The Northern Territory election result that spells trouble for Anthony Albanese – as his right hand man breaks silence

Northern Territory Liberal Party leader Lia Finocchiaro celebrated a “new day” for the top after handing Labor a landslide election defeat after eight years in power.

The CLP won emphatically with at least 15 seats in the 25-seat parliament, while Labor has been reduced to just four seats at the end of the count. Independents have two seats so far.

Outgoing Prime Minister Eva Lawler also lost her seat.

Labour’s defeat in the Top End is likely to raise concerns at federal level as the Albanian government prepares for elections in May next year.

Federal Nationals leader David Littleproud said the result showed the Labor Party was “under some pressure” at the moment.

“Crime is simply out of control in the Northern Territory. Their economic conditions are plummeting and the premier is at the centre of that crisis,” Mr Littleproud told Nine on Sunday.

“It is clear that we can all learn important lessons from this.”

Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles dodged questions about the impact of the result at a federal level, saying local issues such as crime were to blame for Labor’s loss.

“We’re just focused on getting the job done,” Mr Marles told Sky News Sunday Agenda.

“There is no doubt that the biggest challenge facing Australians right now is the cost of living.”

On Saturday night, Ms Finocchiaro told Territory party members they had voted to “hold a bad Labor government to account”.

The granddaughter of Italian migrants called the result a “turning point in the future of the area” and promised to take measures against the high crime rates in the region.

“Fellow residents have raised their voices to rise up against the Workers’ Party, which has taken them for granted for far too long,” said Mrs Finocchiaro, accompanied by her husband and two children.

‘Territorians have resisted nearly two decades of rising crime, a declining economy and the erosion of our once iconic way of life. But tomorrow is the start of a new day.’

Ms Finocchiaro, who is expected to become the 14th prime minister of the Northern Province, said residents “have spoken loud and clear: they want to live in a safe community where the police are supported by better laws”.

Defeated Prime Minister Mrs Lawler also lost her own seat of Drysdale after a surprise victory in favour of the CLP.

Holding back tears, Ms Lawler told party members shortly after 9pm that after a “tough, tough battle in this campaign… unfortunately, she didn’t make it to the finish line tonight”.

“It has been an absolute privilege to be the Northern Territory’s premier. It has also been an absolute privilege to be the member for Drysdale,” Ms Lawler said on Saturday.

‘Tonight is a tough night for Labor, a really tough night for Labor. It wasn’t the result we wanted to see. But I think some of those votes, some of those decisions, were taken a long time ago.

“I know Territorians wanted change. We heard that loud and clear… I truly believe we are leaving the Northern Territory in a much better position than we were before.”

Ms Lawler said she had congratulated Ms Finocchiaro and that Labor would not “burn down” the Northern Territory by resisting, but would be constructive.

Ms Lawler succeeded Natasha Fyles and was looking to extend Labor’s eight-year reign in the top flight. At the 6pm count, there were 25 seats still up for grabs.

But shortly after 8pm, ABC chief election analyst Antony Green announced that the CLP would hold an election, with a 13.7 percent swing in the party’s favour after large swings.

Former Prime Minister Natasha Fyles told the ABC shortly after 8.30pm that the result so far had been “extremely disappointing”. The ABC said the CLP had 10 seats and Labor four.

Ms Lawler has criticised her predecessor’s decision to drop alcohol restrictions in mid-2022, legalising booze in dozens of Aboriginal communities for the first time in 15 years.

Asked if the move was a mistake by the ABC on election night, Ms Fyles said: “The short answer is yes.” She then added that “hindsight is always easy” and that alcohol was a “legal product.”

“We know how much harm it does, but at the same time giving people the choice not to be part of a community that is allowed to drink alcohol, rather than emptying communities and then putting them through a process that allows them to drink alcohol… So it’s incredibly complex,” Ms Fyles told the ABC.

“We know that compulsory alcohol treatment doesn’t work. It’s hugely expensive. But these are policies that the CLP has said it will remove, and that have been welcomed by health professionals around the world here in the region.”

Despite criticism, Ms Fyles defended her successor as the first votes were counted, saying she was “certainly not holding back” and that she had gained respect for her work before the election.

According to the ABC, by around 8pm Ms Fyles was already discussing the possibility of Labor taking “second or third place” as the CLP had taken a significant lead with six seats to Labor’s two.

Both the Labor Party and the Country Liberal Party campaigned on the idea of ​​cracking down on crime, with Alice Springs’ persistently high crime rates, deprivation and curfews at the heart of the issue.

The week before the election, Ms Lawler said Labor would deliver a “commonsense plan to reduce crime” and improve community safety, including a $570 million funding boost for the Northern Territory Police.

Ms Finocchiaro told a live debate on SkyNews earlier this week that the CLP’s plan to tackle crime was instead to tighten bail laws and lower the age of criminal responsibility.

The Northern Territory’s struggling economy, high cost of living and stagnant population growth are also seen as areas of concern for the CLP, which aims to demonstrate the need for change after eight years of Labor.

The elections also opened the door for a number of independents, including self-proclaimed laksa queen Amye Un, who claimed that “Labor should go… Only Amye Un can clean up.”

The NT has been in the news in recent years for its high crime rates, including the introduction of curfews in the NT after two off-duty police officers were reportedly assaulted in July.

The election also comes ahead of a contentious race in Queensland later this year, where Labor will again defend its record, and the looming federal election called next year.