2023 Arafura by-election

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2023 Arafura by-election
Flag of the Northern Territory.svg
18 March 2023 [1]
Registered5,536
Turnout58.1%
 First partySecond party
  Labor Placeholder.png CountryLiberal Placeholder.png
Candidate Manuel Brown Leslie Tungatalum
Party Labor Country Liberal
Popular vote2,038897
Percentage66.7%29.4%
SwingIncrease2.svg 17.7Decrease2.svg 10.8
TPP 69.2%30.8%
TPPIncrease2.svg 15.6Decrease2.svg 15.6

NT Election 2020 - Arafura.png
Location of Arafura in the Northern Territory

MP before election

Lawrence Costa
Labor

Elected MP

Manuel Brown
Labor

The 2023 Arafura by-election was held on Saturday, 18 March 2023 to elect the next member of the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly for the electoral division of Arafura. The by-election was triggered by the death of incumbent Labor MP Lawrence Costa, who died on 17 December 2022 and had a state funeral held for him on 1 March. [2] The election was won by Labor candidate Manuel Brown. Chief Minister and NT Labor leader Natasha Fyles declared victory after two hours of counting. [3]

Contents

Background

2020 election results

2020 Northern Territory general election: Arafura [4] [5]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labor Lawrence Costa 1,26949.0+0.6
Country Liberal Gibson Illortaminni1,04140.2+4.4
Independent Tristan Mungatopi1997.7+3.5
Territory Alliance George Laughton823.2+3.2
Total formal votes2,59194.8N/A
Informal votes1425.2N/A
Turnout 2,73352.7N/A
Two-party-preferred result
Labor Lawrence Costa 1,38853.6−3.7
Country Liberal Gibson Illortaminni1,20346.4+3.7
Labor hold Swing −3.7

Candidates

PartyCandidateBackground
  Country Liberal Leslie TungutalumDeputy Mayor of the Tiwi Islands Regional Council. Son of former member for Tiwi Hyacinth Tungutalum. [2]
  Labor Manuel BrownFormer liaison officer for Costa. [2]
  Federation Alan MiddletonParty officer. [6]

Results

2023 Arafura by-election [7]
PartyCandidateVotes%±%
Labor Manuel Brown 2,03866.7+17.7
Country Liberal Leslie Tungatalum89729.4−10.7
Australian Federation Alan Middleton1203.9+3.9
Total formal votes3,05595.1+0.3
Informal votes1594.9−0.3
Turnout 3,21458.1+5.4
Two-party-preferred result
Labor Manuel Brown 2,11369.2+15.6
Country Liberal Leslie Tungatalum94230.8−15.6
Labor hold Swing +15.6

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References

  1. "2023 Division of Arafura by-election". 2 February 2023.
  2. 1 2 3 "Territory Labor, CLP announce Tiwi Islands candidates for NT's Arafura by-election after former member's sudden death - ABC News".
  3. "Labor declares victory for Manuel Brown in Arafura by-election". ABC News. 18 March 2023. Retrieved 24 March 2023.
  4. "Electorate summary: Arafura". NTEC. Retrieved 4 September 2020.
  5. "Arafura". ABC Elections. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 7 September 2020.
  6. Bowles, Annabel; Haigh, Sierra (9 March 2023). "NT politics: Mobile voting teams start travelling Top End ahead of Arafura by-election". Courier-Mail. Retrieved 10 March 2023.
  7. "2023 Division of Arafura by-election results". Northern Territory Electoral Commission. Retrieved 24 March 2023.