Results of the 2012 Northern Territory general election

Overall results

NT Legislative Assembly (IRV) — Turnout 76.9% (CV) — Informal 3.2%^[1]^[2]
	Votes	%	Swing	Seats	Change
Country Liberal Party	46,653	50.6	+5.2	16	+4
Labor Party	33,594	36.5	−6.7	8	−4
NT Greens	3,039	3.3	−1.0	0	0
The First Nations Political Party	2,048	2.2	+2.2	0	0
Australian Sex Party	717	0.8	+0.8	0	0
Independents	5,566	6.0	−1.1	1	0
Other	526	0.6	+0.6	0	0
Total	92,143			25
Country Liberal Party	51,435	55.8	+5.1	16	+4
Labor Party	40,709	44.2	−5.1	8	−4

Results by Electoral Division

Arafura

2012 Northern Territory general election: Arafura
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Country Liberal	Francis Maralampuwi Xavier	1,308	43.1	+6.6
	Labor	Dean Rioli	1,104	36.4	−9.7
	Greens	George Pascoe	426	14.1	+14.1
	First Nations	Jeannie Gadambua	194	6.4	+6.4
Total formal votes			3,032	95.3	+1.3
Informal votes			148	4.7	−1.3
Turnout			3,180	58.1	−2.8
Two-party-preferred result
	Country Liberal	Francis Maralampuwi Xavier	1,547	51.0	+15.0
	Labor	Dean Rioli	1,485	49.0	−15.0
	Country Liberal gain from Labor		Swing	+15.0

The Labor member for Arafura, Marion Scrymgour, announced her retirement from politics in March 2012, citing a desire to focus on community work.^[3] Having represented the seat since 2001, Scrymgour had been Deputy Chief Minister from 2007 to February 2009, when she resigned from the Labor Party after difficulties in her Education portfolio. Having rejoined the ALP in August following Alison Anderson's move to the crossbenches, Scrymgour's battle with thyroid cancer and the death of her father had contributed to a decreased public presence and she did not return to the ministry.^[4]

To replace Scrymgour, Labor nominated former Australian rules footballer Dean Rioli, whose uncle Maurice Rioli had been Scrymgour's predecessor in the seat.^[5] The Country Liberals endorsed the deputy chair of the Tiwi Land Council, Francis Maralampuwi Xavier, a fellow Tiwi Islander who was also related to Rioli; Xavier had been a former Labor preselection candidate who had defected to the conservative side of politics.^[6] The Greens nominated George Pascoe, who had previously contested the seat in 2005, while the new First Nations Party nominated Jeannie Gadambua.

Arafura was one of the seats that was too close to call on election night, and together with Stuart it remained in doubt for some days after the election. The CLP's sizeable primary vote lead was narrowed by a strong flow of Greens preferences to Labor,^[7] although the First Nations Party, in common with most other seats it contested, directed preferences to the CLP.^[8] Xavier led Rioli by 148 votes when election night counting finished, but this was narrowed to 47 during counting the following week.^[9] Xavier's final margin over Rioli was 62 votes, which amounted to a 15 per cent swing to the Country Liberals.^[10] This was the first time Labor had lost Arafura since its creation in 1983.

Araluen

2012 Northern Territory general election: Araluen
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Country Liberal	Robyn Lambley	2,487	68.7	+0.4
	Labor	Adam Findlay	848	23.4	+6.3
	First Nations	Edan Baxter	285	7.9	+7.9
Total formal votes			3,620	96.4	−1.2
Informal votes			137	3.6	+1.2
Turnout			3,757	78.0	−0.9
Two-party-preferred result
	Country Liberal	Robyn Lambley	2,612	72.2	−2.5
	Labor	Adam Findlay	1,008	27.8	+2.5
	Country Liberal hold		Swing	−2.5

The sitting member for Alice Springs-based Araluen, Robyn Lambley, had won the seat for the CLP at a 2010 by-election, triggered by the resignation of former opposition leader Jodeen Carney. The Labor candidate was local chef Adam Findlay, who had also contested the by-election.^[11] Araluen was the CLP's safest seat,^[12] although Findlay made opposition to the Angela Pamela uranium mine a central plank of his campaign.^[13] The First Nations Party nominated Edan Baxter, a musician, entrepreneur and former candidate for local council,^[14] who was one of the party's two non-indigenous candidates.^[15]

