The Northern Territory’s Treasury Department says the Country Liberal Party’s election commitment costings “look reasonable”.

August 21, 2020

With just one day until the Northern Territory goes to the polls, the Country Liberal Party has been given the tick of approval for its election costings.

NT Treasury says based on the information the opposition provided, the costs budgeted for projects and policies “look reasonable”.

CLP leader Lia Finocchiaro says her party is the only one with a verified financial plan to run the territory.

“Territorians expect their political parties to be transparent, accountable and fiscally responsible,” she said.

“Unlike Labor and Territory Alliance, the CLP has done the right thing by working with Treasury to provide accurate information.”

NT Under Treasurer Craig Graham says the CLP had new capital investment commitments of $27.9 million over four years and new operational policy commitments of $45.1 million over four years.

He said CLP policy commitments will result in a net additional cost to the NT of $9.3 million in 2020-21 and a further $35.8 million from 2021-22 to 2023-24.

Mr Graham found that many of the commitments were to be funded through the redirection of existing resources and were unlikely to have an impact on the budget.

It comes as the Gunner government warned voters the CLP and Territory Alliance’s election promises would result in people losing their jobs and the loss of services.

“You have to ask the question, what are they going to cut, sack or sell,” Treasurer Nicole Manison said.

Ms Finocchiaro laughed off the suggestion, saying Labor was hiding behind a fake COVID-19 financial statement to hide the problems in its own campaign promises.

Territory Alliance leader Terry Mills has said his party would not be submitting its costings to Treasury after also missing the deadline.

Meanwhile, more than 47 per cent of eligible NTvoters have cast their ballot with one day of early voting until polling day on Saturday.

It equates to 67,058 votes out of the 141,225 people on the electoral roll, the electoral commission says.