Crime and economy are new NT Chief Minister Eva Lawler’s focus

The NT’s new Chief Minister, Eva Lawler, has put herself in charge of major projects, industry and development to fire up the local economy before the next election in August.

NT Chief Minister Eva Lawler with grandchildren Dino and Lenny Dixon at her swearing-in ceremony at Government House in Darwin. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

The Northern Territory’s new Chief Minister, Eva Lawler, has put herself in charge of major projects, industry and development as her party wills her to fire up the local economy before the next election in August.

The one-time schoolteacher was sworn in on Thursday after a tumultuous two days of backroom manoeuvres in which she bested her factional ally Nicole Manison, the NT Labor government’s longtime deputy chief minister.

Ms Manison goes to the backbench along with former chief minister Natasha Fyles, who lost the support of caucus over her second shares scandal in two months.

NT Labor can afford to lose just two seats at the next election so its focus for the next nine months will be on retaining government, senior sources told The Australian.

If the Lawler government becomes associated with prosperous times, party figures believe it has a good chance of retaining crucial Darwin seats and winning next year’s election.

“The biggest issue is crime … that does not change,” one NT Labor source said.

“But when the economy is doing well, people forget about it.”

It was understood inside NT Labor that jobs and economic stimulus from two massive projects – the Beetola Sub-basin and the Barossa gas field – had the potential to make voters look favourably on the government of the day.

“How does she do it? She turns the economy on, then crime just goes away as an issue in people’s minds,” the source said.

Ms Lawler begins her tenure as Chief Minister with the portfolios of Treasurer, Territory Development, Defence Industries and as Minister for Industry, Trade and Major Projects.

Her deputy is Central Australian MLA Chansey Paech, who is the NT Attorney-General, Aboriginal Affairs and Treaty Minister, Local Government Minister and Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage. Labor MPs hope Mr Paech’s connections and reach in the regions could help Labor win two bush seats from the Country Liberal Party in August – Namatjira and Barkly. This would mean the government was under less pressure to retain each of the ­Darwin seats it currently holds.

In the NT, Darwin seats are collectively known as the northern suburbs and they routinely ­decide elections.

Ms Lawler holds the seat of Palmerston, a satellite city outside Darwin. She is from an established and well-connected NT family. Her networks across the Territory are considered an important asset.

Solomon MP Luke Gosling said Ms Lawler was a forthright person with extensive experience in schools and with young people. He believed this would maximise the social and economic development of the Territory.

After her swearing in on Thursday, she declared crime was the priority for her government, saying there had been “improvements in community safety”.

“Crime is a No.1 priority – my electorate (is) in Palmerston and I hear these issues,” she said.

“Brent Potter has been Police Minister for seven weeks and I think he’s doing a damn fine job, he’s doing a great job in that role.”

Ms Lawler said she and Mr Paech formed a great team and represented the length and breadth of the NT. “The male, ­female and Aboriginal and me, an older person a younger person – it’s a really good mix, we provide that whole picture,” she said.

Opposition Leader Lia Finocchiaro told the NT News that Ms Lawler’s cabinet reshuffle created uncertainty for Territorians.

“What this team has delivered Territorians is more uncertainty than ever before,” she said. “Both Eva Lawler and Chansey Paech have been members of the Territory Labor government for seven years and both have been involved in the downturn of our economy, high rates of escalating crime and high rates of cost of living.”