Looks like Wazza's back

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2636 Cocking how to vote OK
 
2630 corflute Snowdon 300COMMENT by ERWIN CHLANDA
 
It seems certain that the out-of-touch Country Liberals, commonly know as CLP, have failed in their bid to stop Warren Snowdon from starting his fourth decade as the Federal Member for the vast Territory seat, albeit with a reduced majority.
 
The ABC election computer says so, and so does the Australian Electoral Commission which does not list Lingiari as a close seat.
 
As the nation moves closer to the politics with which the CLP is supposedly aligned, the once proud Territory political force couldn’t find a candidate to knock off Mr  Snowdon as Labor in the NT has reached an unprecedented low under the Michael Gunner government.
 
Giving democracy its due regard, Mr Snowdon has every right to represent the NT: A majority – still a comfortable one – has voted for him. Yet a well-chosen CLP candidate, apart from Mr Gunner’s blundering, would have made capital from the widely held view that Mr Snowdon’s use-by date is up.
 
Instead the CLP chose Jacinta Price, the under-performer as a member of the town council, whose voters she sold out by reneging on her promise to serve a full term in local government.
 
The “Territory Party” couldn’t even produce their own hand-outs: They farmed out their propaganda to the Nationals’ media office interstate with a Canberra man listed as the person responsible.
 
It will be interesting to see if the hysterical Ms Price now exercises her option of returning to the council, restoring the paralysing five against four split.
 
Or will she expose the ratepayers to the bill of about $90,000 for a by-election to fill her seat? Some may consider that money well spent.
 
Ms Price could then continue to enjoy the adoration of the hard right on the south-eastern seaboard and the Murdoch newspapers.
 
It seems clear that her result last night would have been even poorer if the enrolment in the bush had been higher than the 60% or so.
 
The land councils seem to have an obligation to contribute to bringing Aboriginal enrolments up to scratch: After all, it’s the law, and the land councils are Federal instrumentalities representing the interests of Aborigines.
 
The constellation of Alice Springs local politics is going to be interesting.
 
Mayor Damien Ryan is reported to be scrutineering for Ms Price. (We have asked him if that is the case.)
 
He will not confirm nor deny that he has joined the CLP and will stand for an Alice Springs seat in the next NT election.
 
2636 ABC ALP to retain OKCr Jamie de Brenni, a vice-president of the CLP, has flagged his intention of becoming Mayor.
 
Is the CLP going to impose Ms Price on the public again as a Territory candidate?
 
Meanwhile Jimmy Cocking (pictured handing out how to vote cards yesterday, in dark clothing in the centre of the photo, “for nature and a safe climate”), a Mayoral candidate in 2017, is an ambitions and well-connected figure in the town.
 
He is no friend of Ms Price whose father David  lodged a code of conduct complaint against him.
 
It was dismissed by the examining panel, describing the allegations as misleading, vexatious, frivolous and lacking in substance.
 
 
 

21 COMMENTS

  1. James T Smerk: Could you develop your comment by explaining why it would have been better for Alice Springs with Jessica?

  2. 2019, an election full of suprises. 2016, the year that Donald Trump famously stood upon the steps of the White House and defined the odds. And now Warren Snowdon a man who once again surprised us by standing up against the odds.
    In Donald Trump’s case it is now being revealed that there may have been interference from Russia in his campaign for presidency. And now Warren Snowdon’s party is in the act, not using outside resources but indeed members of his own party, giving prep talks on how to vote to members of communities, telling the voters how they should fill out their voting cards when they hit the polls.
    Pretending to be their friends just so they could persuade a vote or two from of this country who should have the access to free speech and a voice to be heard.
    Targeting voters in communities who may have not understood the rules and importance around the second preference votes.
    As we slowly watch as the votes in remote communities come through we continue to see an evermore climbing support for Snowdon. Feels similar to Donald Trump, by chance?

  3. It is astonishing to think that much of the remote vote, in a population of 98% Indigenous voters, went to a whitefella?

  4. The electorate is not centered on Alice Springs. You do know it goes all the way through to Darwin and out to Cocos and Christmas Islands.

