2001 Northern Territory general election

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.

2001 Northern Territory general election

← 1997 18 August 2001 (2001-08-18) 2005 →

All 25 seats of the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly
13 seats needed for a majority
Turnout80.56 (Increase 1.57 pp)
  First party Second party
 
Leader Clare Martin Denis Burke
Party Labor Country Liberal
Leader since 3 February 1999 8 February 1999
Leader's seat Fannie Bay Brennan
Last election 7 seats 18 seats
Seats won 13 10
Seat change Increase 6 Decrease 8
Popular vote 33,038 36,926
Percentage 40.6% 45.4%
Swing Increase 2.1 Decrease 9.1
TPP 48.1% 51.9%
TPP Increase 6.0 Decrease 6.0


Chief Minister before election

Denis Burke
Country Liberal

Elected Chief Minister

Clare Martin
Labor

While the CLP won a bare majority of the two-party vote, Labor picked up an unexpectedly large swing in the Darwin area. Labor took all but one seat in the capital, including all seven seats in the northern part of the city. Darwin's northern suburbs are somewhat more diverse than the rest of the city, and were on paper friendlier to Labor than the rest of the capital. In the process, Labor unseated four sitting MLAs. The result was not known for several days, in part due to a very close race in Millner between CLP incumbent Phil Mitchell and Labor challenger Matthew Bonson. Ultimately, Bonson won by a margin of 82 votes, allowing Labor to win government by one seat.

Two independents won seats at this election. Former CLP member Loraine Braham won the seat of Braitling and Gerry Wood won the seat of Nelson.

Retiring MPs

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Results

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13 2 10
ALP Ind CLP
Summary of the Results of the 2001 Northern Territory general election, Legislative Assembly[1]
 
PartyVotes%+/–Seats+/–
Country Liberal36,92645.38  9.2910-8
Labor33,03840.60  2.1213+6
Independents8,58310.55  4.882+2
One Nation1,0741.32New0±0
Democrats6920.85  0.220±0
Territory Alliance (2001)6220.76New0±0
Socialist Alliance4320.53New0±0
Total81,367100.0025
Valid votes81,36795.73
Invalid/blank votes3,6274.27-0.90
Total votes84,994100.00
Registered voters/turnout105,50680.56+1.57
Labor39,09948.05
Country Liberal42,26851.95
Total81,367100.00
Popular vote
Country Liberal
45.38%
Labor
40.60%
One Nation
1.32%
Democrats
0.85%
Others
1.29%
Independents
5.10%
Two-party-preferred vote
Country Liberal
51.90%
Labor
48.10%
Seats
Labor
52.00%
Country Liberal
40.00%
Independents
8.00%

Candidates

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

Electorate Held by ALP candidate CLP candidate Other candidates
 
Arafura ALP Marion Scrymgour Marius Puruntatameri John Christopherson (Ind)
Dorothy Fox (Ind)
Araluen CLP Michael Bowden Jodeen Carney John Bohning (Ind)
Meredith Campbell (Ind)
Arnhem ALP Jack Ah Kit Cliff Thompson
Alan Wright
Lance Lawrence (Ind)
Barkly ALP Elliot McAdam Bill Cross Gavin Carpenter (Ind)
Blain CLP Peter Shew Terry Mills Joseph Mulqueeney (TAP)
Braitling CLP Peter Brooke Peter Harvey Loraine Braham (Ind)
Peter Jarvis (Ind)
Eddie Taylor (Ind)
Brennan CLP Simon Hall Denis Burke Duncan Dean (Ind)
Casuarina CLP Kon Vatskalis Peter Adamson Necmi Bayram (TAP)
Craig Seiler (Dem)
Daly CLP Rob Knight Tim Baldwin Wayne Norris (ON)
Frank Spry (Dem)
Drysdale CLP Inger Peirce Stephen Dunham
Fannie Bay ALP Clare Martin Mary Cunningham Peter Johnston (SA)
Goyder CLP Alan Smith Peter Maley Diana Rickard (Ind)
Merv Stewart (ON)
Greatorex CLP Peter Kavanagh Richard Lim David Mortimer (Ind)
Johnston CLP Chris Burns Steve Balch Joanne Sangster (Dem)
Karama CLP Delia Lawrie Mick Palmer
Katherine CLP Michael Peirce Mike Reed Tony Coutts (Ind)
John Donnellan (Ind)
Rob Phillips (ON)
Macdonnell CLP Harold Furber Philip Alice
John Elferink
Millner CLP Matthew Bonson Phil Mitchell Andrew Arthur (Ind)
Diane Baird (Ind)
Andrew Ivinson (TAP)
Nelson CLP Bob Hare Chris Lugg Tony Hardwick (ON)
Gerry Wood (Ind)
Nhulunbuy ALP Syd Stirling Peter Manning Gordon Davey (ON)
David Mitchell (Ind)
Nightcliff CLP Jane Aagaard Jason Hatton Peter Ivinson (TAP)
Gary Meyerhoff (SA)
Port Darwin CLP Chris Bond Sue Carter Nick Dondas (Ind)
Sanderson CLP Len Kiely Peter Poniris Gary Haslett (Ind)
Susan Murdoch (TAP)
Stuart ALP Peter Toyne Ken Lechleitner
Wanguri ALP Paul Henderson Robyn Cahill Meredith de Landelles (SA)

