Tollner to leave NT politics with surplus

The Northern Territory's chief minister has praised outgoing NT Treasurer Dave Tollner for leaving politics with a budget in surplus.

It was announced on Saturday night that Mr Tollner failed to win preselection for the newly-created seat of Spillett in Palmerston.

Mr Tollner is the member for Fong Lim, part of which has been taken in by the new seat, and will leave politics at the next NT election, scheduled for August.

He has held Fong Lim for eight years, and before that served six years in federal parliament as the member for Solomon.

"He's provided a fantastic contribution over the last 20 years to politics in the NT," Chief Minister Adam Giles told reporters on Sunday.

"He's got to be one of very few treasurers who's going to leave politics with a budget in surplus, something you can really hang your hat on."

Country Liberals Party President Tory Mencshelyi said: "Obviously we don't do captain's picks in the CLP, and the branch chooses who they think best represents the electorate and will be able to win the electorate, and the branch endorses Lia Finnochiaro for Spillett."

The party is running high-profile candidates in Darwin's northern suburbs, which is expected to be a voting battleground currently dominated by Labor.

Former NT footballer Jarred Ilett is running for Karama, alongside crocodile farmer Giovanna Webb for Casuarina and party stalwart Ted Dunstan for Nightcliff.

Attorney-General John Elferink last week announced he would retire at the next election, but Mr Giles was positive about the potential of the less experienced new candidates against the loss of two key pillars of the government.

"Have a look at the diversity in candidates and levels of experiences, whether it's police officers, teachers, indigenous leaders, anti-domestic violence campaigners, people who are art connoisseurs or conservationists," he said.

"We've got a very diverse group that brings a different level of skills and experience to be able to assist us governing for the NT."

THE CLP'S RETURNING CANDIDATES:

* Chief Minister Adam Giles (Braitling)

* Deputy Chief Minister Willem Westra van Holthe (Katherine)

* Environment Minister Gary Higgins (Daly)

* Housing Minister Bess Price (Stuart)

* Education Minister Peter Chandler (Brennan)

* Business Minister Peter Styles (Sanderson)

* Backbencher Francis Xavier Kurrupuwu (Arafura)

* Backbencher Nathan Barrett (Blain)

* Government whip Lia Finocchiaro (Spillett)

AND THE NEWCOMERS:

* Stephen Brown (Araluen) - Deputy Mayor of Alice Springs

* Steven Klose (Johnston) - senior ministerial advisor to deputy chief minister

* Ben Hosking (Drysdale) - former police officer

* Heidi Williams (Namatjira) - senior advisor to Minister Bess Price

* Karen Brown (Fannie Bay) - art consultant

* Tim Dixon (Fong Lim) - senior ministerial advisor to Treasurer David Tollner

* Jarred Ilett (Karama) - former NT footballer

* Ted Dunstan (Nightcliff) - chairman of Neighbourhood Watch NT and disabilities advocate

* Giovanna Webb (Casuarina) - co-owner and operator of Crocodylus Park

* Rohan Kelly (Port Darwin) - chair of the Young Country Liberals

* Ian Gumbula (Arnhem) - Indigenous former schoolteacher

* Carolyn Reynolds (Goyder) - health educator

Preselection for the seats of Wanguri, Barkly, Nhulunbuy and Nelson is yet to be completed.