The ALP government was swept from power in the Northern Territory election last Saturday after a backlash from indigenous voters.
Labor will now try and come to grips with huge swings against it in seats that have been safe for years. Seven years ago, Labor held 19 seats in the 25-seat NT Legislative Assembly. For the next four years it may hold as few as eight.
Former Labor minister in the NT Kon Vatskalis told Neos Kosmos that the result was down to the Labor losing its connection with the electorate, and that federal Labor’s continuation of the intervention in Aboriginal communities begun by John Howard, had been a major factor.
“Indigenous people here didn’t discriminate between the federal and territory governments, and the blame was shifted to us. Perhaps we didn’t argue strongly enough about the intervention,” said Mr Vatskalis.
The creation by Labor of eight ‘super shires’ in 2008, through the amalgamation of 63 small councils, also played a part in its downfall, with some remote communities fearing they were losing their voice.
Mr Vatskalis defended Labor’s track record in government, saying that forming the shires, which had ended what he described as the power of “small feudal-kingdoms” had been vital reforms, but had met with opposition from self-interested parties.
“As health minister over the 11 years we’ve been in power, I have seen huge improvements in aboriginal health indicators, for instance infant mortality reduced by 25 per cent.
“In this time we’ve seen the first Year 12 students graduate from indigenous communities under a Labor government, through our commitment to education. I’m very proud of our record.”
In opposition, Mr Vatskalis has vowed to work to reinstate Labor as the party of government in 2016.
“I’m not in politics for the money, I’m in politics because I know the difference that can be made to people’s lives if you put the right policies in place.”
Asked if he would consider contesting a future leadership election within the NT ALP, Mr Vatskalis said: “No, I prefer to have a life.”
Meanwhile, Darwin property developer John Alexopoulos told Neos Kosmos that he welcomed the CLP victory.
“As a private developer I think I’ll get better service from the Territory’s public service under a CLP government. In the last few years the public service in the Territory has treated companies like our poorly.
“They came up with so many ideas that cost developers like ourselves money. We had to wait weeks and months for decisions. Under the CLP years ago it used to be more business-friendly.”
Mr Alexopoulos, who has grown his business in the Top End over 37 years, said that his message to the new government was simple: “Keep your promise. They make a hundred thousand promises these political parties and then they forget them.”