The absence of a Greens candidate saw all candidates increase their share of the primary vote. Araluen was one of four seats that saw a two-party-preferred swing towards Labor, together with Fannie Bay, Greatorex and Sanderson, although the result was an improvement on Lambley's by-election margin. Following the election, Lambley surprised observers by defeating existing deputy leader Kezia Purick in a party room ballot and becoming Deputy Chief Minister, a decision that was attributed to the desire to have a rural MP as the deputy.^[16]

Arnhem

2012 Northern Territory general election: Arnhem
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Country Liberal	Larisa Lee	1,366	55.3	n/a
	Labor	Malarndirri McCarthy	1,102	44.7	n/a
Total formal votes			2,468	97.0	n/a
Informal votes			76	3.0	n/a
Turnout			2,544	51.9	n/a
	Country Liberal gain from Labor		Swing	n/a

Barkly

2012 Northern Territory general election: Barkly
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Gerry McCarthy	1,450	45.2	−15.8
	Country Liberal	Rebecca Healy	1,162	36.2	+8.7
	First Nations	Valda Shannon	467	14.5	+14.5
	Independent	Stewart Wiley	131	4.1	+4.1
Total formal votes			3,210	96.3	+1.0
Informal votes			122	3.7	−1.0
Turnout			3,332	64.9	−0.2
Two-party-preferred result
	Labor	Gerry McCarthy	1,849	57.6	−8.0
	Country Liberal	Rebecca Healy	1,485	42.4	+8.0
	Labor hold		Swing	−8.0

Blain

2012 Northern Territory general election: Blain
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Country Liberal	Terry Mills	2,462	61.6	0.0
	Labor	Geoff Bahnert	1,343	33.6	−4.9
	First Nations	Daniel Fejo	194	4.9	+4.9
Total formal votes			3,999	96.6	+1.7
Informal votes			142	3.4	−1.7
Turnout			4,141	83.2	+3.0
Two-party-preferred result
	Country Liberal	Terry Mills	2,529	63.2	+1.7
	Labor	Geoff Bahnert	1,470	36.8	−1.7
	Country Liberal hold		Swing	+1.7

Braitling

2012 Northern Territory general election: Braitling
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Country Liberal	Adam Giles	2,372	67.6	+9.3
	Labor	Deborah Rock	613	17.5	+4.7
	Greens	Barbara Shaw	321	9.1	−5.8
	Independent	Colin Furphy	204	5.8	+5.8
Total formal votes			3,510	97.6	+0.4
Informal votes			88	2.4	−0.4
Turnout			3,598	76.8	+3.4
Two-party-preferred result
	Country Liberal	Adam Giles	2,585	73.6	+0.2
	Labor	Deborah Rock	925	26.4	−0.2
	Country Liberal hold		Swing	+0.2

Brennan

2012 Northern Territory general election: Brennan
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Country Liberal	Peter Chandler	2,683	64.2	+11.6
	Labor	Russell Jeffrey	1,493	35.8	−11.6
Total formal votes			4,176	97.7	+1.9
Informal votes			99	2.3	−1.9
Turnout			4,275	84.5	+4.2
	Country Liberal hold		Swing	+11.6

Casuarina

2012 Northern Territory general election: Casuarina
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Kon Vatskalis	2,512	59.3	−4.9
	Country Liberal	Jane Jackson	1,724	40.7	+4.9
Total formal votes			4,236	97.9	+3.0
Informal votes			89	2.1	−3.0
Turnout			4,325	86.0	+1.9
	Labor hold		Swing	−4.9

Daly

2012 Northern Territory general election: Daly
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Country Liberal	Gary Higgins	1,892	51.1	+14.2
	Labor	Rob Knight	1,445	39.0	−7.9
	Greens	David Pollock	187	5.1	−3.8
	First Nations	Bill Risk	109	2.9	+2.9
		Trevor Jenkins	68	1.8	+1.8
Total formal votes			3,701	94.5	−0.8
Informal votes			214	5.5	+0.8
Turnout			3,915	73.5	−0.5
Two-party-preferred result
	Country Liberal	Gary Higgins	2,025	54.7	+10.5
	Labor	Rob Knight	1,676	45.3	−10.5
	Country Liberal gain from Labor		Swing	−4.9

Drysdale

2012 Northern Territory general election: Drysdale
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Country Liberal	Lia Finocchiaro	2,336	56.5	+1.2
	Labor	James Burke	1,142	27.6	−6.9
	Independent	Ross Bohlin	657	15.9	+15.9
Total formal votes			4,135	96.8	+0.4
Informal votes			137	3.2	−0.4
Turnout			4,272	82.5	+2.6
Two-party-preferred result
	Country Liberal	Lia Finocchiaro	2,699	65.3	+5.1
	Labor	James Burke	1,436	34.7	−5.1
	Country Liberal hold		Swing	+5.1

