The Northern Territory's two main political party leaders are reflecting on their vastly different election performances, after voters delivered a landslide victory for Labor.
The defeated Country Liberal Party leader Denis Burke is taking last night's Northern Territory election defeat personally, blaming himself for the dramatic loss.
The swing against the CLP was so large that Mr Burke is almost certain to lose his seat, although he has not conceded it yet.
Mr Burke says the 12 per cent swing against the party shows Territorians have lost faith in the CLP, rather than developed any great affection for Labor.
He says the party needs to fix itself structurally and win back voters' confidence.
Mr Burke says the loss stings.
"It's pretty daunting because not only was I the Chief Minister that took the CLP out of Government, I've now taken them to an enormous defeat again," he said.
"That's pretty tough. But I believe that if we analyse all the issues properly some good will come out of it."
Promises
Returned Chief Minister Clare Martin says she knows why people turned to Labor in record numbers in yesterday's election: because her party delivered on the promises it made four years ago on education, health and community safety.
Ms Martin says Labor will use its mandate to build up primary and secondary education and maintain the Territory's economic growth.
The Chief Minister says she plans to lead Labor for a full term and is looking forward to the next four years.
"I've never been looking elsewhere, other people talk about me looking elsewhere but I've never looked elsewhere," she said.
"This is the job I want and this is certainly the job that holds, I believe, the most challenges of any job in Australia."
Ms Martin says the CLP painted itself into a corner with a campaign hinged on the concept of a powerline to Queensland.
But she is taking no pleasure in Mr Burke's pain.
"On a personal level, I don't think that's much fun for anyone," she said. "But the CLP didn't run a strategic campaign. The CLP had their icon of a powerline that wasn't going to work."
Undone
The young Labor lawyer who looks set to bring Denis Burke undone in the seat of Brennan says he won votes in his own right - and not because he shares a surname with the CLP leader.
Virtually unknown 34-year-old legal officer James Burke looks set to claim a 21 per cent swing in what was the Territory's safest seat.
The shock result will make Denis Burke the first political leader to lose his own seat in a Territory election.
James Burke says his surname had nothing to do with his success.
"Yes we had the same surname, plenty of people do but it doesn't mean they're always confused," he said.
"I think people saw the clear difference between myself as part of the Clare Martin team and James Burke the person and against Denis Burke and the CLP and what they stood for."
Denis Burke says the CLP can win back government from Labor at the next election.
He says he ran a good, clean campaign in the face of Ms Martin's enormous spending power.
"All I can say is that there are deep messages there including messages to me. I accept that," he said. "And if we're going to move forward we've got to analyse them honestly. Otherwise we won't be able to move forward."
In other developments: Northern Territory environmentalists say they will hold Labor to its commitment to stop the development of any more uranium mines. (Full Story) Aboriginal leader Tracker Tilmouth says Indigenous people have a lot of talking to do with the Labor Party about its law and order policies in the Northern Territory. (Full Story) The Country Liberal Party's (CLP's) Jodeen Carney has dodged questions about whether she will put her hand up for the job of leader in the wake of the party's defeat at the hands of Denis Burke. (Full Story) The Greens are claiming a moral victory in the Northern Territory election. (Full Story)
