Analysis: tough year for CLP and Adam Giles, as party dogged by rifts

NT Chief Minister Adam Giles will be hoping the election of a new deputy — the fourth in just over two years — ends the internal divisions that have threatened the Country Liberal Party's (CLP) rule in the Northern Territory.

The elevation of Peter Chandler, who Mr Giles called a "unifying and calming influence", is the latest attempt to quell party rumblings after Dave Tollner's resignation and parting shot at colleagues, describing them as "a nest of vipers" and "immature".

CLP president Ross Connolly has blamed the shifting fortunes of the party on its long time out of government.

"Keeping in mind that we have been in Opposition for 10 or 11 years, there is bound to be some sorting to go on once you get into government," Mr Connolly said.

Compared to the first year under Terry Mills, Mr Giles's tenure as Chief Minister has been difficult.

The CLP have been beset by damaging in-fighting, involving private and public spats.

That is despite announcements of reduced crime rates, crackdowns on violence, increased levels of business and consumer confidence, a limited return to open speed limits, the dismantling of the unpopular supershires experiment, money for sporting events, and ongoing disharmony in the Labor Opposition.

When Mr Giles deposed Terry Mills as CLP leader in March 2013, the CLP held 16 of the 25 seats in the NT Parliament. Under Adam Giles, the CLP holds 13 — and has teetered on the brink of minority rule.

Rough ride from the start

Less than a month after taking the reins, Mr Giles and his government were forced to defend the handing of water licences to federal CLP candidate Tina McFarlane to extract large amounts of water for use on her family's property after previous applications were turned down.

In March 2014, former Labor member turned CLP recruit Alison Anderson alleged colleague Matt Conlon told her to "do us all a favour Alison. F**k off, you c**t" — a claim strenuously denied by senior CLP figures.

The tensions deepened after Mr Giles suspended Ms Anderson from the parliamentary wing of the CLP after she accused the Government of not supporting the bush and Indigenous constituents.

The retirement of former chief minister Terry Mills and the resignations of Alison Anderson, Larisa Lee and Francis Xavier left the government with only 12 seats in the 25-seat Legislative Assembly.

The April by-election in the Palmerston seat of Blain, which Mr Mills held for 15 years, loomed as a test for Mr Giles's leadership.

The CLP's Nathan Barrett went on to hold Blain despite a swing against the CLP — securing the majority and allowing a resurgent Mr Giles to withdraw the olive branch offered to Ms Lee and Mr Xavier.

Ms Anderson, Ms Lee and Mr Xavier went on to join Clive Palmer's Palmer United Party with Ms Anderson making allegations of racist slurs during a phone hook-up at a CLP management meeting.

Mr Giles and other senior CLP figures said there was no truth to Ms Anderson's story.

In May, the Government faced questions over Foundation 51, a self described "independent, conservative-thinking research company", which the Labor Opposition alleged was receiving donations on behalf of the CLP that were not declared, as is required by law.

Mr Giles had previously denied any influence from Foundation 51 on the parliamentary wing of the CLP, arguing the two groups were separate entities.

However, documents obtained under freedom of information legislation revealed company director Graeme Lewis was in email contact with Mr Giles about Foundation 51's activities.

Gay slurs rock CLP

In August, Mr Giles's friend and deputy leader Dave Tollner was revealed to have used the gay slurs "pillow biter" and "shirt lifter" towards a gay CLP staffer — the son of Mr Tollner's colleague Gary Higgins.

Mr Giles rebuked demands that Mr Tollner step down or be sacked as deputy and treasurer, despite pressure from colleagues and intense media coverage.

Mr Giles said Mr Tollner had apologised and his government was "getting on with business", but a day later Mr Giles announced Mr Tollner's resignation, saying both he and Mr Tollner agreed "public confidence was being eroded".

Mr Tollner soon restated his belief he had nothing to apologise for and attacked his CLP colleagues for their lack of support, describing Territory politics as "immature" and his own party as a "nest of vipers".

While dealing with his party's internal divisions over Mr Tollner's resignation, Mr Giles defended the handling of the Peter Maley affair.

In August, Mr Maley — a lawyer and former CLP politician and director of Foundation 51 — quit as a magistrate after less than a year in the role following allegations over his political activities while on the bench.

Mr Giles and Attorney-General John Elferink both previously said they had no problem with a magistrate being part of a political party.

"I believe in freedom of speech and democracy where any member of the judicial system can be free to express their views and be a party member," Mr Giles said on August 19.

In Parliament in May, Mr Elferink said "it is a fantastic society where a magistrate can have a political opinion, where he can be a member of a political party".

But 11 days after he defended Mr Maley's political links, Mr Giles announced a review into judicial appointments.

He said both he and Mr Elferink "agree that the review should examine codes of conduct for judicial officers to ensure that our court system is not politicised".

Follow-up allegations in the NT News and in Parliament of a deal done by Mr Maley to grant access to government documents in exchange for political donations were denied by Mr Giles, Mr Maley and Mr Tollner.

Labor not capitalising on CLP turmoil

Despite the Government's troubles, the Labor Opposition led by Delia Lawrie has also faced its own major challenges and disunity.

With the Country Liberals in disarray ahead of the Blain by-election they were blindsided by the nomination of the teacher's union president Matthew Cranitch as an independent candidate.

Mr Cranitch's decision to preference the CLP over Labor in order to smooth negotiations with the Government over an enterprise bargaining agreement for teachers split the Labor vote in a close campaign.

An inquiry into the Stella Maris affair was critical of Delia Lawrie's role, with the then-treasurer found by Commissioner John Lawler to have been involved in a process that was "unfair to the public".

Former lands minister and current Opposition Deputy Leader Gerry McCarthy's conduct was found to be "not accountable or responsible".

Ms Lawrie has mounted a court challenge against the findings.

In July, while announcing his departure from politics, Kon Vatskalis heaped praise on former Labor chief ministers Clare Martin and Paul Henderson, and pointedly did not mention Delia Lawrie's contribution.

Another by-election

In late August, Mr Giles announced Dr Harry Kypreos as the CLP candidate for the Casuarina by-election.

The 35-year-old doctor is up against Labor's Lauren Moss in what is seen as a safe Labor seat, held by a margin of 9.3 per cent by retiring member Mr Vatskalis.

While a CLP victory is seen as unlikely, a strong showing would be welcomed after the difficult last 12 months.