Blackflip: Topsy turvey world of NT politics

DARWIN, June 10 AAP - Rednecks, please step forward.

It seems the conservative Country Liberal Party (CLP) in the Northern Territory doesn't want your vote.

And Labor refuses to publicly acknowledge you exist.

After decades of race-based elections in the NT, both major parties appear keen to put the highly successful race card back in the proverbial pocket.

At least on the surface.

NT politics has always been colourful. But it appears in this election, long-held allegiances and political persuasions could be turned on their head.

The CLP - the party which introduced the failed mandatory sentencing and fought against land rights in its 27 years in government - is wooing black voters.

And Labor - traditionally seen as the territory's pro-Aboriginal party - has been accused of racism.

At the heart of the debate is Labor's new pledge to jail chronic drunks if they refuse to undergo rehabilitation treatment.

The move has surprised many, including Aboriginal groups, and also probably the CLP which relies on its own tough law and order stance to win votes.

"Quite frankly we are outraged," North Australian Aboriginal Legal Aid Service (NAALAS) director Sharon Payne said.

"While they are saying its not racist, obviously the application of it will be racist because 99 per cent of the people that we see intoxicated in public in this town certainly are Indigenous.

"Obviously it's about Aboriginal people.

"It's got to do with removing what so-called decent people see as unsightly things in their neighbourhood.

"It's just a cheap way to score points as far as we are concerned."

NT Chief Minister Clare Martin has pledged to crackdown on anti-social behaviour with new laws giving police the power to issue prohibition orders against mainly Indigenous, habitual drunks after they are picked up for grog-related reasons six times in three months.

Labor would also funnel an extra $560,000 a year into treatment services, and set up a $200,000 alcohol court to deal with the offenders.

"No-one likes being humbugged by drunks in our streets - anti-social behaviour is simply unacceptable," Ms Martin said.

"The order will make it clear that if the person is found consuming alcohol in a public place again - and commits an offence - he or she will be ordered by a court to get treatment or face jail."

Labor's policy is not dissimilar to the CLP's own tough zero tolerance approach to law and order, with CLP plans to introduce a Public Order Act targeting the mainly Indigenous drunks who gather at public parks and shopping centres.

In their policies, both parties recognise the NT election will be won and lost in Darwin's northern suburbs.

They are attempting to appease voters in the crucial northern suburbs seats who are unhappy at drunks fighting, begging, swearing and defecating in public.

Perhaps taken aback by Labor's apparent change of direction, CLP leader Denis Burke also underwent a dramatic transformation this week.

Campaigning in the NT's biggest Aboriginal community, Mr Burke urged community leaders to forget the party's questionable past record, and move forward together.

"I'm finished in terms of fighting Aboriginal people on issues such as ownership and control, we need to work together," Mr Burke told leaders at Wadeye, 270km south west of Darwin.

He even accused Labor - which has traditionally been seen as the pro-Aboriginal party - of chasing the "redneck white vote" of Darwin's crucial northern suburbs seats.

It's a big call from a party that directed preferences to One Nation ahead of Labor at the last election, in 2001 when the party lost government for the first time in 27 years.

"If the CLP loses this election, at least we'll have integrity at the end of the day because I won't stoop that low to win a vote," Mr Burke said of the jailing drunks issue.

"I don't care if I lose a few votes in the northern suburbs.

"It's to cater for a redneck white vote, and I won't have it."

But can a leopard really change its spots? And will voters, particularly indigenous residents, really believe the CLP will follow through with its promise of a new era of cooperation?

"It's almost a role reversal," says Bill Wilson, politics lecturer at Charles Darwin University.

"It's rather interesting that the CLP are courting the Indigenous vote, possibly at the expense of the northern suburbs vote.

"I think there are a couple of (CLP) seats with a significant number of indigenous voters that are at risk.

"(And) the Labor party, with its itinerant policy has cut the ground from under the CLP's feet so they are now changing tact."

Mr Wilson said neither party could risk alienating any group of voters, but each seat was different and preferences would be important.

Greens Senator Bob Brown is hopeful disillusionment at the major parties will push NT voters towards the Greens for the first time in the upcoming poll.

The party is standing a record 11 candidates in the June 18 poll in a bid to win its first ever seat in the NT Legislative Assembly.

"This is a three horse race in the territory and the Greens are the unknown and you should keep your eye on them," Senator Brown said.

It seems the NT election race - a one-horse contest for so long - is far from over.

Newshawk: http://www.napnt.org/election2005.html
Pubdate: Fri, 10 Jun 2005
Source: National Indigenous Times
Website: http://www.nit.com.au
Email: mail@nit.com.au