Chief Minister Michael Gunner urged to reclaim business portfolio amid NT’s grim economic times

CHIEF Minister Michael Gunner has been urged to show more accountability and leadership amid the NT’s dire economic times and reclaim his role as the Minister for Business in today’s reshuffle

Chief Minister Michael Gunner has been urged to show more accountability and leadership amid the NT’s dire economic times. Picture: Justin Kennedy

THE Chief Minister has been urged to show more accountability and leadership amid the NT’s dire economic times and reclaim his role as the Minister for Trade, Business and Innovation in the latest reshuffle.

Michael Gunner is expected to unveil the Territory Government’s new-look ministry today and announce who will be allocated the Aboriginal Affairs and Primary Industry and Resources portfolios, previously held by ousted minister Ken Vowles.

However, NT Chamber of Commerce chief executive Greg Bicknell said he was more interested in whether the Chief Minister will take on any onerous new portfolios.

Given the grim state of business confidence in the NT he said Mr Gunner should definitely take back the business portfolio after he handed it to Treasurer Nicole Manison during the August reshuffle.

“This is a very important portfolio and he needs to take it back – it’s something that just has to be done,” Mr Bicknell said.

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“He’s been calling on the Department CEOs to be more accountable, well now it’s his turn to be more accountable himself.

“Businesses are in the middle of a pretty tough time and we need strong, central leadership to get us out of this economic mess because it has been dispersed recently.

“Having the business portfolio sit with the Chief Minister would definitely help set a clear economic agenda and I think it would be a welcomed decision.”

Dumped backbencher Scott McConnell has criticised Gunner for having a light workload and said on Wednesday he needed to take on more responsibility in Cabinet.

The Chief Minister rejected Mr McConnell’s comments, saying it was “absolutely unfair” to criticise him for not doing enough work.

He told a media conference on Wednesday morning that he already had a “substantive load” of work on his plate right now as Chief Minister.

“As Chief the buck stops with me on everything,” he said.

“I work with all my ministers … it’s something that keeps me occupied the entire year.”

He also holds the portfolios of treaty, children and major projects, none of which have stand-alone departments.

Mr Gunner also said he had also rejected calls for him to redistribute one of Deputy Chief Minister Nicole Manison’s police and treasury portfolios.