Aaron Bunch Journalist with Australian Associated Press | Collection of published work | + 61 484 008 119 | abunch@aap.com.au
NT to set out economic ‘comeback’ plan
The Northern Territory’s new Legislative Assembly is set to sit for the first time with the new Labor government expected to outline its jobs plan.
October 20, 2020
The Northern Territory’s re-elected Gunner government is set to lay out its economic “comeback” plan during the new Legislative Assembly first parliamentary sitting
NT voters returned Chief Minister Michael Gunner’s government for a second term in August following a knife-edge election that saw it lose seats but retain a majority.
Labor campaigned on its handling of the coronavirus pandemic, which saw the Territory suffer just 33 cases, telling voters it’s the party to see them through the crisis.
Despite its success protecting the NT from the virus, the Gunner government had been criticised for its handling of the economy – rated as the nation’s worst performer by CommSec for the June quarter.
NT Labor says it will set out its four-year jobs plan to help the Territory’s struggling economy rebound from the COVID-19 crisis during the new Legislative Assembly’s first parliamentary sitting on Tuesday.
“We will outline our job-creating agenda going forward,” Leader of Government Business Natasha Fyles said in a statement.
“We’ve worked to protect Territorians during the coronavirus crisis and now we’re ready to turn the Territory into Australia’s comeback capital.”
Two pieces of legislation are also expected to be introduced during the first Assembly meeting – Statute Law Revision Bill 2018 and Justice and other Legislation Amendment Bill 2020.
Both are technical pieces of legislation that are important to the mechanics of government.