  5. I would never deny endorsement nor disendow my children and my family, extended inclusively.
    To head into politics as it is a hard place to live in. I feel for any parents to have experienced a child’s heartbreak with a loss to ones own succession.
    A famous quote: “Although I do nothing upon myself and yet I’m my own executioner.”

  6. I have been asking Wazza questions of accountability for significant expenditure of Commonwealth grant funds in a charity for the Indigenous Marathon Project for six and a half years now.
    As the keeper of public trust for the Aboriginal people of remote tribal communities in Lingiari, Wazza should be transparent.
    He should come clean now that he remains the keeper for the next three years.
    I would be very happy to get to his electoral office in Alice somehow for a cup of coffee and a couple of simple answers in the public interest.

  7. So the hysterical CLP Prices are now whingeing to the AEC while the Prices themselves where seen driving endless car loads of bush folk to the vote centre and were heard on too many occasions telling bush people entering the voting centre “vote this one” pointing to Price and saying don’t vote this one pointing to Wazza saying “he no good”.
    And if that’s not shameful enough Damien Ryan was seen handing out how to vote cards for Price – but hey, no party politics in Council right?!

  8. The next time the Prices get into an argument with east coast Aboriginal people over Australia Day, or the Federal Intervention, or whatever, they can no longer claim “you live on the east coast, we live in the bush, you don’t know what happens in the bush”.
    Following Bess’ thrashing at the NT election and Jacinta’s remote thrashing this time around, they have no mandate or respect in the bush.

  9. Erwin: The same way you would swat at a publication like the Murdoch media dynasty, accusing them of being right. You very much serve your own political agenda.
    To the average reader (myself) it’s grossly hypocritical.
    I like your your writing. I prefer your writing to the Advocate’s. But do modern journalism a service and leave your opinions at the door.
    This article is tripe and your over invested in your spat with Jacinta Price now.
    It’s a shame a good writer isn’t writing about whats really going on in Alice.
    There will be a time for fearless, honest journalism in Alice Springs. I doubt you’ll be part of it.

  10. The interesting thing about the AEC booths is the otherwise lack of swing against Warren in many key areas the CLP thought they had and in many case, swing for him.
    57% versus 43% has clearly got to be quite disappointing result for the CLP to swallow.
    Jacinta made herself out to be all that in the media, to speak on behalf of mass voiceless Aboriginals and the whitefella townsfolk.
    Very clearly, that narrative is wrong and her big mouthing was ultimately a big factor in her demise.
    Wazza walked away with upwards of 80% (and in some places upwards of 90%) of the bush vote, even where the CLP were apparently present and he received a heavy amount of the primary in the urban areas which were boosted by the preferences of the Greens.
    Like it or not, Jacinta has very clearly hit her high tide mark (and on the back of considerable amounts of money being injected into her campaign and a lot of heavy media coverage)/
    The CLP will need to face this reality, regardless of whatever spin they put on the overall win of the Morrison government, that their candidates amounted to fizzers, incapable of delivering even a moderate swing even with all the turmoil of the NT Government.
    Very interesting stuff.
    No doubt both candidates are probably regretting not changing their tickets to the Senate right now.

  11. Gareth: Thank you for your compliments about my writing.
    This piece was by-lined as comment.
    The Alice Springs News gives you a large platform for comment, so surely it should be availabe to me as well.
    As for “fearless, honest journalism” in Central Australia, mine started full-time in December 1974.
    Checking out our online story archive, some seven million words, would have assisted to make your comment better informed.
    Erwin Chlanda, Editor.

  12. Werte Jacinta. We told you that you don’t speak for us but nothing, you don’t listen.
    Only one word left to say to you: KARMA!

  13. Jacinta was always on a hiding to nothing. Her own perceived sense of entitlement didn’t help her cause, but she was up against Snowdon who arguably doesn’t do much between elections, but once every three years he does win elections, and he wins them well.
    The question now is, will Jacinta return to Council?

  14. He doesn’t lie, he doesn’t steal, he doesn’t bludge, he turns up for meetings and goes to work regularly. For that we respect him and vote for him.

  15. In reply to ‘Totally Snowballed’ (yet another person lacking the decency to use their name) please tell us what was the alternative? Mmmm.

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