Northern Territory election minus nine days
A quick review of the main happenings on the Northern Territory campaign trail. Further background is available from my seat-by-seat election guide.
• The Northern Territory News has gone on the attack over Labor’s handling of the revelation that one of its candidates had a spent conviction for assault. The candidate in question is Ken Vowles, who has been charged with the crucial task of defending the marginal northern Darwin seat of Johnston after the retirement of sitting member Chris Burns. On Monday, the News learned that Vowles had received a fine and a community service order for assault causing bodily harm over an incident involving his “then-girlfriend’s lover” when he was 21 (he is now 40). At issue was a law prohibiting publication of spent minor convictions after 10 years without the offender’s consent. Editor Matt Cunningham says Paul Henderson’s deputy chief-of-staff initially threatened that action would be taken under the law if the paper ran the story, but that Vowles’s consent was later forthcoming after he threatened to run a front page empty but for the word “censored”. Henderson says that he had advised Vowles to offer his consent as soon as he became aware of the matter at around 8pm, which Cunningham says was half-an-hour before the threat of legal action was made.
• It also emerged last week that Peter Rudge, an independent candidate for the equally important Darwin seat of Nightcliff, served 18 months in jail for manslaughter in 1996 over an incident which the court found was “close to self-defence”. Paul Henderson said at the time that he would consider legislative change to require candidates to publicly disclose any criminal history.
• Nigel Adlam of the Northern Territory News and Malcolm Mackerras in The Australian have tipped identical outcomes: Labor to retain government by nabbing a thirteenth seat in Sanderson, amid an otherwise status quo result. Mackerras doesn’t elaborate, but Adlam goes all the way with tips for who will and won’t increase their majority. Of Sanderson, Adlam says Labor’s Jodie Green is “dynamic and energetic”, whereas CLP incumbent Peter Styles “hasn’t done himself any favours by badmouthing Mr Mills in the community”. More broadly, Adlam says the oil and gas boom is being well managed, and voters will hesitate to hand power to an opposition that is “a bit of a rabble”. He also takes it for granted that Nelson independent Gerry Wood would support Labor to remain in government, remarkable as that may sound to outsiders attuned to the federal sphere. Late last month, Adlam offered the following in a report which had previously escaped my notice:
The NT News understands that Labor polling shows Ken Vowles will win Johnston, following the retirement of Chris Burns, and Michael Gunner will retain Fannie Bay. This would leave Sanderson as the make-or-break election seat.
Page 1 of 2 | Next page
Categories: NT Politics
Sadly when you go to the CLP site it is a multi step trail to actually get to the policies themselves. I dont know how many Territorians will go to the CLP and Labor sites to find actual policies, I suspect not that many and when you do go there as I said it is a multi step process. And the policies themselves; well perhaps you could review a few of them here Mr Bowe. One to focus on is the CLP Law and Order policy:
“A Country Liberals Government will keep Territorians safe by putting 100 extra police on our streets and by cutting crime rates by at least 10% every year.”
“The Country Liberals will bring in tough new laws, so your neighbourhoods and parks will be safe once again.”
Read thorugh the documents themselves and you find not a single thing about real social change, about changing the circumstances that move people to crime, nothing on homelessness, drug and alcohol abuse, educational disadvantage. ZIP, ZERO, ZILCH.
It as all, more police, more mandatory sentencing, more and tougher laws, more bandaids. Have a look Mt Bowe, critically analyse and perhaps even report.
by Xevram on Aug 16, 2012 at 9:18 am
Have a look Mt Bowe, critically analyse and perhaps even report
My understanding is that Mr Bowe does psephology, not policy.
by Just Me on Aug 16, 2012 at 2:31 pm
Oh Dearie Me:
http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/national/senior-staffer-of-nt-chief-leaves-campaign/story-e6frfku9-1226451816417
by Boerwar on Aug 16, 2012 at 5:44 pm
Gosh, they can creep up on you these elections, eh?
by Mod Lib on Aug 16, 2012 at 7:31 pm
Wonder how he will fare, being dumped for the former Chief Minister’s daughter in law I believe.
http://www.ntnews.com.au/article/2012/04/23/300221_ntnews.html
by Thomas. Paine. on Aug 16, 2012 at 9:11 pm
The most interesting thing about Ross Bohlin is that his new electorate officer was a starring member on Big Brother.
by dartboard on Aug 16, 2012 at 10:26 pm
Some background.
http://www.smh.com.au/national/rich-fellow-my-country-20120817-24dgm.html
by Just Me on Aug 18, 2012 at 1:26 am