NT Chamber says make your vote count for the NT’s economic future

THE peak body representing Territory business has urged voters to ‘really hard think about your vote’ for this Saturday’s NT election

THE peak body representing Territory business has urged voters at this weekend’s NT election to have a good look and “really hard think about your vote”.

The Chamber of Commerce NT has urged voters to choose the candidate and party that they believe will contribute the most to the prosperity of Territorians by making the Territory the best place in the world to live and do business.

Chamber NT chief executive officer Greg Ireland said it is up to Territorians who they vote for.

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“However I am asking Territorians to take this opportunity to help shape the future and take the time to understand what each candidate and each party stands for,” he said.

“I believe that the Territory has reached a turning point, a time where we need to collectively put our shoulder to the wheel and where the greater good must be the focus of government, business and the wider population.

“At the Chamber of Commerce, we firmly believe the private enterprise is the lifeblood of the economy, from mum and dad businesses down at the corner, to large multinationals making multi-billion investments.

Chamber of Commerce NT chief executive Greg Ireland.

“Every dollar invested in those businesses is a dollar spent on building our collective future. For the Territory to thrive, we need jobs, and for jobs to be created we need investment. Opportunity instils confidence to invest.”

Mr Ireland said regardless of who is governing the Northern Territory after August 22 a difficult time lay ahead.

“The economy is at a very low ebb and must be turned around,” he said. “Stemming the current flow of money that adds daily our overall debt will take strong resolve and stronger leadership. It needs courage to make the changes needed to restore our economic future.”

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The Chamber believes that focusing on the following priorities is a sound approach to a prosperous future:

Regrowing the economy: activating large and small-scale private sector investment across sectors to build jobs and incomes.

Investing in infrastructure: to support private sector investment, Indigenous economic development, attract and retain people, and to reduce costs to business, households and government.

Restarting economic reform: to make the Territory economy more efficient, reduce business costs, government costs, lower barriers to investment and drive government performance.

Streamlining government processes: ensure they are effective and efficient to accelerate assessments, approvals and licensing for all business.

Expanding the population: growing private sector jobs, enhancing health and education services, and improving liveability to attract and retain people though all stages of their careers.

Building skills better: reshaping the Territory’s education and training infrastructure and services to deliver skills matched to current and future business and employment needs.

Maximising energy potential: tap all the Territory’s energy resources to deliver sustained economic development, provide competitive energy for business, underpin manufacturing.