<?xml version="1.0" encoding="ISO-8859-1"?> <docID>327625</docID> <postdate>2024-08-26 10:36:12</postdate> <headline>Labor to examine NT fallout ahead of federal poll: PM</headline> <body><p><img class="size-full wp-image-327569" src="https://citynews.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/20240824199253649160-original-resized.jpg" alt="" width="900" height="600" /></p> <caption>NT CLP Leader Lia Finocchiaro soared to an emphatic victory in Saturday's election. (A)manda Parkinson/AAP PHOTOS)</caption> <p><span class="kicker-line">By <strong>Andrew Brown</strong> in Canberra</span></p> <p><strong>Labor's wipeout in the NT election has led to questions about what it means for the federal government's chances at the next national poll.</strong></p> <p>A swing of more than 10 per cent to the Country Liberal Party pushed NT Labor from government in Saturday's election after two terms in office.</p> <p>Labor has been reduced to four seats in the territory's 25-seat parliament, prompting concerns about the national party's prospects in the election expected to be held by May.</p> <p>Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said there are lessons to be learned from the NT poll.</p> <p>"We, of course, will have a look at any implications, which are there, but we will work constructively with the new Northern Territory government," he told ABC Radio on Monday.</p> <p>However, the prime minister said the NT campaign was dominated by local issues.</p> <p>"You have law and order issues, which are the responsibility, of course, of the territory," he said.</p> <p>"They were front and centre of the election campaign.</p> <p>"You had another factor that if you have three chief ministers in two years, which is what occurred, then you have that sort of disruption as well.</p> <p>"That's hardly conducive to saying that you're a stable government."</p> <p>Outgoing chief minister Eva Lawler lost her own seat of Drysdale.</p> <p>Federal Labor holds both of the NT's lower house electorates.</p> <p>The Darwin-based seat of Solomon is held by Luke Gosling on a margin of 9.3 per cent.</p> <p>Lingiari is held by Marion Scrymgour on a slim margin of  0.9 per cent, after the Country Liberals earned a more than four per cent swing at the 2022 federal election.</p> <p>The federal election is due to be held by May 17 at the latest, although the government can call a poll at any time.</p> <p>Voters are also heading to the ballot box in the ACT, Queensland and Western Australia before the May deadline.</p> </body>