Latest counting after Saturday’s NT election suggests the CLP will most likely end up with just 4 seats, Labor 19 and Independents 2. It’s a stunning Labor whitewash, equal to the largest victory the CLP achieved in its long years of dominance, back in 1983.
Despite my modest residual ALP sympathies, a victory on this scale just isn’t good for democracy. The CLP simply isn’t going to have sufficient parliamentary numbers to provide an effective opposition; in fact even its choice for leader rests between failed former leader Terry Mills (a nice bloke but seemingly lacking in the necessary streak of arrogant mongrel) and Alice Springs lawyer Jodeen Carney, who certainly possesses the mongrel but hasn’t so far demonstrated much in the way of political smarts. We can only hope Carney grows into the job. For all her many fine qualities, Clare Martin was already exhibiting distinctly imperial pretensions even before this smashing victory. We’re going to need someone to keep the bastards honest.
I’m not sure if describing Terry Mills as “failed” is strictly fair or accurate in political terms. A failed leader is usually one who has lost an election, like Burke, now a two-time failure. Terry Mills stood down. Maybe he’s smarter than we thought?
Actually, I’ve met more than a few people who would have voted for a Mills CLP, but who were prepared to vote 1 Satan before they put Burke back on the 5th floor.
Important note: Ron Sexsmith on The Basement tonight ABC TV I think
Good call Holden FX. Whenever the CLP is mentioned, I think Ron Sexsmith too.
What is it with the Territory? Do they just hate opposition parties?
Jodeen? What’s her brother’s name? Jethro?
A super-majority and a unicameral parliament – not cool. It would have been interesting to see, if it was bicameral, whether territorians would have voted in an upper house that could keep a check on government.
check on government.
No, no, no, Territorians like a dictatorship and we aren’t too fussy about who dictates. In fact we generally don’t like to even swap dictators. It’s a loyalty thing, and now we are firmly ALP aligned. I don’t see any need to change that beautiful set of letters for at least 25 – 30 years. Long live the ALP.
In years past, it was worrying when the side promising the circuses and $1.3b powerlines won. That’s not happening now. Is there some particular prospective mischief you’re worried about?
spot on Ken.
A bad result for democracy but remember voters never get it wrong!
Surely the media (4th estate) will keep the bastards honest. Otherwise, I’m sure there will be an interventionist Federal Government.
I don’t think the 4th estate will do much, Alex. The ABC has a revolving door with Labor, and a surprisingly high number of NT News reporters and staff are either former Labor staffers, or even married to sitting Labor members.
This leaves Channel 7, who don’t have a local news team and who broadcast Brisbane news here, and Channel 9, who broadcast 30 seconds of politics before rushing to 27 minutes of sports news.
Let’s face it, NT Govt is really just a jumped up Darwin city council and as long as they keep the streets clean(drunks?) and don’t jack up the rates too much, the good citizens can get on with their beer and barbies. Howard and Co will see to it they don’t get too many extra Federal pennies to blow on the usual luvvies shopping list(as if you could ever describe the Deep North ALP as luvvies)
Does the NT have an optional preference system?
Does the NT have an optional preference system?
No, it’s full/compulsory preferential.
Record straightening: As far as I know no current staff members at the NT News are former labor staffers, and certainly none of them are currently married to sitting Labor members. This may change though, given the limited job opportunities and marital prospects for media people in a place this size.
Colin
It’s great to see you’ve started your own blog. But the cartoons don’t seem to be the ones published in the NT News each day. Is there any way they’d allow you to publish those on your blog too, even a few days late. After all, they’re not published in the online edition of the NT News AFAIK, which means the rest of Australia is denied access to the unique Wicking wit. Other newspaper cartoonists (e.g. Nicholson) seem to publish their actual newspaper cartoons, and usually quite quickly after they appear in the newspaper.
G’day Ken. I run a couple of recent News cartoons each week on my website, along with some other off-the-wall stuff. (www.wicking.net.au) Don’t know what arrangements the other guys have, but the paper owns the copyright to my published stuff and has been reluctant to run it on the web. They’d probably have to pay me extra or something. I started up the blog as a sort of online archive of cartoons that probably wouldn’t see the light of day otherwise, on-the-day stuff along with older ones I’ve got sitting around…On another matter I’d like to gleefully point out that I got more time on Stateline than you got on The 7.30 Report. Heh Heh.
if the CLP were that much on the nose [and they probably were if they backed Australia First ] the voters did a good job .
there is enough diversity in the TERRITORY to keep them on their toes .
Crikey, I am in exalted company. I’m happy to be corrected by Wicking, though I recall that Tim Pigot was at least married to a Labor member.
Of course he’s moved on these days.
I am new at this commenting stuff, so I sent my post to the wrong place. Apologies.
Re the Labor victory. I can’t stop humming, ‘How does it feel’, sung like Bob Dylan. Wow, am I gloating! A bit of gloating does the soul good.My urge is to say Nah-nah-na-nah-na. It is difficult though, in the colder climes, to explain that a 21% swing is just a couple of streets worth of votes. Nevertheless, as they say ‘Revenge is a pudding best eaten cold’. I never I thought I would live long enough…..
Yes, I’m as surprised this time by the size of the victory as I was last time that Clare won at all!! And I said in my earlier post from Saturday night (titled Schadenfreude) that I was quietly gloating at the discomforture of all the old CLP apparatchiks. I was talking to Graham Lewis at the tally room, and he looked like he’d just chewed and swallowed a dog turd.
Anyway, how are you and Terry going (assuming it’s the same Jan Porter)?
I do like Ron Sexsmith, but he’s been making the same album for 10 years. Sorry, what was this thread about again?
Yep, it is the Jan Porter you are thinking of. We are fine. Loving life in beautiful Bendigo, but always keeping an eye on all events in tropical territory. The two Smith offspring still live in Darwin and Terry is making his first return visit at the end of the month.
This election is likely to bring an excess of hubris, as it did for Kennett in Victoria. What amazed me in the pictures on TV was how many Labor supporters there were, and not a face we could recognise. Nothing like a bit of power to attract a crowd. Not like the ‘old days’ eh?
The other thing that was obvious is that Labor no longer has the expertise in the ballot counting. The commentators on News Radio had no real figures to work with, and were guessing much of the time. That seems to be a real shift in the oranisational priorities, perhaps reflecting the nonchallance of the New Labor. Once upon a time the scrutineers knew exactly how the results would go in a booth. Another indicator?
Yep, it is the Jan Porter you are thinking of. We are fine. Loving life in beautiful Bendigo, but always keeping an eye on all events in tropical territory. The two Smith offspring still live in Darwin and Terry is making his first return visit at the end of the month.
This election is likely to bring an excess of hubris, as it did for Kennett in Victoria. What amazed me in the pictures on TV was how many Labor supporters there were, and not a face we could recognise. Nothing like a bit of power to attract a crowd. Not like the ‘old days’ eh?
The other thing that was obvious is that Labor no longer has the expertise in the ballot counting. The commentators on News Radio had no real figures to work with, and were guessing much of the time. That seems to be a real shift in the oranisational priorities, perhaps reflecting the nonchallance of the New Labor. Once upon a time the scrutineers knew exactly how the results would go in a booth. Another indicator?