Retiring MP Warren Snowdon 'hopeful' for Labor victory in Lingiari
Outgoing long-term incumbent for Lingiari, Warren Snowdon, said spirits were high at Labor's election event in Alice Springs as the nail-bitingly tight race between the two major parties continues.
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Mr Snowdon said provisional votes, postal votes and absentee votes as well as a number of votes from mobile voting booths in remote communities were still to be counted.
"I'm hopeful. I wouldn't overstate it but we're in a good position," he said.
He said they always expected the race between Ms Scrymgour and the CLP's Damien Ryan to be extremely close.
"We expected a swing against us which has happened, but we've done well."
Mr Snowdon said he was thrilled at the news of a Labor election victory.
"It's great news, it's an indication of the hard work of many people," he said.
"If we can get Marion across the line it will be really good for the NT, with Luke Gosling winning Solomon, they will be a great team."
Labor claims victory in Solomon
Labor's Luke Gosling and Malarndirri McCarthy have arrived at a Labor event in Darwin and declared victory in the electorate of Solomon.
Mr Gosling has become the first Solomon MP to be elected for a third term.
"Tonight is coming together to say we're behind you, we've got a future to build in the Territory, to build Darwin and Palmerston - more than that, to put us on the map nationally," he said in his victory speech.
According to the ABC, Mr Gosling currently has 59.5 per cent of the primary vote.
Senator McCarthy said the result predicted a general desire for change around the country.
"Australians tonight are deciding they want to change in this country, change for them and their families, change that gives hope in the future. So we are seeing that change occur," she said.
She said she believes Labor will hold onto its other NT seat of Lingiari.
"We are just about there....we are certainly sending much strength to our colleagues in Alice Springs, to Marion Scrymgour.
"194 polling booths in Lingiari. We still have a way to go and I have much faith that we are well and truly going to hang on to Lingiari."
NT Senator makes last bid to voters
NT Senator Sam McMahon was spotted handing out how to vote cards at a voting booth in Palmerston this morning.
Senator McMahon, who was elected as a Senator for the CLP before resigning from the party in January, is running for the Liberal Democrats in today's election.
She said she's spent the last two weeks campaigning in remote communities across the NT.
It's been a really busy two weeks... I've been to Ngukurr, Minyerri, Bulman, Groote Eylandt," she said.
"So that's been nice but obviously tiring so I reckon I'll have a sleep in tomorrow."
She said campaigning as a part of the Liberal Democrats team has been "a breath of fresh air."
"It's going to be a really good note to finish on," Senator McMahon said.
NT Chief Minister, Opposition leader cast their ballots
Newly-appointed NT Chief Minister Natasha Fyles has cast her ballot this morning along side Labor's Solomon MP Luke Gosling and NT Senator Malarndirri McCarthy who are fighting to retain their seats today.
Meanwhile, NT Opposition Leader Lia Finocchiaro cast her ballot in her own electorate in Palmerston.
She said crime was a major issue for Lingiari voters.
"Whilst that is completely a Labor government issue, it's something that people are so desperate and angry about that they want their local federal members as well to be championing the cause," she said.
"I think it's important as elected representatives, no matter what tier of government you are, even at the local council level that we're making sure that the people who are making the decisions understand that law and order and people's personal and business safety has to come first."
Ms Finocchiaro said she was very confident in CLP candidate for Lingiari Damien Ryan's ability to represent the electorate.
"He has done 1000s of kilometres, probably more kilometers than he would even care to keep track of, he's been out nonstop for a very, very long time.
"No matter what happens, he can be incredibly proud of the way he put himself out there and fought for Territorians."
Cost of living major issue for NT voters
The cost of living was the major issue on the minds of voters on the cusp of Solomon and Lingiari at the polls this morning.
The Goodwin family right on the Lingiari side of the border between the NT's two electorates, and headed to MacKillip Catholic College in Johnston to vote and get their democracy sausage on Saturday afternoon.
Mr Goodwin said national security and the increased cost of living were his main election issues.
"Everything's going up in price, we've got four kids," he said.
"Everything's costing a lot more now."
Another voter, Noni English, said she was concerned about the cost of living - especially fuel - as well as the environment.
"I can't even fill it [my car] right up. I put $50 in and I've got a diesel so its like $2.10, so when I put $50 in it's only to just below half way," Ms English said.
"I've got three kids and two grandkids and they all live at home...so that's why I'm worried about cost of living."
She said she was worried about the impacts of climate change on the next generation.
"There's so much dought and it's raining heaps down south, they've never had that much rain."
More than 200 people test positive to COVID-19 in the NT in the 24 hours to election day
There were 224 new cases of COVID-19 recorded in the NT in the 24 hours to 8pm on May 20, 2022.
