The Candidates:
Linda Burney (Lab) Barton - Elected
Ken Canning (Socialist Alliance) Senate
Pat Dodson (Lab) Senate
Jacqui Lambie (Ind) Senate
Sharlene Leroy-Dyer (Socialist Alliance) Senate
Kerrynne Liddle (Lib) Senate
Jo Lindgren (Lib) Senate
Carol Martin (Labor) Durack - Defeated
Malarndirri McCarthy (Lab) Senate
Kado Muir (Nat) Senate
Ash Rose (Australian Progressives) Senate
Tammy Solonec (Lab) Swan - Defeated
Shea Taylor (Australians Christians) Senate
Barry Winmar (Lab) Canning - Defeated
Geoffrey Winters (Lib) Sydney - Defeated
Ken Wyatt (Lib) Hasluck - Elected
Michael Newie (Ind) Leichardt - Defeated
Ken Canning (Socialist Alliance) Senate
Pat Dodson (Lab) Senate
Jacqui Lambie (Ind) Senate
Sharlene Leroy-Dyer (Socialist Alliance) Senate
Kerrynne Liddle (Lib) Senate
Jo Lindgren (Lib) Senate
Carol Martin (Labor) Durack - Defeated
Malarndirri McCarthy (Lab) Senate
Kado Muir (Nat) Senate
Ash Rose (Australian Progressives) Senate
Tammy Solonec (Lab) Swan - Defeated
Shea Taylor (Australians Christians) Senate
Barry Winmar (Lab) Canning - Defeated
Geoffrey Winters (Lib) Sydney - Defeated
Ken Wyatt (Lib) Hasluck - Elected
Michael Newie (Ind) Leichardt - Defeated
Update 11:05pm
It’s too close to call.
We’re going to wrap up the blog for the night but keep things ticking over on our Twitter and Facebook pages.
The big story of the night was Wiradjuri woman Linda Burney’s victory in the Sydney seat of Barton. She becomes the first ever Aboriginal woman to be elected into the House of Representatives.
On the other side of the country, Ken Wyatt has retained his seat of Hasluck in WA. So, two history-makers in the Lower House.
But not every Indigenous candidate was so lucky.
In WA, Labor’s Tammy Solonec, Carol Martin and Barry Winmar couldn’t win their respective seats.
In NSW, Liberal candidate Geoffrey Winters couldn’t overthrow Labor’s Tanya Plibersek.
And in Far North QLD, Michael Newie’s campaign as an independent didn’t succeed.
The counting will continue throughout the night as we try to figure out who will form government.
Then, the task of counting Senate vote begins. We’ll have to wait and see how Malarndirri McCarthy, Ken Canning, Pat Dodson, Jacqui Lambie, Sharlene Leroy-Dyer, Kerrynne Liddle, Jo Lindgren, Kado Muir, Ash Rose and Shea Taylor fare.
Make sure you check out more from Myles' election day via and stay tuned to NITV online for continued coverage.
From Myles Morgan and Jerico Mandybur, good night!
Update 10:13pm
Wyatt retains WA seat of Hasluck, Solonec loses in Swan.
We’re confident enough to call the fates of the final two Indigenous candidates in WA.
There was a swing against Liberal Ken Wyatt but it isn’t enough to unseat him. He’ll retain the seat of Hasluck. Remember, he was the first Aboriginal person to be elected to the House of Representatives and the first Indigenous frontbencher in a Federal Government.
Different fortunes for Nigena woman Tammy Solonec. With a minor swing in her favour, it still isn’t enough for the Labor candidate to overcome sitting Liberal Steve Irons in Swan.
Source: NITV
So a win for Wyatt but losses for Solonec, Carol Martin and Barry Winmar.
Source: NITV
Update 9:38pm
Oh but things are moving quickly in WA!
Carol Martin is falling behind the Liberals and doesn’t look like she’ll win in Durack.
We’re going to hand it to the Libs.
Despite an encouraging swing in his favour, Barry Winmar has also been defeated in the seat of Canning, with the electorate being retained by the Liberals.
Source: NITV
The lead Andrew Hastie has on him keeps growing and it doesn't look like Winmar has many more votes to count on.
Source: AEC
Source: NITV
Update 9:27pm
Very interesting developments in the seat of Canning. Labor’s Barry Winmar is trailing behind Liberal Andrew Hastie. This despite a healthy 7 per cent swing towards Winmar and 3 per cent swing against Hastie.
In Durack, Labor’s Carol Martin is behind Liberal Melissa Price.
And it’s very close in Hasluck. Liberal frontbencher Ken Wyatt is ahead of Labor’s Bill Leadbetter, but not by much.
Update 8:40pm
We’re going to give the seat of Sydney to deputy Labor leader Tanya Plibersek, meaning Gomeroi man Geoffrey Winters is defeated.
Sydney has never been lost by Labor and any candidate trying to steal it away faced an uphill battle.
