Prime Minister Anthony Albanese coming back to the NT for one day only

Serious beef is the reason behind the Prime Minister’s visit to the Territory, where he’s set to visit one location before flying out west. Find out where he’s visiting.

Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese in Rockhampton on Tuesday, January 7, with Minister Catherine King, Senator Nita Green and Labor's Candidate for Capricornia, Emily Mawson. Picture: ABC

Serious beef is the reason behind Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s return to the Territory for one day only, where he’ll visit a station to “see the results” before heading to Kununurra.

Mr Albanese is set to visit Lake Nash Station, close to Alpurrurulam in the Barkly on Wednesday as part of his Top End tour.

Mr Albanese said he’s going to the station to “see the results” of a trade ban being lifted on red meat producers exporting their product to China.
“Resuming trade with China is a win for trade and a win for regional and rural Australian jobs – something my government will always back in the NT and all over Australia,” he said.

If he visits Alpurrurulam, it will be the first time a Prime Minister has visited the community of about 350 people, as at the 2021 census.

His trip across the Top End is being labelled by some as an early start to the campaign for a federal election, set to take place before May this year.

Aerial shot of Alpurrurulam, Lake Nash, in the Barkly region of the NT. Picture: Supplied.

His trip is aiming to hit rural seats in QLD, the NT, and WA, with Alpurrurulam falling into the electorate of Lingiari.

However, he is set to visit no other towns within the electorate during his visit – which is set to last for an afternoon – before he travels to the Kimberley in WA.

Alpurrurulam is roughly 17km from the QLD border, and about 376km from Mt Isa.

The town is 570km from Tennant Creek, 1078km from Alice Springs, and 1509km from Darwin.

In the 2022 federal election, Labor’s Marion Scrymgour won the seat of Lingiari with 50.95 per cent of the vote – despite her CLP rival Damien Ryan securing a 4.5 per cent swing in his favour.

Territory independent MLA for Araluen Robyn Lambley questioned why the PM would only visit Alpurrurulam, and believed Mr Albanese was staying clear of Alice Springs because the town is in the “political ‘too hard basket’.”

“The $250m Albanese threw at the Alice Springs “crime crisis” a year ago has failed to make any significant impact,” she said.

“This is a big embarrassment to him. A national disgrace.

“In this lead up to the 2025 Federal Election, Albanese will not want to be answering questions about his failures.”

ROCKHAMPTON, AUSTRALIA. 07 JANUARY, 2025. The Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese, is in Rockhampton today with Minister Catherine King, Senator Nita Green and Labor's Candidate for Capricornia, Emily Mawson at Rockhampton ring road. Picture: PMO via NewsWire

Mr Albanese was in Darwin over Christmas, where he attended the unveiling of a Cyclone Tracy memorial.

He was last in Alice Springs in April 2024, after a curfew was announced in the town.