There were 156 cases recorded in the Top End region, 28 in Central Australia, three in East Arnhem, 18 in the Big Rivers region, six in the Barkly region and 13 are under investigation.
There are currently 19 patients in hospital. There are six patients requiring oxygen and two patients in ICU.
More election news:
According to NT Health, people in the NT who are in isolation or quarantine on federal election day, Saturday, 21 May, should visit aec.gov.au to check their voting options.
Unvaccinated or partially vaccinated close contacts can leave isolation to vote on election day providing they wear a face mask and maintain 1.5 metres distance from others where possible.
Political analyst weighs in on Lingiari
Charles Darwin University political economist Professor Rolf Gerritson said Lingiari is set to be a very close race, predicting that 500 or fewer votes will decide who wins the seat.
He said both the major parties had good candidates in former NT Deputy Chief Minister Ms Scrymgour and former Alice Springs Mayor Damien Ryan, meaning the race to victory will likely be tight.
"I think both parties have good candidates, they're both highly experienced," he said.
"Certainly Damien Ryan has given them [Labor] a very good shake. If he loses it won't be his fault, it's because 'Scotty From Marketing' [Prime Minister Scott Morrison] is on the nose."
Professor Gerritson said a major challenge for Ms Scrymgour has been establishing the trust and personal relationships long-term incumbent Warren Snowdon has, especially with Aboriginal voters in remote communities.
"I would estimate that over the years Warren has built up a very large personal vote and I think it makes about three per cent difference above the natural Labor vote. So Labor has reason to be worried because this three per cent is usually the margin between defeat and victory," he said.
"Warren has a brilliant network in the bush, every community he would go in he would have two or three men who were his friends and would get the locals organised for elections. Marion is developing a network of women.
"I think Marian will tap into that older women network, which will supplement or replace the sort of networks that Warren has."
The electorate is essentially broken up into two electorates, with regional centres having different election issues to remote communities, according to Professor Gerritson.
"Housing is the dominant issue in the bush part of the electorate," he said.
"The electorates up the spine, including Katherine and Alice and are relatively similar to basically the Australian electorate as a whole, voting tends to be roughly the same.
"Crime is the dominant issue in the whitefella part of the electorate. But obviously, the Prime Minister coming to Alice and giving us $14 million to fight crime, they're trying to make...a federal type protest vote against the Labor Territory government."
He said the recent resignation of NT Chief Minister Michael Gunner has likely helped Labor in the polls because "Gunner embodied a lot of the discontent.
Greens candidates turn out at local polling booths
Greens candidate for Solomon Aiya Goodrich Carttling and Senate candidate Jane Anlezark headed to their local polling booth at Millner Primary School for some last minute campaigning, while Lingiari candidate Blair McFarland headed to his local booth at the Alice Springs CDU campus.
Electorate overviews
Solomon: After decades of the Northern Territory having only one seat in the lower house in Canberra, Solomon came into existence in 2001 to represent the NT's capital of Darwin and nearby satellite city of Palmerston - a mere one per cent of the NT's land mass. Unlike the other NT seat of Lingiari, Solomon has changed hands over the years after the Country Liberal Party's Dave Tollner was elected as the first federal member before being defeated in 2007 Kevin Rudd swept Labor to power. The incumbent, Luke Gosling, has held the seat since 2016, and currently holds it by a margin of 3.1 per cent, with his succes in part attributed to the unpopularity of the CLP NT Government at the time, of which Tollner was Deputy Chief Minister. Gosling's main opponents for this election include Tina MacFarlane for the CLP, Kylie Bonani for the Liberal Democrats and Aiya Goodrich Carttling for the Greens.
Lingiari: An electorate like no other, Lingiari - which is one of just two federal seats in the NT - covers a land mass spanning 1.3 million sq km - more than the size of Victoria and New South Wales combined. It's also one of the least populated electorates with the lowest voter turnout and the highest proportion of First Nations residents, at around 40 per cent of the population. It's also set apart by the fact that the incumbent, Labor's Warren Snowdon, has held the seat since the electorate came into existence in 2001. But, with Snowdon retiring at this election, Labor has been working hard to show Labor voting constituents that they are in safe hands with former NT Chief Minister and Tiwi and Anmatjere woman Marion Scrymgour. However, the race is set to be a tight one between Scrymgour and the Country Liberal Party's Damien Ryan, who held the position of Mayor in Alice Springs for 13 years before trying his hand at federal politics. Both the Coalition and Labor have recognised how close this seat is set to be, each dedicating a decent amount of time on the campaign trail to Lingiari.