Editing Country Liberal Party (section)

===1974–2001: Foundation and early dominance===
The [[Whitlam government]] passed legislation in 1974 to establish a fully elected [[unicameral]] [[Northern Territory Legislative Assembly]], replacing the previous partly elected Legislative Council, which had been in existence since 1947. The CLP won 17 out of 19 seats at [[1974 Northern Territory general election|the inaugural elections]] in October 1974, with independents holding the other two seats.{{sfn|Heatley|1998|p=10}} Goff Letts became the inaugural majority leader, a title changed to [[Chief Minister of the Northern Territory|chief minister]] after the granting of self-government in 1978. The CLP governed the Northern Territory from 1974 until the [[2001 Northern Territory general election|2001 election]]. During this time, it never faced more than nine opposition members. Indeed, the CLP's dominance was so absolute that its internal politics were seen as a bigger threat than any opposition party.<ref>[[Antony Green|Green, Antony]]. [http://www.abc.net.au/elections/nt/2005/guide/summary.htm 2005 election summary] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130906125850/http://www.abc.net.au/elections/nt/2005/guide/summary.htm |date=6 September 2013 }}. [[ABC News (Australia)|ABC News]], 2005-04-15.</ref> This was especially pronounced in the mid-1980s, when a series of party-room coups resulted in the Territory having three Chief Ministers during the 1983–87 term and also saw the creation of the [[Northern Territory Nationals]] as a short-lived splinter group under the leadership of former CLP chief minister [[Ian Tuxworth]]. According to ABC election analyst [[Antony Green]], the CLP weathered these severe ructions because Territory Labor was "unelectable" at the time.<ref>[[Antony Green|Green, Antony]]. [https://www.abc.net.au/news/elections/nt/2024/guide/preview 2024 election preview]. [[ABC News (Australia)|ABC News]], 2 August 2024.</ref>

The Whitlam government also passed legislation to give the Northern Territory and [[Australian Capital Territory]] (ACT) representation in the federal [[Australian Senate|Senate]], with each territory electing two senators. [[Bernie Kilgariff]] was elected as the CLP's first senator at the [[1975 Australian federal election|1975 federal election]], sitting alongside Sam Calder in the parliamentary National Country Party. On 3 February 1979 a special conference of the CLP resolved that "the Federal CLP Parliamentarians be permitted to sit in the Party Rooms of their choice in Canberra". Despite personal misgivings, Kilgariff chose to sit with the parliamentary Liberal Party from 8 March 1979 in order that the CLP have representation in both parties, a practice which has been maintained where possible.<ref>{{cite Au Senate |Sen id=kilgariff-bernard-francis |name=Kilgariff, Bernard Francis (1923–2010) |first=Paul |last=Davey |year=2017 |access-date=2022-11-30}}</ref>