Fannie Bay

2012 Northern Territory general election: Fannie Bay
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Michael Gunner	1,945	48.8	−2.3
	Country Liberal	Tony Clementson	1,639	41.1	−7.8
	Greens	Ken Bird	403	10.1	+10.1
Total formal votes			3,987	97.3	+2.6
Informal votes			109	2.7	−2.6
Turnout			4,096	84.0	+5.5
Two-party-preferred result
	Labor	Michael Gunner	2,263	56.8	+5.7
	Country Liberal	Tony Clementson	1,724	43.2	−5.7
	Labor hold		Swing	+5.7

Fong Lim

2012 Northern Territory general election: Fong Lim
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Country Liberal	Dave Tollner	2,050	54.5	+2.4
	Labor	Ashley Marsh	1,348	35.8	−12.1
	Greens	Matt Haubrick	250	6.6	+6.6
	Sex Party	Peter Burnheim	113	3.0	+3.0
Total formal votes			3,761	97.0	+2.2
Informal votes			116	3.0	−2.2
Turnout			3,877	79.4	+3.5
Two-party-preferred result
	Country Liberal	Dave Tollner	2,154	57.3	+5.2
	Labor	Ashley Marsh	1,607	42.7	−5.2
	Country Liberal hold		Swing	+5.2

Goyder

2012 Northern Territory general election: Goyder
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Country Liberal	Kezia Purick	2,731	62.2	+3.8
	Labor	Damian Smith	1,291	29.4	−12.2
	One Nation	John Kearney	368	8.4	+8.4
Total formal votes			4,391	96.9	+1.2
Informal votes			142	3.1	−1.2
Turnout			4,533	85.2	+2.0
Two-party-preferred result
	Country Liberal	Kezia Purick	2,929	66.7	+8.3
	Labor	Damian Smith	1,462	33.3	−8.3
	Country Liberal hold		Swing	+8.3

Greatorex

2012 Northern Territory general election: Greatorex
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Country Liberal	Matt Conlan	1,991	56.7	−4.5
	Labor	Rowan Foley	673	19.2	−1.2
	Independent	Phil Walcott	512	14.6	+14.6
	Greens	Evelyne Roullet	338	9.6	−8.8
Total formal votes			3,514	97.3	−0.3
Informal votes			99	2.7	+0.3
Turnout			3,613	78.4	+1.9
Two-party-preferred result
	Country Liberal	Matt Conlan	2,278	64.8	−1.7
	Labor	Rowan Foley	1,236	35.2	+1.7
	Country Liberal hold		Swing	−1.7

Johnston

2012 Northern Territory general election: Johnston
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Ken Vowles	1,799	45.0	−13.1
	Country Liberal	Jo Sangster	1,552	38.8	−3.1
	Greens	Alana Parrott-Jolly	389	9.7	+9.7
	Sex Party	Krystal Metcalf	169	4.2	+4.2
	One Nation	Peter Bussa	89	2.2	+2.2
Total formal votes			3,998	96.2	+1.2
Informal votes			160	2.5	−1.2
Turnout			4,158	85.2	+2.7
Two-party-preferred result
	Labor	Ken Vowles	2,225	55.7	−2.5
	Country Liberal	Jo Sangster	1,773	44.3	+2.5
	Labor hold		Swing	−2.5

Karama

2012 Northern Territory general election: Karama
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Delia Lawrie	2,072	52.7	−3.5
	Country Liberal	Rohan Kelly	1,634	41.5	+6.6
	Greens	Frances Elcoate	229	5.8	+5.8
Total formal votes			3,935	96.4	+0.5
Informal votes			145	3.6	−0.5
Turnout			4,080	86.6	+2.6
Two-party-preferred result
	Labor	Delia Lawrie	2,219	56.4	−4.4
	Country Liberal	Rohan Kelly	1,716	43.6	+4.4
	Labor hold		Swing	−4.4

Katherine

2012 Northern Territory general election: Katherine
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Country Liberal	Willem Westra van Holthe	2,729	66.1	+15.1
	Labor	Cerise King	864	20.9	−10.5
	Independent	Teresa Cummings	537	13.0	+13.0
Total formal votes			4,130	98.2	+1.5
Informal votes			77	1.8	−1.5
Turnout			4,207	81.3	+5.5
Two-party-preferred result
	Country Liberal	Willem Westra van Holthe	2,984	72.3	+13.8
	Labor	Cerise King	1,146	27.7	−13.8
	Country Liberal hold		Swing	+13.8

