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