CLP leader Lia Finocchiaro slams Gunner for ‘lacklustre’ and ‘dispassionate’ NT budget

OPPOSITION Leader Lia Finocchiaro has slammed the NT government’s first pandemic-era budget as ‘lacklustre’ and ‘dispassionate’, saying the financial plan has delivered no confidence to Territorians at a time when they need it most.

OPPOSITION Leader Lia Finocchiaro slammed the NT government’s first pandemic-era budget as “lacklustre” and “dispassionate”, saying the financial plan has delivered no confidence to Territorians at a time when they need it most.

Attacking the government for again delivering the worst debt and deficit figures the Territory has ever seen, Ms Finocchiaro said Chief Minister Michael Gunner’s budget speech did not outline how he expects the NT to become the “comeback capital”.

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“(He) should have outlined his plan for reforming our mining approvals processes to get those important projects going and changing our taxation regime so that we have the most attractive place to invest in the Territory,” she said.

Ms Finocchiaro also highlighted the “scary” financial forecasts, including how it is expected the cost of servicing the Territory’s debt will rise to $1.4m a day in 2023/24.

Opposition Leader Lia Finocchiaro responds to the Gunner Government's 2020-2021 NT Budget. Picture: Che Chorley

“Overall today is a very sad day for the Territory because it not only lumbers our children and our future with unsustainable levels of debt, it also clearly shows Territorians that Chief Minister Michael Gunner does not have a plan for growth for our economy, or a plan for our future,” she said.

In terms of the government’s move toward “budget repair” via implementing a four-year public service wage freeze and handing out $1000 a year bonuses instead, Ms Finocchiaro said the “devil would be in the detail”.

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“I think what’s most disappointing, is that we’ve had to get to this point, if the government had managed the books better, right from day one when it inherited a $1.8bn debt, we wouldn’t be in this position we are in now,” she said.