Seats changing hands

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Seat Pre-2001 Swing Post-2001
Party Member Margin Margin Member Party
Braitling   Country Liberal Loraine Braham 15.0 (CLP) N/A 5.5* Loraine Braham Independent  
Casuarina   Country Liberal Peter Adamson 5.6 9.1 3.5 Kon Vatskalis Labor  
Johnston   Country Liberal Steve Balch 6.3 9.2 2.9 Chris Burns Labor  
Karama   Country Liberal Mick Palmer 2.6 6.4 3.7 Delia Lawrie Labor  
Macdonnell**   Country Liberal John Elferink −1.6 10.1 8.5 John Elferink Country Liberal  
Millner   Country Liberal Phil Mitchell 8.7 9.9 1.2 Matthew Bonson Labor  
Nelson   Country Liberal Chris Lugg 14.7 17.4 2.7 Gerry Wood Independent  
Nightcliff   Country Liberal Stephen Hatton 4.6 11.7 7.1 Jane Aagaard Labor  
Sanderson   Country Liberal Daryl Manzie 9.9 12.9 3.0 Len Kiely Labor  
Wanguri***   Labor Paul Henderson −3.8 11.0 7.2 Paul Henderson Labor  
  • Members listed in italics did not contest their seats at this election.
  • *Braitling's second figure is CLP vs. Independent.
  • **Due to boundary changes, Macdonnell was notionally ALP at the time of this election.
  • ***Due to boundary changes, Wanguri were notionally CLP at the time of this election.

Electoral pendulum

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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.[2]

Pre-election pendulum

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Incumbent members who have become and remained an independent since the 1997 election are indicated in grey.

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

Country Liberal seats
Marginal
Nelson Chris Lugg CLP 0.6 v IND
Karama Mick Palmer CLP 2.6
Wanguri Paul Henderson ALP 3.8
Nightcliff Stephen Hatton CLP 4.6
Casuarina Peter Adamson CLP 5.6
Fairly safe
Johnston Steve Balch CLP 6.3
Millner Phil Mitchell CLP 8.7
Sanderson Daryl Manzie CLP 9.9
Safe
Greatorex Richard Lim CLP 11.3
Goyder Terry McCarthy CLP 13.7
Daly Terry McCarthy CLP 14.3
Braitling Loraine Braham CLP 15.0
Port Darwin Sue Carter CLP 17.2
Araluen Eric Poole CLP 19.1
Very safe
Drysdale Stephen Dunham CLP 21.8
Blain Terry Mills CLP 24.1
Katherine Mike Reed CLP 24.3
Brennan Denis Burke CLP 25.0
Labor seats
Marginal
Stuart Peter Toyne ALP 0.8
Macdonnell John Elferink CLP 1.6
Fannie Bay Clare Martin ALP 1.9
Fairly safe
Arafura Maurice Rioli ALP 9.0
Arnhem Jack Ah Kit ALP 7.7
Barkly Maggie Hickey ALP 8.0
Safe
Very safe
Nhulunbuy Syd Stirling ALP 22.1

Post-election pendulum

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Labor seats
Marginal
Millner Matthew Bonson ALP 1.2
Johnston Chris Burns ALP 2.9
Sanderson Len Kiely ALP 3.0
Casuarina Kon Vatskalis ALP 3.5
Karama Delia Lawrie ALP 3.7
Fairly safe
Nightcliff Jane Aagaard ALP 7.1
Wanguri Paul Henderson ALP 7.2
Safe
Fannie Bay Clare Martin ALP 11.1
Arnhem Jack Ah Kit ALP 11.4
Arafura Marion Scrymgour ALP 11.5 v IND
Barkly Elliot McAdam ALP 12.5
Nhulunbuy Syd Stirling ALP 16.1
Very safe
Stuart Peter Toyne ALP 21.3
Country Liberal seats
Marginal
Araluen Jodeen Carney CLP 2.0
Fairly safe
Port Darwin Sue Carter CLP 6.9
Macdonnell John Elferink CLP 8.5
Greatorex Richard Lim CLP 9.0
Safe
Daly Tim Baldwin CLP 11.8
Goyder Peter Maley CLP 13.8
Katherine Mike Reed CLP 14.5
Drysdale Stephen Dunham CLP 15.4
Blain Terry Mills CLP 16.7
Brennan Denis Burke CLP 18.2
Independent seats
Nelson Gerry Wood IND 2.7 v CLP
Braitling Loraine Braham IND 5.5 v CLP
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References

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  1. ^ "Details of NT 2001 Election" (PDF). ABC.
  2. ^ "Details of NT 2001 Election" (PDF). ABC.