Steve Edgington contradicts Finocchiaro on police retention bonus backflip
The CLP’s efforts to wriggle out of its cast iron police retention bonus pledge appear to have come unstuck after a minister appeared to contradict his boss live on radio.
Northern Territory
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The CLP Government is in clean-up mode after a senior minister contradicted the Chief Minister about the implementation of a key law-and-order election commitment.
On Thursday chief minister Lia Finocchiaro appeared to walk back her commitment contained in an August 14, 2024 media release that if elected, a CLP Government would offer substantial cash bonuses for long-serving NT police officers.
The promise committed the CLP to a lump sum retention bonus for officers reaching 10, 15 and 20, 25 and 30 years service.
The then Opposition leader Mrs Finocchiaro promised a $10,000 retention bonus for 10-years service, $15,000 for 15-years service and $20,000 for 20, 25 and 30 years service.
“The CLP will deliver more police on Territory streets through a new police retention bonus that will keep experienced Territory cops in the Territory for longer,” the August 14 media release said.
“As part of the $3 million program, a lump sum Retention Bonus will be given to all police officers who reach 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 year milestones next year.”
But on Thursday in question time, Ms Finocchiaro walked back her promise that the CLP “will” deliver to the commitment being just a “proposal”.
“We put out a proposal prior to the election around some amounts of pay for per years of service, remembering that this attrition, this bonus, is designed to keep people in the force for longer,” she said.
“Many drafts have been talked about between myself and the police commissioner, the police themselves and the Northern Territory Police Association.
“I’ve not yet seen the final version of what that looks like, but we’ve made a very clear commitment that that is going to start on July 1, and obviously still needs to go into the budget process.”
The NT Police Association said an NTPF options paper had revised the government’s offer up to $20,000 for 10 years service and $25,000 for 15 years service, and reduced the promised bonus to $5000 for 20, 25 and 30 years of service.
On Friday morning, Health Minister Steve Edgington eventually flip-flopped on Mrs Finocchiaro’s earlier flip-flop, when he was grilled on Katie Woolf’s Week that Was program on Mix FM.
Following a question from Sky News’ Matt Cunningham, the Health Minister made an unequivocal commitment the CLP would honour the election pledge.
Mr Cunningham asked: “Will police officers who have done 20 years of service – will they get a $20k retention bonus?”
To which Mr Edgington responded: “Yes.”
While it wasn’t clear why the Health Minister was finessing a portfolio outside his remit, Mr Edgington is a former serving NT police officer.
Opposition Leader Selena Uibo said the CLP was preparing to break an election promise.
“What is extremely clear is the CLP is trying to lie their way out of their key political election commitment to the police,” she said.
“Lia Finocchiaro is backflipping on a key election commitment she made in August 2024. We understand already that our hardworking police and the members of the NT Police Association are outraged about this back pedalling.
“This backtrack is ultimately a broken election promise by Lia Finocchiaro and the CLP Government.”
The NT Police Association were in talks with government on Friday afternoon trying to sort the impasse.
It expressed its frustration in a statement to members obtained by this masthead.
“The NTPA has significant concerns regarding the proposed structure of the NTPF retention bonus,” it said.
Late today, there was another backflip, with the chief minister releasing a statement confirming the government would “deliver” on its election commitment, with a link attached to the pre-election media release.
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Originally published as Steve Edgington contradicts Finocchiaro on police retention bonus backflip
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