The NT Greens appear to be walking back their decision to preference Labor ahead of the CLP on their how-to-vote cards, acknowledging it is hard to tell the two major parties apart, now instructing their voters to make up their own minds over who they preference at the polling booth.

NT Greens campaign co-manager Maud Mussared said the party had decided to preference Labor over the CLP and that individual Greens candidates did not make the call on a seat by seat basis. But she stressed that the party has committed to preferencing independents before Labor.

“We have endeavoured to preference campaigns who are most values-aligned with us,” Ms Mussared said.

“After that, although it is increasingly difficult to tell Labor and CLP apart, we have preferenced Labor above the CLP. Keeping in mind that preferences are only a recommendation to voters, and each voter is in control of their full vote – something we will be reminding voters on the booths.”

At the 2020 election, the Greens drew their highest support in the NT ever, including 18.6 per cent of first preference votes in Nightcliff, 17.2 per cent in Johnston, 12 per cent in Casuarina, 10.4 per cent in Araluen and 10.2 per cent in Fannie Bay.

The party would have finished second in Nightcliff if more former Territory Alliance voters had followed that party’s how-to-vote card.

The Greens did not explain why they preferenced Labor incumbent Brent Potter over the CLP’s Laurie Zio in Fannie Bay, given the criticism both the Greens and the wider community heaped on Mr Potter after his social media history was made public earlier this year, that included sharing openly misogynistic, homophobic, racist and anti-Semitic posts.

NT Greens Fannie Bay candidate Suki Dorras-Walker said in March that the community had lost faith in Mr Potter over the offensive social media material he distributed, but still preferenced him over the CLP’s Laurie Zio.

The Greens also did not explain why they did not just keep their how-to-vote cards open, similar to how many independent candidates have.

NT Greens party co-manager Sib Hare Breidahl said the party was “aiming for a minority government, with Greens and progressive independents on the cross-bench”.

“In case we don’t win a seat, we would prefer these progressive independents,” she said.

“We know that in order to indicate a valid ballot example to public, we also have to include Labor and the CLP in this mix.

“We all remember when the CLP was last in power and do not want to see a CLP government returned, hence preferencing Labor over the CLP. But…it’s hard to see daylight between Labor and the CLP on some issues. They’re in a race to the bottom on incarcerating people, building jails and fracking the Territory.

“It’s clear whichever major party is in government, there needs to be more scrutiny and progressive representation.”

Ms Hare Breidahl reiterated what Ms Mussared said about telling Greens voters on the booths to “make up their own mind” when deciding who to preference.

“We are very concerned given the Middle Arm emissions report, and that’s why, no matter the make-up of the Parliament, you can count on us fighting hard for a ban on fracking and new gas projects in the Territory,” she said.

In 2020, the Greens’ preferences in Fannie Bay, Johnston and Nightcliff flowed 78.1 per cent to Labor.