Port Darwin – NT 2016

CLP 9.7%

Incumbent MP
John Elferink, since 2008.

Geography
Central Darwin. Port Darwin covers the Darwin city centre and Larrakeyah.

Redistribution
Port Darwin underwent minor changes on its northeastern border, gaining a small area from Fannie Bay and losing some areas to Fong Lim.

History
The electorate of Port Darwin has existed since 1974. The seat has been held by the Country Liberal Party for most of its history.

Independent candidate Ron Withnall won Port Darwin in 1974. Withnall was a former member of the Northern Territory Legislative Council. He sat in the Assembly for one term, losing to the CLP’s Tom Harris in 1977.

Harris held Port Darwin for thirteen years, serving as a minister from 1983 until he retired in 1990.

The Country Liberal Party’s Shane Stone won Port Darwin in 1990. Stone became chief minister in 1995, serving in that role until 1999, and leaving Parliament in 2000.

The CLP’s Sue Carter won Port Darwin at the 2000 by-election, and held the seat until 2005, when Labor’s Kerry Sacilotto narrowly won the seat in Labor’s landslide victory.

Sacilotto held Port Darwin for one term, losing in 2008 to the CLP’s John Elferink. Elferink had previously held the seat of MacDonnell, covering the southern end of the NT outback, from 1998 to 2005. Elferink had served as a shadow minister in the early 2000s, and returned to the frontbench in 2008.

Elferink was re-elected in 2012, and served as Attorney-General (along with a number of other portfolios) since that election.

Candidates
Sitting Country Liberal MP John Elferink is not running for re-election.

• Carol Phayer (Independent)
• Paul Kirby (Labor)
• Rohan Kelly (Country Liberal)
• Matthew Baker (Independent)
• David Cameron (1 Territory)
• Kenneth Wu (Independent)

Assessment
Port Darwin is traditionally a CLP seat, whereas a number of other CLP seats with greater margins were strong Labor seats before big swings in 2012. If there is a return to form in 2012, you’d expect the swing to be more concentrated in outback areas. On the other hand, the loss of the incumbent MP makes this seat vulnerable for the CLP.

2012 result

2012 two-party-preferred result

Booth breakdown
There are two booths contained in Port Darwin: Darwin City and Larrakeyah.

The Country Liberal Party won 61.6% of the two-party-preferred vote in Larrakeyah, and 55% in Darwin City. The CLP polled 66% of the pre-poll vote and 60% of the other votes.