Historic Greens victory as Kat wins by a whisker
September 6 2024
Bendigo Advertiser
Kat McNamara is the Greens' first MP in the NT parliament after they won the seat of Nightcliff.
The Greens have made history in the Northern Territory claiming their first seat in parliament after a three-way count put them ahead of Labor.
Kat McNamara has won the seat of Nightcliff after beating out Labor's former chief minister Natasha Fyles in the Darwin northern suburbs seat.
"I am just the tip of the iceberg, (We) have hundreds of volunteers behind us across this incredible movement" they said.
Incoming Greens member for Nightcliff Kat McNamara says fracking helped build their following.
"Our membership has quadrupled in the last 18 months, this is a win for us but also the broader progressive movement."
Ms McNamara said the electorate was "looking for change" after Ms Fyles green-lit fracking in the Northern Territory in May 2023.
Last year, while she was the chief minister, Ms Fyles referred to the environmentalist movement, many of whom hailed from her own constituency, as "teals and trolls" at a National Press Club address in Canberra.
It was a move that effectively made space for progressive independents and the Greens.
"The people of Nightcliff have voted because they do not want to see fracking, they are concerned about the impacts to our climate, to longevity of health and environment, to our air and water," Ms McNamara said.
"They have voted for evidence-based solutions to problems we face, like crime and community safety."
The seat was so close that for the first time, the NT Electoral Commission performed a three-way count between Labor, Country Liberal Party and the Greens in a seat.
The Greens have tried to claim a seat in the NT for the past 34 years, falling short in recent years in both Fannie Bay and the recent City of Darwin Lyons by-election.
Ms McNamara also beat out Danggalaba, Kulumbirigin and Tiwi woman Mililma May, 25, who ran as an independent in the seat of Nightcliff on identical policies.
Ms May's campaign picked up a 19 per cent swing but she did not get across the line on first preferences which meant her votes ultimately flowed to the Greens, helping them secure the seat.
The Country Liberal Party won the election by a landslide election, but a few seats have come down to a handful of votes.
Any outstanding postal votes had until midday on Friday to be returned, before the declaration of seats is made on Monday.
But NT electoral commissioner Kirsten Kelly said that as well as Nightcliff recounts were needed for the seats of Barkly and Fannie Bay.
Following polling day, Fannie Bay looked likely to go to Greens candidate, Suki Dorras-Walker, however, a redistribution of preferences has Country Liberal Party candidate Laurie Zio ahead by 37 votes.
In the bush seat of Barkly, which encompasses Tennant Creek, Labor has fallen short of claiming it from incumbent member Steve Edgington by 109 votes.
The results as they stand reduce Labor to just four seats from their previous 13.
The Country Liberal Party will hold a thumping majority with 17 seats and the remaining four made up by independents and one Green.
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