Terry Mills defends Territory Alliance backflip on policy costings as CLP delivers scathing serve
TERRY Mills reckons his party did not need to submit its multimillion-dollar promises to Treasury for analysis
Politics
Don't miss out on the headlines from Politics. Followed categories will be added to My News.
TERRITORY Alliance leader Terry Mills reckons his party, which has two former NT Government treasurers within its ranks, did not need to submit its multimillion-dollar promises to Treasury for analysis as all their policies are “understandable and explainable”.
Mr Mills denied he had backflipped on an initial commitment to send the party’s policies to Treasury to undergo costing analysis.
He instead attributed the decision on the NT Government deciding to delay the 2020/21 budget.
MORE ELECTION NEWS
Costings farce shows Territorians face poor election choices all round from our major parties
Territory Alliance backflips on policy costings as CLP gets extension
Property crime victims in NT to receive $250 compensation under CLP plan
“You’ve got a Labor administration that has not presented a budget, I said to Michael Gunner if you want to be fair dinkum with Territorians why don’t you delay the election, he chose not to do that,” he said.
The NT Government delayed its 2020/21 budget in response to the Federal Government delaying its budget to October.
In explaining the decision, Prime Minister Scott Morrison at the time said the economic situation was changing so quickly due to COVID-19 that it made little sense to set a budget.
“The idea that you can actually put together any sort of forecast around the economy at this time is simply not sensible,” he said.
The NT has four-year fixed term governments and delaying the election would require urgent legislation to pass. The ACT election and Queensland state election have not been delayed due to coronavirus.
Opposition Leader Lia Finocchiaro said Territory Alliance had shown “how big a joke” they were for not submitting their costings.
“They have spent hundreds of thousands probably even a billion dollars worth of election promises that they now don’t want scrutiny,” she said.
Bail confusion leaves boy in cell as co-accused repeat offender walks free
‘What were the police doing?’: Confusion over tough bail laws meant a boy with no priors spent a week in a cell, even as his alleged accomplice with a lengthy criminal history walked free.
Finocchiaro and Murphy respond to claims NT public servants ‘in fear’ of reprisals
Public servants are “in fear” of being punished by their superiors, claims Lingiari MP Marion Scrymgour, who says there is a “reluctance” by police officials to pick up her calls. But two top government leaders reject the claims.