Conservative vote: Territory Alliance up, CLP down in Johnston

11
1987

By ERWIN CHLANDA
 
The Country Liberals (CLP) were the big losers in the Johnston by-election yesterday and Territory Alliance the big winners, although Labor retained the blue ribbon seat despite a 12% swing against it.
 
The swing against the CLP was 35% while the Territory Alliance gained 47%.
 
The Greens out-polled the CLP.
 
First preference votes in the Darwin seat, which became vacant when Labor front bencher Ken Vowles resigned, were: Ex-footballer Joel Bowden (ALP) 970 (pictured); Steven Klose (Territory Alliance) 719; Aiya Goordich Carttling (Greens) 550; Josh Thomas (CLP) 529; Braedon Earley (Ban Fracking Fix Crime Protect Water) 338; Trevor Jenkins (Independent) 73 and George Mamouzellos (Independent) 57.
 
The two candidate preferred vote was Bowden (ALP) 52.6% and (Territory Alliance) 47.4%.
 
These were the results when counting finished last night. A fresh scrutiny (re-check) of all votes will begin on Monday, says the Electoral Commission.
 
Mr Bowden grew up in Alice Springs and according to the ALP website, “is passionate and committed to his family (four children) and prides himself on his dedication to social justice.
 
“Joel believes in a Territory where every member of our community is safe and respected, and valued for the role they play in society.”
 
He spent two years living in Ernabella in the SA’s APY Lands and played AFL for Richmond Football Club.
 
He holds a Bachelor of Education and a Master of Business Administration and is currently studying a Bachelor of Laws at Charles Darwin University.
 
Mr Bowden is the general secretary of Unions NT and has previously worked with the NT Department of Tourism and Culture, AFLNT, as well as running his own hospitality and property development business in Victoria.
 
 
 

11 COMMENTS

  1. @ Pseudo Guru: And to complete your observation, lawyers run our parliaments, federal, state and territory.

  2. “Prides himself on his dedication to social justice.”
    Sadly there is not much justice for the poor Joe that has his car stolen or his house invaded. Always the same when politicians serve an ideology and not the people.

  3. There is no such thing as “social” justice. It’s just a buzz word for the left.
    Justice needs no explainer at the front of it. Adding descriptors in front of justice simply weakens and changes the meaning of the powerful word justice.
    Something is either just or unjust. No hyphens needed.

  4. @ Interested Darwin Observer: I agree with you that “social justice” is an oxymoron of “justice”.
    It is a modern day construct of the human rights movement that assumes that justice under the common law is flawed and inferior to a new layer of human rights law that needs to to be imposed over the top.
    It sidesteps the inherent principle of justice that simply requires honest practitioners in a common law system of procedural integrity.
    Human rights “social justice” lawyers and judges are as open to corruption as those practising under the common law.
    As social justice warriors they adopt a morally superior characteristic.
    But at the end of the day, justice is justice, no need to describe it with an adjective.

  5. I see from a distance Mr Bowden has some qualifications issued by Charles Darwin University and that he is an NT Union organiser, both of which have happy alliances.
    If his qualifications were from Harvard University and he worked for a real employer I would feel more convinced of credibility. Has anybody actually sighted these documents?

  6. The current constructs claiming to be our “human rights” are seriously flawed and contradicting the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
    Many constructs appear as inferior and divisive layers to the original declaration as proclaimed and adopted by the United Nations General Assembly.
    Those adopted principles begin declaring the equality of every human person to be equal and inalienable shared individual rights and freedoms.
    Political activists, those seeking to govern, re-interpret the 1948 declaration to justify their expressions of prejudices, of racism, of rejecting our shared equal and inalienable human rights.
    Either we all share same legal rights and legal responsibilities, or we are divided by prejudices.

  7. @ Paul Parker. Joel Bowden has a good balanced life CV that should make him a good Member of Parliament for the people.
    A problem for any MP is that part of their background can overly influence them towards a bias.
    Another problem is that as a member of a major party he will be expected to express party solidarity.
    Conscience votes are rare.
    The test will be when Joel is expected to vote along party lines for legislation he does not agree with morally. Good luck, Joel. Your dad’s exemplary moral character is your role model.

  8. Joel is not an academic, he’s been a student getting qualifications to increase his knowledge.
    Academics work in tertiary institutions, teach and do research.
    As well as having been a footballer at the highest level he has been a small business owner.
    He grew up in The NT, and lived at Ernabella for a time with his family.
    He married his childhood sweetheart, an Alice Springs girl.
    Not a bad resume for an NT politician.
    Better than many who have served in the NT Parliament over the years. We have had too many blow-ins on the make, the last one was the Chief Minister who oversaw the Port of Darwin lease to a Chinese company.
    Joel, a Territory boy, been away, made good, back to help the NT grow in away that all benefit. More power to him.

  9. @ Richard Triggs: Joel Bowden has a balanced background CV that qualifies him to be a good MP for the people. Two problems that face all pollies. (1) part of their background has the potential to influence them towards bias and leaves them open to approaches from self interested lobby groups. (2) major party pollies are expected to vote along party lines on contentious issues. Conscience votes are rare. The test will be when Joel is expected to vote with the party on legislation and issues in which he does not agree with his party morally. I wish you well, Joel. You have your dad’s exemplary moral values as your role model.

  10. @ Richard Triggs: It seems to me that it depends on what you want in regard to your elected representative, a good bloke or an effective Parliamentarian?
    If one looks around the NT Parliament for the last term it is clear there is not one government Member that is dynamic enough to have made any real difference to the living standards of Territorians.
    In fact we are dead broke. Let’s have a good bloke ethos, what?
    This is why the Territory is at such a low ebb in political leadership. It is nauseating to see the good bloke from Tennant Creek and Chief Minister Mr Gunner who refuses to stand down even though he is in the middle of the DTC Darwin Turf Club $12m farce that the ICAC are looking at.
    So if this is what you allow to happen then the good bloke ethos is just crazy, this would not happen around Australia, no worries mate, the people are dummies: I think not.
    How can anyone vote Labor with this going on? The swing against Labor last week shows people are NOT dummies.
    If we accept these appalling standards we have only ourselves to blame when the reality of corruption wrecks communities and their economies.

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