Northern Territory’s Country Liberal Party attempting to return to power

ABC NEWS (Australia)

In 2016, the Country Liberal Party was obliterated in a Northern Territory election wipeout, reduced to just two seats. Eight years later it's attempting to return to government, running hard on an anti-crime and community safety platform.

Transcript

00:00It all ended in tears and with beers.

00:07Tonight's result is a lesson in disunity is death in politics.

00:13After four years of dysfunction and instability under Chief Ministers Terry Mills and Adam

00:19Giles.

00:21The country Liberal Party was booted from government in spectacular fashion in 2016.

00:27We've got a really strong foundation in the CLP and we've got a really strong future.

00:32Reborn in opposition as a party of two, sole surviving CLP members, long-term rural MLA

00:39Gary Higgins as leader and former lawyer Leah Pinocchiaro as deputy had an uphill battle

00:45ahead.

00:47In 2019 former friends became threats.

00:52As CLP ministers turned independent, tried to seize opposition with Arnhem Land MLA Yingya

00:58Goyula.

00:59We presented the Speaker with a formal application to become the opposition of the Northern Territory.

01:04We've decided to call it The Alliance.

01:08But the CLP survived until in 2020 the two became one.

01:13Today I'm going to announce my intention to resign as the opposition leader of the Northern

01:17Territory.

01:18So this is a personal and family decision.

01:23A new look leader, Leah Pinocchiaro worked to shed the CLP's reputation as an old boys

01:29club.

01:30Territorians have a clear choice to make about their future.

01:33And gained momentum as Labor's poor record on the NT economy came to the fore.

01:39At the 2020 NT election the CLP clawed back from two to eight seats.

01:44But if there is one thing I know, it is that the CLP is back.

01:51Then soon lost one of those to a rural area resignation.

01:54I've decided to step down and focus on myself and my family.

01:59A seat they failed to keep at a by-election.

02:03Behind the scenes the party struggled to gain members.

02:06And lost president after president after president.

02:11And by-election after by-election after by-election.

02:16In 2023 former Chief Minister Shane Stone returned to the fold as president, promising

02:21their losing days were done.

02:24Well the old boys knew how to win, alright?

02:27That's pretty fundamental isn't it?

02:29With crime rates stubbornly high and a flatlining economy, the CLP had found its strength.

02:35We have an economy going backwards.

02:38Crime is out of control and cost of living is through the roof.

02:41Running hard on promises to harden laws and try to quell community concerns over safety.

02:47Accused by Labor as being a one-trick pony.

02:51Don't just talk about crime.

02:53It's out here, in key battleground seats like Karama in Darwin's northern suburbs, that

02:59the CLP will be hoping their messaging against crime has cut through.

03:04They'll also be trying to convince voters that enough time has passed since the chaos

03:08of its last administration.

03:11Enough to be seen as a viable alternative government.

03:15The CLP now has seven seats in parliament.

03:18It needs to nearly double that figure to form majority government, or risk another four

03:23long years in the wilderness.

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