We’re turning our eyes to the West now. Polling in WA has closed and the counting will begin. How will Ken Wyatt, Carol Martin, Tammy Solonec and Barry Winmar go?
Source: NITV
Update 7:40pm
Labor candidate and Wiradjuri woman Linda Burney claims the seat of Barton in NSW, making her the first ever Aboriginal woman to be elected to the House of Representatives.
About 20% of the vote has been counted in her seat but she appears to have an unbeatable lead.
In the seat of Sydney, it looks like Geoffrey Winters will lose to deputy Labor leader Tanya Plibersek but only about 3 per cent of the vote has been counted.
Source: NITV
Update 6:55pm
The polls have been closed for an hour on the east coast.
Some media outlets are already showing massive swings against candidates but, keep in mind, only a fraction of the votes have been counted.
It will still slowly start to pick up over the next few hours.
The Indigenous candidates fighting for a Senate seat may have to wait weeks before they find out how they went.
Stay on top of results here, on the Australian Electoral Commission's page and via SBS' interactive results map (link below).
Update 6:00pm
It’s 6pm and the polls have officially closed.
What happens now is the Australian Electoral Commission will start to count the votes. Results for the Lower House will roll out over the next few hours (that’s where the election will be decided).
The Senate count will probably take days and weeks.
Labor needs to win hold all of its current seats and claim another 21 seats to win government.
The Coalition will be hoping for a clear majority so it can retain government.
Here’s the current formula for the House of Representatives:
Coalition 90 seats
Labor 55
Greens 1
Others 4
Update 3:44pm
We've found another Indigenous candidate. Unfortunately, there’s no register of Indigenous candidates so some are flying under the radar.
Kaurareg man Michael Newie is running as an independent against the very popular Warren Entsch in the Far North Queensland seat of Leichardt. Michael brings our 2016 candidates to a total of 17! Scroll to the candidate profiles below to learn a little about his platform and ideas on sovereignty.
Update 2:18pm
Only a few hours to go until the votes begin to be counted. In the meantime, keep up with the conversation on Twitter and Facebook.
And how about an election throwback?
Remember when the media's focus shifted to treaty and invasion for a few days?
And we were all taken by surprise when NT Senator Nova Peris resigned. Even more surprising, five Indigenous women were considered to replace her.
Wondering what election issues have got the people talking? Government policies affecting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people are all on the cards today, and serious spending plans are at stake.
While people all over the country are queueing and thousands of sausages are simultaneously sizzling, here's just some of the issues Twitter's talking about when it comes to party policies and #IndigenousVotes.
Update 12:17pm
Wiradjuri woman Linda Burney is tipped to pick up the Sydney seat of Barton, which is considered Labor friendly after a boundary redistribution.
Looks like her team is using the power of song to pick up some votes.
The polls have been open for a few hours now but we won't start getting results until this evening.
Meantime, have a look at Labor and the Coalition's biggest spend on Indigenous issues.
Update 10:15am
We've got enough Indigenous candidates in this election to make up a sports team!
With over 15 million Australians expected to vote today, our candidates have started early to try and grab every vote they can.
Here's what some of them are up to.
8:00am
No matter how you look at it, today will be historic.
A record number of Indigenous candidates across Australia are fighting to be elected. If all of them were to be elected, although that’s unlikely, the population of Australia’s parliament would have a higher proportion of Indigenous people than Australia’s actual population.
We’ll almost certainly see a new Aboriginal senator, former NITV journalist Malarndirri McCarthy, as well as the return of rookie Labor senator Pat Dodson.
But how will history-making Aboriginal MP Ken Wyatt fair? The Labor Party thinks it has a genuine chance to take his seat.
Here are the Indigenous candidates and the electorates they’re trying to win or retain.
Already a history maker, is an experienced New South Wales politician. She became the state’s first Indigenous MP on her election in 2003.
Currently a Liberal seat, the Wiradjuri woman is tipped to win the seat due to a redistribution of Barton’s electoral boundaries. She is passionate about the education of Aboriginal children.
Picture: Facebook/@LindaBurneyMP Source: Facebook
Fighting for a seat in the Senate has made it clear he wants to challenge the “colonial mentality” in parliament.
A Kunja man of the Bidjara Nation, he is the first pick on the Socialist Alliance’s Senate ticket. He’ll face an uphill battle with the government changing how candidates from minor parties are voted for in this election. But, being a double dissolution election, senate candidates also only need half the normal number of votes to get elected.
Ken Canning. Picture: facebook/Ken Canning Source: Facebook
Considered the father of reconciliation in Australia, was parachuted into the Senate earlier this year to fill the gap left by the retirement of another Western Australian Senator.
He found himself in the unique position of being a Labor senator for only a few weeks before the election was called. He will almost certainly be re-elected because he has the top spot on Labor’s WA Senate ticket.
Pat Dodson. Source: Supplied
One of the most controversial politicians in recent years, is still not accepted as Aboriginal by some Tasmanians. She claims her Aboriginality through Tasmanian chieftain Mannalargenna.
