The Country Liberal Party’s candidate for Arafura, Gibson Farmer, has been caught drink-driving in Darwin on the weekend.

The NT Independent understands Mr Farmer, who is also the Tiwi Land Council’s chairman, allegedly returned a blood alcohol reading of 0.108 after he was pulled over on Sunday night.  

Mr Farmer was driving his wife’s car and was on his way back to the Alatai Holiday Apartments in Darwin City when he was stopped by police on Dick Ward Drive, Fannie Bay at around 6.45pm.

When contacted by the NT Independent, Mr Gibson confirmed the incident had taken place.

“It’s true, but I have to go to court,” he said.

“I made a mistake, I didn’t realise how much alcohol was in my system.

“I’m currently getting legal advice … but I want to get the message out there for people to be cautious and don’t drink and drive.”

Mr Gibson said a court date had not yet been set.

CLP president Ron Kelly said he would not be able to comment on the incident as he was still waiting to get it verified.

The incident is not the first time the CLP’s candidate for Arafura has found himself in trouble with the law.

In January 2019 Mr Farmer pleaded guilty in the Darwin Local Court to taking beer and spirits into Gunbalanya and having an unrestrained child in his car.

The court heard Mr Farmer was busted with “a lot of alcohol” and a child under the age of seven without a seatbelt on in the Holden Rodeo he was driving on the road into the community on July 30, 2018.

But his lawyer Gabriel Chipkin argued his client should not be convicted of the offences due to “mitigating circumstances” and he escaped conviction.

Mr Farmer is a senior elder of the Mantiyupwi people and Melville Island traditional elder who was first appointed chairman of the TLC in 2012.

He will run in the NT election on August 22 against Labor’s Lawrence Costa.

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