NT government’s debt ceiling ‘full of holes’, Opposition leader Lia Finocchiaro says
The NT government’s debt ceiling has come under fire from Opposition leader Lia Finocchiaro for having holes ‘big enough to drive a Mack truck through’.
Politics
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THE NT government’s debt ceiling has come under fire for having holes “big enough to drive a Mack truck through”, Opposition leader Lia Finocchiaro has claimed.
The measure was unveiled in the NT Budget earlier this year, aiming to limit the Territory’s debt at $15b.
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But Ms Finocchiaro on Friday claimed the measure would only cap borrowings, and didn’t include important aspects of government spending such as liabilities.
“Rather than being a cap on net debt or liabilities, the ceiling is a cap on total borrowings, minus finance leases," she said.
“Put simply, it actually gives the Gunner Government the green light to keep spending beyond its means.”
Ms Finocchiaro also claimed the government faced no consequences for exceeding the limit.
The Chief Minister’s office refused to comment.
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