NT government budget won’t fix the Territory’s economic crisis: CLP

Opposition leader Lia Finocchiaro has scorched the NT government’s latest budget, claiming it does little to turn around the Territory’s dire economic situation.

• REVEALED: What’s in the Territory’s 2021-22 budget for you

OPPOSITION leader Lia Finocchiaro has scorched the NT government’s latest budget, claiming it does little to turn around the Territory’s dire economic situation.

The CLP leader also attacked Chief Minister Michael Gunner’s threat to sack departmental chief executives if they run over budget.

Delivering her budget reply, Ms Finocchiaro said people were coming to the Territory despite the government’s policies.

“Just last week, CommSec’s state of the state report confirmed what businesses have been saying to us for years: that the Northern Territory is Australia’s worst performing economy, and has been for 10 consecutive quarters,” she said.

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“The economy was well and truly in crisis well before COVID.”

Ms Finocchiaro also said the budget did little to address the crime crisis and was a reason why people and businesses were leaving the NT.

“We cannot have a strong business environment if businesses have to spend $5,000 on glass, every single time they are broken into,” she said.

Ms Finocchiaro said Mr Gunner’s threats to sack departmental chiefs for running over budget were hollow and that the government hadn’t acted on.

She said he had failed to rein in public servant salaries in previous budgets, despite similar measures such as wage and hiring freezes.

Opposition Leader Lia Finocchiaro. Picture: Che Chorley

“The only thing that should be chucked in the bin is your hopeless government.”

Ms Finocchiaro also vowed to not cut services if elected and said her team was “out there every single day” talking to constituents.

Health minister Natasha Fyles slammed Ms Finocchiaro’s budget reply, saying it was “an absolutely appalling budget reply speech”.

“In her speech she talked down the Territory and Territorians,” Ms Fyles said.

She said the CLP’s record of six treasurers in one term of office demonstrated they were unfit for office.

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