A political schism has emerged between Labor and the Greens in a Northern Territory by-election contest, with the Greens deciding to preference Labor last, behind conservative-leaning parties.

Key points: The Greens will preference Labor last in the Johnston by-election

The Greens will preference Labor last in the Johnston by-election The ABC's chief election analyst believes it will be the first time the Greens have directed preferences against Labor since 1995

The ABC's chief election analyst believes it will be the first time the Greens have directed preferences against Labor since 1995 The Greens say they are opposed to Labor's fracking policies

Aiya Goodrich Carttling, the Greens candidate in the seat of Johnston in Darwin's northern suburbs, said the party was punishing the Government for its fracking policies ahead of the February 29 by-election.

"Labor is holding our precious natural resources to ransom with its push to proceed with fracking," Ms Goodrich Carttling said.

"As the party currently in government in the NT, they are the only ones who can reverse this decision.

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"Putting them last on our ballot for the Johnston by-election sends both a clear message and also represents an opportunity for this Labor Government to reconsider and change their dirty fracking ways."

Federal Greens leader Adam Bandt compared fracking activity in the Northern Territory to the development of Adani's planned Carmichael coal mine in Queensland.

Greens leader Adam Bandt (left) last year wrote to parliamentarians urging them to declare a climate emergency. ( ABC News: Luke Stephenson )

"The outcome of this by-election will not change who is in government in the NT," Mr Bandt said.

"Fracking the Beetaloo Basin is like building the Adani mine and people in the NT are angry at Labor lighting the fuse on this giant carbon bomb."

In his election blog, Antony Green, the ABC's chief election analyst, said he believed it was the first time the Greens had directed preferences against Labor since the party did so in the seat of Springwood at the 1995 Queensland election.

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Fracking creates friction in old political partnership

The NT Government last year lifted its three-year fracking moratorium, which it imposed on the industry when elected in 2016 due to the public's concern about environmental risks such as groundwater contamination.

After a Government inquiry deemed fracking could be safe with improved regulations, exploration fracking for onshore shale gas in the Beetaloo Basin commenced in October last year, with drilling at Kyalla 117 between Daly Waters and Elliott.

Johnston by-election candidates Labor Joel Bowden

Joel Bowden CLP Josh Thomas

Josh Thomas Territory Alliance Stephen Klose

Stephen Klose Greens Aiya Goodrich Carttling

Aiya Goodrich Carttling Ban Fracking Fix Crime Protect Water Braedon Earley

Braedon Earley Independent George Mamouzellos

George Mamouzellos Independent Trevor Jenkins

The NT Government committed to a target of 50 per cent renewables by 2030 ahead of the 2016 election — a target which climate groups labelled "incompatible" with its plans to increase gas exports.

The Greens how-to-vote card for the Johnston by-election directs voters to preference conservative-leaning parties — the CLP and Territory Alliance — ahead of Labor.

The unusual preferencing by the Greens has come as a surprise to the Country Liberal Party, which also supports fracking.

"I'm a little bit surprised that such preference deals have been done and I'm just wondering what promises have been made behind all of that," CLP president Ron Kelly said.

He said onshore gas development should be critical to the Territory's future energy supply.

"We also support onshore gas development because even if someone in the party has a target of 50 per cent renewables … even if we had 50 per cent, it still needs another 50 per cent of our electricity to be generated from something," he said.

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On Sunday the CLP's candidate for Johnston, Josh Thomas, would not state his stance on fracking, but rejected climate change as a trivial concern his voters did not care about.

"Climate change will always change, the weather will always change," Mr Thomas said.

That's a fact. We had an ice age 15,000 years ago. Where were the Greens then? The issue is people need jobs."



"The environments always change. They always change. They are always in a state of flux. The world revolves. It spins. We have no control over that."

CLP candidate Josh Thomas did not reveal his stance on fracking. ( ABC News: Felicity James )

Mr Thomas's comments are starkly opposed with Greens climate policy. In October last year, Mr Bandt wrote to all parliamentarians urging them to support a motion to declare a climate emergency.

Mr Kelly, however, said his party did not deny climate change.

"We believe that climate change is real and anyone that says that we don't is simply making it up. Of course it is and we need to be a lot smarter as people as to how we live," he said.

Environment and Natural Resources Minister Eva Lawler labelled the Greens preferencing "appalling" and supporting of "dirty and dangerous fracking".

"The Greens' disgraceful decision to do a preference deal with the CLP and Territory Alliance gives the green light to a fracking free-for-all in the Territory," she said.



"It also shows their complete lack of understanding regarding the CLP and Territory Alliance policies or lack thereof.

Ms Lawler said the Government's environmental protection act, which imposed regulations on the fracking industry, demonstrated it could manage fracking with "responsible oversight of development to protect our waterways, landforms, marine environments and biodiversity from irreversible harm".

"This is an appalling decision by the Greens," she said.

"The CLP don't believe in renewable energy or climate change, they have said openly they would remove fracking regulation, and given the chance the CLP would once again risk severe damage to our valuable natural environment."