NT Budget 2024 out of touch and lacks vision, says CLP

The NT Opposition says the government’s big-spending budget will bring more of the status quo and fails to address the key issues facing Territorians.

The NT Opposition says the government’s big-spending budget will bring more of the status quo and fails to address the key issues facing Territorians.

Country Liberal Leader Lia Finocchiaro accused Labor of being “all debt and no delivery”, but could provide no guarantee a CLP government would be able to turn around the record $11.04bn deficit.

“Today’s budget from Labor drew the battle lines for the election in August ahead, and it clearly shows that Labor is out of touch, out of ideas, and just not listening to Territorians,” Ms Finocchiaro said.

“This business as usual budget is not going to cut it – it’s not going to rebuild the Territory, it’s not going to drive down crime, or ease cost of living, or grow our economy into the future.”

NT Shadow Treasurer Bill Yan and Opposition Leader Lia Finocchiaro said Budget 2024 was more of the same, and would do little to improve the lives of Territorians. Picture: Fia Walsh.

The CLP has pledged to reduce payroll tax for small business (expected to cost the budget $52m) and not to cut the 22,000-strong public service (which at 41 per cent of government operating expenses is the Territory’s largest expenditure).

Ms Finocchiaro said her party’s plan to get back in the black would not involve austerity measures, but focus on “growing the size of the pie”.

“The only way to provide relief for Territorians is by going green-light on our economy, and creating jobs, opportunities and investment,” she said.

“What we’ve seen very clearly is Labor governments focused on pet projects that don’t deliver outcomes for our communities.”

“If there are areas of spending that don’t align with our priorities to rebuild the territory, make the Territory safe, empower our police, grow our population and drive down cost of living, then we won’t be afraid to be honest with Territorians about what we’re going to reprioritise.

“We need a strong, robust public service to deliver the widespread reform that the CLP want to achieve in rebuilding the Territory, and so that means under the CLP public service jobs are safe.”

Leader of the Opposition Lia Finocchiaro watches on as Chief Minister Eva Lawler hands down the budget. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

Chief Minister Eva Lawler on Tuesday said “public servants are the backbone of the Northern Territory” and that “you can’t cut your way out of debt”.

“We’ve worked very hard to curtail spending, but there were spends that had to be done – is anybody in this room, or any Territorian going to say that we shouldn’t invest in police, that we shouldn’t invest in education? Of course not,” Ms Lawler said.

The CLP will deliver its budget reply on Wednesday.

Mrs Robyn Lambley, Member for Araluen. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

Independent Araluen MLA Robyn Lambley called the budget’s record spend on police and prisons “an admission of failure”.

“No other NT government has presided over crime rates like we are now seeing, and no other NT government has locked up as many people,” she said.

“This government has failed Territorians and failed themselves by their own definition.”

Only a fifth of the infrastructure spends promised for Alice Springs since Labor came to power had been delivered, Ms Lambley said, with many of the projects funding rolled over from previous years.

NT Greens candidate for Fannie Bay Suki Dorras-Walker said the party was “profoundly disappointed” with the budget.

“The future Labor envisages for the Territory is a sweltering climate and a landscape littered with gas fields and more prisons,” she said.

“Instead our government could be supporting Territorians so that their rent and power bills aren’t breaking the bank, funding services so that families and young people thrive, and protecting the spectacular natural environment that Territorians and visitors from all over the world love so much.”