By ERWIN CHLANDA
There is no Federal election result yet in the sprawling seat of Lingiari – all of the Territory except Darwin.
With 68% of the vote counted and 63 of the 71 polling places in hand, sitting Member Warren Snowdon (Labor) and Tina MacFarlane (Country Liberals) are neck and neck with 21,268 and 20,088 votes, respectively.
Mr Snowdon’s vote is down 2.27% on the last election, and the Greens (Barbara Shaw) are down nearly 5%, on present figures.
The remaining booths are from remote areas where the Labor vote declined in last year’s Territory election and where Aboriginal Territory Parliamentarians campaigned for Ms MacFarlane.
Also, about half of the postal votes, 1175, are yet to be processed. These are likely to favour Ms MacFarlane.
There was a swing in against Mr Snowdon in all Alice Springs booths. The available two-candidate preferred results are:-
Civic Centre: Snowdon 577 (-4.5%), MacFarlane 537.
Braitling School: MacFarlane 547, Snowdon 484 (-7.94%).
Sadadeen: Snowdon 829 (-1.54%), MacFarlane 608.
Yirara College: MacFarlane 217, Snowdon 138 (-11.99%).
Results for the Tourism Central Australia booth are not yet available.
PHOTO: MacFarlane supporters in Alice Springs reacting to an announcement on the ABC that Ms Macfarlane had won in Lingiari, but in the end of the night round-up the ABC’s expert election commentator Antony Green said the result could not yet be called. Those present included sitting MLAs Bess Price (third from left) and Alison Anderson (at rear with one arm raised). The candidate was not there.