independent member of the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly, having held her seat of Goyder since the 2008 election. Prior to entering Parliament, Purick was the CEO of the NT Minerals Council for 16 years. Originally elected as a member of the Country Liberal Party, she became an independent in 2015.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2016 Northern Territory general election</span>

The 2016 Northern Territory general election was held on Saturday 27 August 2016 to elect all 25 members of the Legislative Assembly in the unicameral Northern Territory Parliament.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Electoral division of Namatjira</span>

Namatjira is an electoral division of the Legislative Assembly in Australia's Northern Territory. It was created in 2012 when the former division of MacDonnell was renamed after the Aboriginal artist Albert Namatjira. Namatjira is an almost entirely rural electorate, covering 198,384 km2, and taking in the resort town of Yulara, the remote communities of Hermannsburg, Kintore and Papunya, and part of southern Alice Springs. There were 5,728 electors enrolled in Namatjira as of August 2020.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Lia Finocchiaro</span> Australian politician (born 1984)

Lia Emele Finocchiaro is an Australian politician. She has been a Country Liberal Party member of the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly for the seat of Spillett since her election in 2016. She became Leader of the Opposition in the Northern Territory after the resignation of Gary Higgins on 1 February 2020. She was previously the member for Drysdale from 2012 to 2016.

Chanston James "Chansey" Paech is an Australian politician. He is a Labor Party member of the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly since 2016, representing the electorate of Namatjira until 2020 and Gwoja thereafter. He is of Arrente, Arabana and Gurindji descent.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2020 Northern Territory general election</span>

The 2020 Northern Territory general election was held on 22 August 2020 to elect all 25 members of the Legislative Assembly in the unicameral Northern Territory Parliament.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Territory Alliance</span> Political party in Australia

Territory Alliance was an Australian political party based in the Northern Territory. It was founded in 2019 by Terry Mills, an incumbent member of the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly and former Chief Minister of the Northern Territory. He had been elected as a member of the Country Liberal Party (CLP).

References

  1. 1 2 "Antony Greens's Election Blog: Final Figures for 2012 Northern Territory Election". ABC News. 2 September 2012. Retrieved 3 September 2012.
  2. ↑ "State of the Parties - Northern Territory Votes 2012".
  3. ↑ "As it happened: NT votes 2012". 25 August 2012.
  4. ↑ Legislative Assembly General Election - 25th August 2012 Archived 1 June 2016 at the Wayback Machine , Northern Territory Electoral Commission.
  5. ↑ "D-Day brought forward". Northern Territory News. 7 August 2009. Retrieved 3 February 2011.
  6. ↑ "NT Labor may be ousted next week". ABC News. 7 August 2009. Retrieved 3 February 2011.
  7. ↑ "Labor's fate uncertain". The Age. 11 August 2009. Retrieved 3 February 2011.
  8. ↑ "Labor survives D-day in NT showdown". The Australian. 14 August 2009. Archived from the original on 17 August 2009. Retrieved 3 February 2011.
  9. ↑ "Anderson 'mates' with an old enemy". Northern Territory News. 9 September 2011. Retrieved 27 January 2012.
  10. ↑ "Antony Green". 11 October 2011.
  11. ↑ Green, Antony (4 August 2009). "Fixed Term Parliaments face test in Northern Territory". ABC News. Retrieved 3 February 2011.
  12. ↑ Green, Antony (13 June 2012). "2012 Northern Territory Election Website now live". Australian Broadcasting Corporation . Retrieved 13 June 2012.
  13. ↑ Pendulum - Northern Territory Votes 2012, Australian Broadcasting Corporation
  14. ↑ "Embrace the chance for a fresh start in the Territory". The Australian. News Limited. 25 August 2012. Retrieved 25 August 2012.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.