Amidst the excitement of the Paris 2024 Olympics, the US presidential election and the Australian Federal Cabinet reshuffle, a key event on Australia’s political calendar has flown somewhat under the radar.
On Saturday 24 August, around 155,000 electors are enrolled to head to the polls for the 2024 Northern Territory general election – 50 years on from the Northern Territory’s first Legislative Assembly election in 1974.
In this edition of Nexus APAC Insights, the team has compiled a summary of the key players and policy items to note, in what is shaping up to be a unique and significant contest.
2024 Northern Territory General Election: An Overview
The incumbent Territory Labor (ALP), currently led by Chief Minister Eva Lawler, is seeking to secure a third consecutive four-year term in government. The opposition Country Liberal Party (CLP) is currently led by Lia Finocchiaro. In the event both current leaders remain in place, this will be the first election in the Northern Territory where both major political parties are led by women, and the third in any state or territory.
Unlike most Australian states, the Northern Territory’s Parliament is unicameral – that is, it is comprised of one chamber only, called the Legislative Assembly. Currently, the Legislative Assembly consists of 25 members (MLAs) representing 25 divisions. The ALP holds 14 seats, the CLP holds 7 seats, and independents hold 4 seats. Just three other parties are registered with the Northern Territory Electoral Commission (NTEC): the Animal Justice Party, the Federation Party and the Northern Territory Greens. Of these, only the Greens will contest.
The count will begin after polls close at 6 pm on election day.
The Key Players
Chief Minister, Hon Eva Lawler
Chief Minister Lawler is the 13th Chief Minister of the Northern Territory, holding office since December 2023, following three leadership changes in 2022. She is also the Treasurer and the Minister for Major Projects; Defence Industries; and Industry and Trade.
A member of Territory Labor’s right faction, Chief Minister Lawler’s leadership has been characterised by the introduction of the 2024 Alice Springs curfews, Police Disorder Declarations (‘PDDs’) and gas expansion plans.
Leader of the Opposition, Mrs Lia Finocchiaro
Mrs Finocchiaro, the Leader of the Opposition, is seeking to return her party to power for the first time since 2016. She is currently the Shadow Minister for Police, Fire and Emergency Services; Strategic Defence Relations; Northern Australia and Trade; and Major Projects.
Before becoming the 13th Leader of the Opposition, she was the Deputy Leader of the Opposition from 2016 to 2020.
Independents
20 Independent candidates are contesting this election, joining 24 Labor candidates, 25 Country Liberal candidates, and 11 Greens candidates. The increasing prominence of independent politicians in the Northern Territory is raising the likelihood of a hung parliament.
A grassroots organisation, Voices of the Top End (VoTE), launched a report into political sentiments in some of the Territory’s safest seats earlier this year. The nonpartisan volunteer organisation conducted five months of small-group meetings and community engagement, finding that disillusionment with party politics in the Territory is higher than ever.
The report also found that the biggest issues for the primarily Darwin city fringe voters were community safety, climate change and energy, First Nations equity and environment and water protections.
Spotlight on Policy: Key Election Issues
Health
In the 2024-25 Budget in May, the current Government allocated $100 million to Royal Darwin Hospital upgrades and $2 million towards planning for a new aged care centre in Palmerston, albeit reducing the overall health budget. Labor has also promised to table a bill on voluntary assisted dying if elected.
The CLP pledges to give pharmacists an expanded set of powers to treat up to 21 conditions, including urinary tract infections (UTIs), school sores, shingles, wound management, asthma, swimmer’s ear, travel vaccines and hypertension, bypassing the need for GPs.
Community Safety
The major parties align on community safety policy in many ways, including support for youth camps as alternatives to youth detention, pledging to build two new women’s prisons, and providing $180 million over five years to combat domestic violence. Violent crime is at an all-time high in the Northern Territory.
The CLP has announced its intention to lower the age of criminal responsibility back to 10, and to take youth justice out of the Department of Territory Families, Housing and Communities and return it to Northern Territory Correctional Services.
If re-elected, Labor has pledged $570 million for police resourcing and the recruitment of 200 new officers over the next five years. This will be the largest increase in police resourcing in the Territory’s history.
Cost-of-living
Both parties are offering the largest home builder grants in the country. Nonetheless, big spending measures are few and far between, given that the Northern Territory’s net debt will rise to a record $11 billion in the next financial year.
In the 2024-25 Budget, Labor announced $40.8 million to keep electricity prices below inflation, and has promised to double the availability of free preschool for four-year-olds.
The CLP’s Battery Bonus Scheme promises to double the battery subsidy and double the solar feed-in tariff during peak times. Additionally, the CLP has announced payroll tax relief to provide small businesses with savings of up to $55,000 a year.
Why this election is one to watch
This Northern Territory election will be unique in multiple ways:
- It will be the first Northern Territory election where the average enrolment per division will surpass 6,000. Enrolment has increased by 12,293 or 8.7% since 2020,.
- The Northern Territory is the only Australian State or Territory that prints images of the candidates alongside their name and party on the ballot paper – reflecting the importance of knowing and meeting candidates in these characteristically smaller divisions.
- In the Northern Territory’s remote districts, most votes are taken by mobile polling teams.
- A hung Parliament is a strong possibility, as Independents capitalise on rising dissatisfaction with the major parties. Independents currently hold four seats.
This election marks the start of a cascade of State and Territory elections before the next Federal Election. The Australian Capital Territory and Queensland will go to the polls in October, and Western Australia will hold its election in March next year.
Photo credit: AAP Image
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