Australian Politics and Policy - Senior, 2019a

Australian Politics and Policy
The small size of the urban centres and the almost total lack of any large-scale
industrial development has meant that the Labor party has no ‘natural’ base of
membership and money. [Additionally,] organization of an industrial wing and
a branch structure was made difficult by the vast distances, the poor communications
and the costs of transport. 22
This difficulty was well demonstrated when the CLP held power in the NT from
1974 until 2001, when the ALP experienced its inaugural victory.
Aboriginal representation in the Legislative Assembly
Electoral laws applying at the 1974 and 1977 elections provided for voluntary
enrolment of Aboriginal people, although, if enrolled, voting was compulsory.
By the 1980 election, enrolment and voting were compulsory for all qualified
residents. Prior to 1980, remote Aboriginal people were obliged to use the postal
vote system; however, this was replaced with mobile polling booths in remote
communities 23 and candidates identified both by name and photograph on ballot
papers, recognising that English was a second or subsequent language in many
communities. This more inclusive practice remains the case.
Aboriginal electoral enrolment is comparatively low, 24 particularly in remote
regions. The reasons are complicated and include language difficulties, relevance
of the electoral system, electoral roll accuracy and the logistical difficulties of
undertaking remote enrolment drives.
There has been Aboriginal membership of the Legislative Assembly since 1974,
although membership of more recent Assemblies better reflects the NT’s 30 per
cent Aboriginal population. There have been several Aboriginal ministers – men
and women – in NT governments.
Elections
Four-year fixed-term elections were introduced in the NT in 2009. Table 1 lists the
results of each general election since the Legislative Assembly was created in 1974. 25
22 Jaensch 1981, 64.
23 Jaensch and Smith 2015, 62–3.
24 See, for example, James 2016.
25 More detailed results and those relating to by-elections can be found at Jaensch and Smith 2016,
73–81, or on the NT Electoral Commission website.
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