00:00Sunday morning in Darwin's northern suburbs, the crowds pour in for their fresh greens
00:09and laksa and a small army of purple volunteers is hard at work.
00:16With the territory election approaching, this independent candidate is selling a message
00:21of change.
00:22Imagine if our parliament was our elected representatives sitting down together having
00:28a dialogue with the best information we have to make decisions about what's best for the
00:33Northern Territory.
00:35And why doesn't that happen?
00:37The former justice worker has been on the ground for months, hoping to snare the safe
00:43Labor seat of Johnston.
00:45When we're door knocking or talking to people here at the markets or at public events, is
00:49that they don't trust our current political system.
00:53They're not happy with their representatives and they want change across the board.
00:58Out and about, some voters appear open to new possibilities.
01:04Territorians are not particularly happy with major parties and I think independents are
01:09actually really, really important for the parliamentary process.
01:12Ultimately, major parties probably have the advantage but it doesn't mean you don't vote
01:17for someone you believe in.
01:18The cost of living is terrible and security is also terrible so maybe we need to change.
01:26At the last federal election in 2022, there was a movement against the two major parties.
01:34Voters in Sydney, Melbourne and Perth sent a wave of teal independents to Canberra on
01:40platforms of integrity and climate action.
01:46It's wonderful to have you all here.
01:47In the lead up to this anti-election campaign, kitchen table conversations have been taking
01:53place.
01:54Grassroots volunteers connected to the rise of independents.
01:5886% of the 249 people we spoke to said that they didn't feel represented and so we can
02:05see that politicians are meeting with different people, it's just that they're not meeting
02:10with constituents.
02:1540 kilometres south of Darwin, another very different independent candidate is campaigning
02:21to retain the seat of Goida.
02:24I think at times the major parties lose sight of the big picture.
02:29You're there to make good laws for good governance in the territory.
02:33Kezia Piric is the longest serving member of NT Parliament, a conservative crossbencher
02:39who quit the scandal-plagued country Liberal Party in 2015.
02:44Now retiring, Ms Piric is coaching her successor on how to keep the seat independent.
02:50Just get out and meet people, go to the different events, go to the markets, sit at the shopping
02:54centre and people appreciate that.
02:56They don't always agree with you on key things that are very divisive like fracking.
03:03No one can agree on everything but as long as we agree on the majority of things and
03:06we work together we can achieve heaps.
03:09Right now there are four independents in NT Parliament.
03:13Ms Piric, Mark Turner in Blaine, Yngi Goyola in Malka and Robin Lamley in Arreluan.
03:21While Labor currently have a majority in the Northern Territory Parliament, after August
03:26election, if the crossbench stays the same or even grows, it could be these independents
03:31with a crucial role to play if neither party can reach the 13 seats necessary to govern
03:37in their own right.
03:40The independents best chance to break through, one expert suggests, will come from focusing
03:45on hyper-local issues.
03:48You can't be in an ivory tower in the Northern Territory.
03:51If you're not down on the ground giving people snags and sausages and come down to the park
03:56and shake my hand and do this, you're not going to get the support that you need on
04:02election day.
04:04Both the government and the opposition reject the idea they're not listening to constituents,
04:10with just one month left to convince voters on which way to turn.
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