Namatjira

2012 Northern Territory general election: Namatjira
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Country Liberal	Alison Anderson	1,847	63.2	n/a
	Labor	Des Rogers	824	28.2	n/a
	First Nations	Warren H Williams	253	8.7	n/a
Total formal votes			2,924	95.3	n/a
Informal votes			143	4.7	n/a
Turnout			3,067	59.8	n/a
Two-party-preferred result
	Country Liberal	Alison Anderson	2,006	68.6	n/a
	Labor	Des Rogers	918	31.4	n/a
	Country Liberal hold		Swing	n/a

Nelson

2012 Northern Territory general election: Nelson
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Independent	Gerry Wood	1,988	54.0	−18.2
	Country Liberal	Judy Cole	1,436	39.0	+19.9
	Labor	Sharon McAlear	255	6.9	−1.7
Total formal votes			3,679	98.1	+0.5
Informal votes			72	1.9	−0.5
Turnout			3,751	79.6	+5.0
Notional two-party-preferred count
	Country Liberal	Judy Cole	2,477	67.3	−1.3
	Labor	Sharon McAlear	1,203	32.7	+1.3
Two-candidate-preferred result
	Independent	Gerry Wood	2,177	59.2	−19.5
	Country Liberal	Judy Cole	1,502	40.8	+19.5
	Independent hold		Swing	−19.5

Nhulunbuy

2012 Northern Territory general election: Nhulunbuy
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Lynne Walker	1,554	55.0	−19.1
	Country Liberal	Allen Fanning	641	22.7	−3.1
	Independent	Kendall Trudgen	629	22.3	+22.3
Total formal votes			2,824	95.4	−0.8
Informal votes			136	4.6	+0.8
Turnout			2,960	62.7	+2.9
Two-party-preferred result
	Labor	Lynne Walker	1,948	69.0	−5.2
	Country Liberal	Allen Fanning	876	31.0	+5.2
	Labor hold		Swing	−5.2

Nightcliff

2012 Northern Territory general election: Nightcliff
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Natasha Fyles	1,389	35.7	−7.3
	Country Liberal	Kim Loveday	1,260	32.4	−0.9
	Independent	Stuart Blanch	722	18.5	+18.5
	Greens	Owen Gale	263	6.8	−17.0
	Independent	Peter Rudge	170	4.4	+4.4
	Sex Party	Felicity Wardle	74	1.9	+1.9
	Independent	Andrew Arthur	16	0.4	+0.4
Total formal votes			3,894	96.6	−0.3
Informal votes			136	3.4	+0.3
Turnout			4,030	84.0	+5.2
Two-party-preferred result
	Labor	Natasha Fyles	2,304	59.2	−1.5
	Country Liberal	Kim Loveday	1,590	40.8	+1.5
	Labor hold		Swing	−1.5

Port Darwin

2012 Northern Territory general election: Port Darwin
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Country Liberal	John Elferink	2,023	55.5	+8.7
	Labor	Alan James	1,205	33.0	−4.0
	Greens	David Andrews	233	18.5	−9.8
	Sex Party	Rowena Leunig	185	5.1	+5.1
Total formal votes			3,646	97.4	+0.5
Informal votes			96	2.6	−0.5
Turnout			3,742	79.1	+6.7
Two-party-preferred result
	Country Liberal	John Elferink	2,173	59.6	+6.8
	Labor	Alan James	1,473	40.4	−6.8
	Country Liberal hold		Swing	+6.8

Sanderson

2012 Northern Territory general election: Sanderson
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Country Liberal	Peter Styles	2,214	50.9	−5.6
	Labor	Jodie Green	1,872	43.0	−0.6
	Sex Party	Jillian Briggs	176	4.0	+4.0
	First Nations	Dimitrious Magriplis	90	2.1	+2.1
Total formal votes			4,352	97.1	+2.9
Informal votes			132	2.9	−2.9
Turnout			4,484	87.7	+1.1
Two-party-preferred result
	Country Liberal	Peter Styles	2,312	53.1	−3.3
	Labor	Jodie Green	2,040	46.9	+3.3
	Country Liberal hold		Swing	−3.3

Stuart

2012 Northern Territory general election: Stuart
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Country Liberal	Bess Price	1,291	46.4	+11.5
	Labor	Karl Hampton	1,035	37.2	−27.9
	First Nations	Maurie Ryan	456	16.4	+16.4
Total formal votes			2,782	94.1	−1.5
Informal votes			176	5.9	+1.5
Turnout			2,958	62.9	+10.1
Two-party-preferred result
	Country Liberal	Bess Price	1,489	53.5	+18.6
	Labor	Karl Hampton	1,293	46.5	−18.6
	Country Liberal gain from Labor		Swing	+18.6

