Incumbent Senators
- Malarndirri McCarthy (Labor)
- Jacinta Nampijinpa Price (Country Liberal)
History
The Northern Territory first elected Senators in 1975, when the Labor Party and the Country Liberal Party each won a single seat. Both parties have maintained this 1-1 split at every election since, with no serious challenge to this status quo.
The strongest ever minor party performance came in 1987, when the Northern Territory National Party, who were not endorsed by the federal Nationals, ran for the Senate and polled over 14%. This election saw the CLP fall below a quota (polling 32.5%) for the only time in three decades of Senate elections. The National Party never ran again for the Senate in the Northern Territory, and the CLP recovered to a primary vote above 40% in 1990. The 1987 election saw the ALP top the poll for the first time, and ever since then the party that won the federal election has topped the poll in the Northern Territory, with the CLP winning in 1996, 1998, 2001, 2004 and 2010; and the ALP coming first in 2007.
In 1998 the CLP fell below 40% for the second time when One Nation polled 9.3%, but they still safely won a quota.
In 2010, the ALP suffered a 12.6% swing against them. That vote was split between the Shooters and Fishers and the Sex Party, who hadn’t run before, and a 4.7% swing to the Greens.
Trish Crossin stepped down in 2013 after losing preselection to Nova Peris. Peris served in the Senate until shortly before the 2016 election, when she was succeeded by Malarndirri McCarthy.
Scullion retired at the 2019 election, and the CLP seat was filled by Sam McMahon.
McMahon was defeated for CLP Senate preselection in 2021 by Alice Springs councillor Jacinta Nampijinpa Price. McMahon resigned from the Country Liberal Party in January 2022, and eventually joined the Liberal Democrats.
Price ended up winning at the 2022 election.
| Group | Votes | % | Swing | Quota |
| Labor | 34,163 | 33.0 | -4.5 | 0.9891 |
| Country Liberal | 32,846 | 31.7 | -5.0 | 0.9510 |
| Greens | 12,707 | 12.3 | +2.1 | 0.3679 |
| Liberal Democrats | 9,609 | 9.3 | +9.3 | 0.2782 |
| Legalise Cannabis | 6,455 | 6.2 | +2.4 | 0.1869 |
| Great Australian Party | 4,573 | 4.4 | +4.4 | 0.1324 |
| Sustainable Australia | 1,715 | 1.7 | +1.7 | 0.0497 |
| Citizens Party | 956 | 0.9 | +0.5 | 0.0277 |
| Others | 593 | 0.6 | 0.0172 | |
| Informal | 3,290 | 3.1 |
- A – Ian Chivers (Sustainable Australia)
- B – Lance Lawrence (Legalise Cannabis Party)
- C – Malarndirri McCarthy (Labor)
- D – Jacinta Nampijinpa Price (Country Liberal)
- E – Aia Newport (Greens)
- F – Darren Nugent (One Nation)
- G – Lionel Wylie (Citizens Party)
- H – Jed Hansen (Libertarian)
- Ungrouped
- Que Kenny (Independent)
Assessment
Labor and the Country Liberal Party should retain one seat each.
@ Pencil
I think she is seen as a Rockstar because she helped defeat the Voice. I think she might be useful in a culture war on Australia Day, the Republic and changing the flag. However, i dont think the average voter listens to her on economic matters, climate, LGBT issues etc
To me, Price comes across as someone who may be “talented” but whose hubris will be her downfall.
Nimalan,
I knew Price was popular for her role in defeating the Voice, but beyond that, it’s hard to see her as the great hope.
I agree Pencil
I dont think she actually helps the Coalition win government or any lower house seats for that matter not even in the NT. She is only asset for Cultural Conservatives on some social issues for example if there was a flag plebiscite etc, republic referendum etc.
Roy Morgan has released a poll of federal voting patterns showing that Chinese and to a greater extent Indian voters, while leaning Labor, are still up for grabs for the Liberals.
Chinese-born:
* Labor: 48%
* Liberal: 34%
* Greens: 11%
* Independent/Other: 6%
* One Nation: 1%
Indian-born:
*
This rebukes Jacinta Price’s claim that “85% of Indians vote Labor”.
Roy Morgan has released a poll of federal voting patterns showing that Chinese and to a greater extent Indian voters, while leaning Labor, are still up for grabs for the Liberals.
Chinese-born:
* Labor: 48%
* Liberal: 34%
* Greens: 11%
* Independent/Other: 6%
* One Nation: 1%
Indian-born:
* Labor: 45%
* Liberal: 38%
* Greens: 8%
* Independent/Other: 6%
* One Nation: 2%
This rebukes Jacinta Price’s claim that “85% of Indians vote Labor”.
On a 2PP basis, that would 62% Labor for Chinese voters, and 56.5% Labor for Indian voters, only slightly left of the national average.
Interestingly, the same poll also shows that middle-aged Chinese Australians are the most left-leaning, which is somewhat inline with how minority voters vote in America (e.g. young African-Americans are more likely to vote Republican than older African-American).
18-24: Labor 62.5-37.5
25-34: Labor 59.5-40.5
35-49: Labor 65-35
50+: Labor 56-44
Whereas with Indian Australians, there is a more normal age curve:
18-24: Labor 66.5-33.5
25-34: Labor 60.5-39.5
35-49: Labor 55-45
50+: 50-50
@Scart yeah I noticed that too. Also note this is only people born in China (Mainland China) and India so it doesn’t include people of Chinese or Indian descent born in Australia of which there are many.
@nimalan I think he means Durack. It shares a border with the NT and has some aboriginal populations. Aboriginal country doesn’t stop at the white man’s border
@ John
Good point, Durack is a seat she maybe able to contest. Barnaby Joyce and Bronwyn Bishop are examples of Senators who became Lower house members both were ambitious.