Gosling, Price respond to CLP’s landslite NT election win
As Labor faithful come to terms with the last night’s landslide defeat, the Territory’s federal politicians react to the victory. Read what they said.
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Solomon MP Luke Gosling says he is “looking forward” to working with Lia Finocchiaro, revealing he had already congratulated the Northern Territory’s new Chief Minister on her landslide election victory.
The Federal MP’s comments come after the Country Liberal Party romped home with a massive election victory, decimating a multitude of Labor seats, including now-former chief minister Eva Lawler’s electorate of Drysdale.
And Mr Gosling’s federal parliamentary colleague Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price has also
congratulated Ms Finocchiaro on her win.
In Darwin on Sunday morning, Mr Gosling said he had contacted Ms Finocchiaro following her historic victory.
“The counting still continues this morning but Lia Finocchiaro will be the new Chief Minister of the Northern Territory,” he told Sky News.
“I’ve sent her my congratulations, and I look forward to working with her to get development moving here in Darwin and across the Territory.”
Asked if crime in the Territory could pose an issue for himself and Member for Lingiari Marion Scrymgour at the federal level, Mr Gosling said opposition leader Peter Dutton had sought to exploit the issue of law and order.
“It’s not surprising that Peter Dutton would seek to assist his CLP colleagues in focusing everyday on that crime and law and order issue, it certainly did play a role,” he said.
“I’ve been working on that in terms of the Federal Government supporting the NT Government with infrastructure – so youth engagement hubs, for example, so we can try and give the youth a bit of a sense of the future, Fee-Free TAFE is another one, and all those things.
“But at the end of the day, (law and order) did figure.”
Mr Gosling indicated Territory Labor’s leadership changes had also wounded its election prospects.
“I think Eva Lawler did a good job in the short time that she was the Chief Minister, but it underlines the fact that disunity is death in politics, and when you have the instability of three chief ministers within a couple of years, well, I think the people of the Territory, particularly up here in Darwin, marked us down for that.”
For her part, Senator Price said Territorians had voted “resoundingly” for a change of government and the win was in part due to federal policies.
“Federal Labor has much to answer for in this election result,” she said.
“Anthony Albanese cannot wash his hands or pretend he had nothing to do with this result. He has not listened to those living on the ground and has been silent in the face of Territorians screaming out for change.
“The $300 million Albanese promised for Central Australia has not been seen by locals, and Territorians have rejected Albanese’s anti-development agenda.
“Whether it was Albanese’s support for the Middle Arm Inquiry, funding of the Environmental Defenders Office, or renewables only agenda, Territorians have seen through Labor’s out of touch approach to the Territory.”
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Originally published as Gosling, Price respond to CLP’s landslite NT election win
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