Northern Territory head to polls in tight race as party leaders Eva Lawler and Lia Finocchiaro argue over crime rates

Voting is underway across the Northern Territory – from rugged Central Australia to Darwin and the sparse populated tropics – with a tight race expected between Labor and the Country Liberal Party.

Northern Territory Chief Minister Eva Lawler is seeking to extend Labor’s eight-year hold over the Top End, with 25 seats up for grabs when counting officially kicks off at 6.30pm on Saturday.

Both Labor and the Country Liberal Party have campaigned on a platform of being tough on crime, with stubbornly high crime rates and curfews in Alice Springs centre stage.

The week before the election, Ms Lawler said Labor would deliver a ‘common sense plan to lower crime’ and improve community safety, including a $570 million boost to NT Police.

Opposition leader Lia Finocchiaro told SkyNews live debate earlier this week that the CLP’s plan for crime was instead to strengthen bail laws and lower the age of criminal responsibility.

The NT’s struggling economy, high costs of living and stagnant population growth are also seen as being in the CLP’s firing line, as it tries to show a change is needed after eight years of Labor.

The election has also thrown open the door to a number of independents, including self-proclaimed laksa queen Amye Un who claimed ‘Labor had to go … Only Amye Un can clean up’.

The NT has made headlines in recent years due to high crime rates, including the imposition of night-time curfews after two off-duty police were allegedly attacked in July.

The election also comes ahead of a contested race in Queensland later this year where Labor will again defend its record, as well as a looming federal election due to be called next year.

Chief Minister Eva Lawler (pictured) is looking to extend Labor’s eight-year hold in the NT