CLP’s bid for federal funding audit committee shut down in NT parliament

Territory Labor has shut down moves to establish a committee that would oversee how federal taxpayer funds are used in the NT.

A call for a new parliamentary committee to oversee federal spending on “Aboriginal disadvantage” has been shut down in Territory parliament

Barkly MLA Steve Edgington introduced the motion in Wednesday’s parliament sittings, however it was soon opposed by the majority Labor government.

Mr Barkly said the committee was to be composed of three Labor members, two Opposition members and one independent.

It comes after the federal government announced a $250m lifeline to Central Australia following a tumultuous few weeks in Alice Springs.

Barkly MLA Steve Edgington’s push to establish a parliamentary committee to oversee federal funding on Aboriginal disadvantage was shut down. Picture: Annabel Bowles

“Every year over a billion dollars worth of Commonwealth taxpayer money is spent in Central Australia and the Barkly,” Mr Edgington said.

“However, we have no transparency over how that money is spent by the Territory government.

“We need an immediate audit of all government spending in Central Australia to figure out how much has been spent and where – what is working and what is not working.

“Until we do that any additional spending will just be wasted by the Fyles Labor government.

“The committee is to report to the Legislative Assembly in three months with specific audit findings and recommendations concerning funding to combat Aboriginal disadvantage in the Territory.”

Aboriginal Affairs Minister Selena Uibo said the government would not support the CLP’s move to establish a parliamentary committee on federal funding. Picture: (A)manda Parkinson

However Aboriginal Affairs Minister Selena Uibo said the government would not support the motion.

“It will tell us nothing that we don’t already know, that isn’t already publicly available,” she said.

“The existence of such an inquiry would be a hindrance rather than moving the Territory forward.

“The concerns raised by this motion have already got mechanisms in place to address what is being raised.”

Ms Uibo pointed to the Productivity Commission and the nationwide Joint Council on Closing the Gap.

She also said the CLP should lobby its federal senator, Jacinta Nampijinpa Price, to raise their concerns in Canberra.

Labor voted as a bloc against the move, while the seven sitting CLP members and three independents supported establishing the committee.

The second parliament sittings day of the year is also set to bring forth amendments to the Trespass Act.

Unions representing both business owners and hospitality workers have long advocated for stronger trespass laws, not least since Alice Springs issues sparked national outrage last month.

Independent Araluen MLA Robyn Lambley’s bid to ban alcohol in parliamentary workplaces, as well as CLP legislation to ban public drunkenness, are both expected to be debated Wednesday.

Opposition Leader Lia Finocchiaro gave notice on Tuesday her party would introduce a motion of no-confidence in the Fyles government on the first day of the March sittings

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Originally published as CLP’s bid for federal funding audit committee shut down in NT parliament