Wanguri

2012 Northern Territory general election: Wanguri
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Labor	Paul Henderson	2,416	57.0	−3.7
	Country Liberal	Rhianna Harker	1,823	43.0	+12.9
Total formal votes			4,239	98.0	+1.0
Informal votes			86	2.0	−1.0
Turnout			4,325	89.1	+5.1
	Labor hold		Swing	−3.7

References

^ "Legislative Assembly results 2012". NT Electoral Commission. Retrieved 3 September 2012.
^ 2012 NT election guide: Antony Green ABC
^ Hind, Rick (19 March 2012). "Scrymgour to pull the plug on politics". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 22 September 2012.
^ Green, Antony (2012). "Retiring MPs". Northern Territory Votes 2012. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 22 September 2012.
^ Byrne, Conor (8 April 2012). "Labor recruits footy player for Arafura". NT News. Retrieved 22 September 2012.
^ Aikman, Amos (27 August 2012). "Northern Territory cry over loss of faith in progressives". The Australian. Retrieved 22 September 2012.
^ "Division of Arafura". NT General Election 2012. NT Electoral Commission. Retrieved 22 September 2012.
^ Skelton, Russell (25 August 2012). "NT Libs slammed for vicious tactics". Brisbane Times. Retrieved 22 September 2012.
^ Aikman, Amos (29 August 2012). "It's down to the wire in the islands, desert". The Australian. Retrieved 22 September 2012.
^ Aikman, Amos (3 September 2012). "Indigenous MPs want local control of schools, councils". The Australian. Retrieved 22 September 2012.
^ "Labor names Araluen candidate". NT News. 14 September 2010. Retrieved 22 September 2012.
^ Green, Antony. "2010 Araluen By-election". ABC Elections. Retrieved 22 September 2012.
^ Finnane, Kieran. "Local Labor always opposed u-mine". Alice Springs News Online. Retrieved 22 September 2012.
^ Sleath, Emma (4 March 2012). "Meet the candidate: Edan Baxter". ABC News. Retrieved 22 September 2012.
^ Finnane, Kieran (30 August 2012). "Black power: voices from the bush have made themselves heard". Alice Springs News Online. Retrieved 22 September 2012.
^ Gosford, Bob (29 August 2012). "NT election fallout: Mills gets "technical", CLP rolls deputy into ditch". Crikey. Retrieved 22 September 2012.

[1] "Legislative Assembly results 2012". NT Electoral Commission. Retrieved 3 September 2012.

[2] 2012 NT election guide: Antony Green ABC

[3] Hind, Rick (19 March 2012). "Scrymgour to pull the plug on politics". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 22 September 2012.

[4] Green, Antony (2012). "Retiring MPs". Northern Territory Votes 2012. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 22 September 2012.

[5] Byrne, Conor (8 April 2012). "Labor recruits footy player for Arafura". NT News. Retrieved 22 September 2012.

[6] Aikman, Amos (27 August 2012). "Northern Territory cry over loss of faith in progressives". The Australian. Retrieved 22 September 2012.

[7] "Division of Arafura". NT General Election 2012. NT Electoral Commission. Retrieved 22 September 2012.

[8] Skelton, Russell (25 August 2012). "NT Libs slammed for vicious tactics". Brisbane Times. Retrieved 22 September 2012.

[9] Aikman, Amos (29 August 2012). "It's down to the wire in the islands, desert". The Australian. Retrieved 22 September 2012.

[10] Aikman, Amos (3 September 2012). "Indigenous MPs want local control of schools, councils". The Australian. Retrieved 22 September 2012.

[11] "Labor names Araluen candidate". NT News. 14 September 2010. Retrieved 22 September 2012.

[12] Green, Antony. "2010 Araluen By-election". ABC Elections. Retrieved 22 September 2012.

[13] Finnane, Kieran. "Local Labor always opposed u-mine". Alice Springs News Online. Retrieved 22 September 2012.

[14] Sleath, Emma (4 March 2012). "Meet the candidate: Edan Baxter". ABC News. Retrieved 22 September 2012.

[15] Finnane, Kieran (30 August 2012). "Black power: voices from the bush have made themselves heard". Alice Springs News Online. Retrieved 22 September 2012.

[16] Gosford, Bob (29 August 2012). "NT election fallout: Mills gets "technical", CLP rolls deputy into ditch". Crikey. Retrieved 22 September 2012.

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