Splitting from the Palmer United Party in 2014, she has remained an outspoken senator for Tasmania. She told NITV she wants to “keep the bastards honest” and improve the employment prospects and health of Tasmanians. Betting agencies have her as odds-on favourite to be re-elected.
Jacqui Lambie. Source: Supplied
Appearing alongside Ken Canning on the Socialist Alliance’s NSW Senate ticket, works full-time at the University of Newcastle. She is passionate about Aboriginal employment and education issues.
Sharlene Leroy-Dyer. Source: Supplied
Another Aboriginal person fighting for a spot in the Senate, works for oil and gas company Santos.
She says she is a passionate about Indigenous employment, women’s issues and improving the future of Aboriginal children.
Kerrynne Liddle. Twitter/@KerrynneLiddle Source: Twitter
Politics runs in the blood for Jo Lindgren. She is the grand-niece of famous Aboriginal senator Neville Bonner. Like rival Labor senator Pat Dodson, Jo Lindgren was also dropped into the Senate to fill a casual vacancy.
A former high school teacher, her passion is in education. She also served in Australia’s Army Reserve for several years. She has already sat on a number of parliamentary committees.
Joanna Lindgren. Picture: Facebook/Senator Joanna Lindgren Source: Facebook
Another Aboriginal woman fighting for a Senate spot, was first elected to Western Australia’s Parliament in 2001 and stayed there until 2013.
She is fighting for Australia’s biggest electorate: Durack in WA. It is currently held by the Liberals’ Melissa Price who retained it despite a swing against her in the 2013 election. It’s considered a safe Liberal seat.
Carol Martin. Picture: Facebook/Carol Martin for Durack Source: Facebook
A former journalist for NITV and the ABC, Malarndirri McCarthy will almost certainly be elected because she’s at the top of Labor’s NT senate ticket.
The Yanyuwa woman served as a Labor politician in the NT Government from 2005-2012, holding a number of portfolios. She was a late addition to Labor’s candidates after the surprise departure of NT Senator Nova Peris halfway through the campaign.
Malarndirri McCarthy. Source: NITV News
Not your typical Nationals candidate, Kado Muir twice ran for the Greens in past elections. He occupied the top spot on the Nationals’ WA senate ticket. He is a Tjarurru man, a member of the Ngalia tribe and says regional Australians need a voice in parliament.
Kado Muir. Picture: Twitter/@kadomuir Source: Twitter
Nigena woman has appeared several times on the campaign trail with Opposition Leader Bill Shorten. She is fighting for the seat of Swan in Western Australia. It is held by the Liberals on a not unlosable margin of 7%.
A former lawyer, she also stood for the Greens in a local WA election in 2013.
Tammy Solonec. Source: Facebook
A man with a very specific agenda for Indigenous people, Shea Taylor, like many of the other Indigenous candidates, is attempting to secure a spot in the Senate.
He wants to streamline the Native Title process, improve education for Indigenous people, reform the controversial Basics card and make it cheaper to get fresh food to remote communities.
Shea Taylor. Source: Supplied
Already a history maker, Ken Wyatt is fighting for a seat which the Labor Party believes it can genuinely take from him.
is the first Aboriginal person to be elected into the lower house of Federal Parliament and the first to be made a minister in a Federal government. He holds the Western Australian seat of Hasluck on a margin of six per cent. Labor has campaigned vigorously in Hasluck, believing they can reverse the swing against it at the last election.
Ken Wyatt. Picture: Facebook/Ken Wyatt Source: Facebook
Another candidate fighting for a Senate seat, Ash Rose sells himself as “dyslexic, a single dad, a hard worker and humbly successful” descendant of King Bungaree.
He is campaigning for the Australian Progressives, one of Australia’s newest political parties which didn’t even exist at the 2013 election. He wants equal opportunities for all Australians.
Source: Supplied
An openly gay Indigenous man, Geoffrey Winters is defying stereotypes and campaigning for the Liberals. He faces the almost impossible task of winning the seat of Sydney, which has been held by Labor since 1972 and is currently held by Deputy Labor Leader Tanya Plibersek.
The 27-year- old lawyer specialises in land rights and native title at a Sydney law firm.
A former police officer, is trying to win the Liberal stronghold of Canning in Western Australia. Currently held by former special forces officer Andrew Hastie, Barry Winmar is campaigning on creating jobs, wealth and opportunities for the WA electorate.
He is also a former police prosecutor, shift manager and public servant.
A 53-year-old man from Thursday Island, has lived in Leichardt all his life and sees sovereignty as a priority this election. He says, "First Nation people and the rest of Australia must work together respecting First Nation sovereignty, having a bill of rights, Leichhardt representative assembly, free education, free child care, protecting and building on water quality and water security, more organic gardening and farming, new cattle stations, new wharf, new roads and a new monorail bullet train from the tip of Cape York."
Source: Twitter
