It was the grassroots campaign that took federal parliament by storm two years ago, the rise of independents driven by voter frustration with the major political parties. With the Northern Territory election now just one month away, independent candidates are hoping that trend plays out in the Top End and gives a shake-up to previously safe seats.
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00:00Sunday morning in Darwin's northern suburbs, the crowds pour in for their fresh greens
00:09and laksa and a small army of purple volunteers is hard at work.
00:16With the territory election approaching, this independent candidate is selling a message
00:21of change.
00:22Imagine if our parliament was our elected representatives sitting down together having
00:28a dialogue with the best information we have to make decisions about what's best for the
00:33Northern Territory.
00:35And why doesn't that happen?
00:37The former justice worker has been on the ground for months, hoping to snare the safe
00:43Labor seat of Johnston.
00:45When we're door knocking or talking to people here at the markets or at public events, is
00:49that they don't trust our current political system.
00:53They're not happy with their representatives and they want change across the board.
00:58Out and about, some voters appear open to new possibilities.
01:04Territorians are not particularly happy with major parties and I think independents are
01:09actually really, really important for the parliamentary process.
01:12Ultimately, major parties probably have the advantage but it doesn't mean you don't vote
01:17for someone you believe in.
01:18The cost of living is terrible and security is also terrible so maybe we need to change.
01:26At the last federal election in 2022, there was a movement against the two major parties.
01:34Voters in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth sent a wave of teal independents to Canberra on
01:40platforms of integrity and climate action.
01:46It's wonderful to have you all here.
01:47In the lead up to this anti-election campaign, kitchen table conversations have been taking
01:53place.
01:54Grassroots volunteers connected to the rise of independents.
01:5886% of the 249 people we spoke to said that they didn't feel represented and so we can
02:05see that politicians are meeting with different people, it's just that they're not meeting
02:10with constituents.
02:1540 kilometres south of Darwin, another very different independent candidate is campaigning
02:21to retain the seat of Goida.
02:24I think at times the major parties lose sight of the big picture.
02:29You're there to make good laws for good governance in the territory.
02:33Kezia Piric is the longest serving member of NT Parliament, a conservative crossbencher
02:39who quit the scandal-plagued country Liberal Party in 2015.
02:44Now retiring, Ms Piric is coaching her successor on how to keep the seat independent.
02:50Just get out and meet people, go to the different events, go to the markets, sit at the shopping
02:54centre and people appreciate that.
02:56They don't always agree with you on key things that are very divisive like fracking.
03:03No one can agree on everything but as long as we agree on the majority of things and
03:06we work together we can achieve heaps.
03:09Right now there are four independents in NT Parliament.
03:13Ms Piric, Mark Turner in Blaine, Yngi Goyola in Malka and Robin Lamley in Arreluan.
03:21While Labor currently have a majority in the Northern Territory Parliament, after August
03:26election, if the crossbench stays the same or even grows, it could be these independents
03:31with a crucial role to play if neither party can reach the 13 seats necessary to govern
03:37in their own right.
03:40The independents best chance to break through, one expert suggests, will come from focusing
03:45on hyper-local issues.
03:48You can't be in an ivory tower in the Northern Territory.
03:51If you're not down on the ground giving people snags and sausages and come down to the park
03:56and shake my hand and do this, you're not going to get the support that you need on
04:02election day.
04:04Both the government and the opposition reject the idea they're not listening to constituents,
04:10with just one month left to convince voters on which way to turn.