Media Release from Leader of the Opposition Lia Finocchiaro:
This morning, Leader of the Opposition, Lia Finocchiaro, delivered her budget in reply and outlined the CLP’s roadmap to rebuild the Territory.
A plan to drive down crime and cost of living and get the economy moving forwards.
“Our roadmap will rebuild the Territory, reduce crime and restore our lifestyle,” said Leader of the Opposition, Lia Finocchiaro.
“The CLP’s plan is to make the Northern Territory the most competitive place in the country to live, work and invest.
“We will be bold. We will break the status quo and we will deliver a new way forward for the Territory. Under Labor you get more of the same, but the CLP will change the game.
“Our Roadmap will make it easier for Territorians to buy a new home and incentivise people to have a fresh start and build a life here in the Territory.
“The CLP’s HomeGrown Territory package is the most generous home builder program in the country. We will increase the first home buyer grant for new home builds from $10,000 to $50,000, introduce a new grant of $10,000 for first home buyers to purchase established homes and in an Australian-first we will provide a new $30,000 grant to everyday Australians to build a new home in the Territory.
“To grow our economy, we need to grow our population.
“We know Territorians are paying more under Labor. Cost of living is a huge issue for Territorians which is why we have announced our payroll tax relief to provide our small businesses with savings of up to $55,000 a year.
“Households will also be better off under a CLP government with our Battery Bonus Scheme, which will double the battery subsidy and double the tariff during peak times.”
Mrs Finocchiaro also outlined her team’s economic plan.
“The CLP will play to our natural strengths and get back to basics,” she said.
“We will unashamedly pursue mining, gas, defence, tourism and agriculture.
“It is in these industries that our inherent wealth sits, it is in these industries that we can create the jobs of the future and real jobs in our remote communities.
“We need to go full throttle on the economy.
“Today we have announced we will bring back the Asian Relations and Trade Minister, to capitalise on our position as the gateway to Asia and these growing economies.
“We have also announced our plan to reduce approvals times by 50%, which will help us get urgent projects moving, like our plan to repurpose commercial spaces in the CBD to create immediate supply to accommodate the 700 students expected to arrive in Darwin with the opening of the CDU city campus.
“We will also move swiftly to establish the Office of Territory Coordinator which will ensure major projects are fought for, started quickly, and completed on time.”
Mrs Finocchiaro told Parliament all of the CLP’s economic plans would be underpinned by a strong plan of action to drive down crime across the Territory.
“Crime is holding us back,” she said.
“It is closing businesses, forcing Territorians to pack up and leave and keeping people away.
“The CLP will make immediate changes to strengthen the law and give police better powers to help keep Territorians safe.
“We will make bail tougher to get across the board, empower police to deal with problem drunks and antisocial behaviour and introduce tougher penalties for crime.
“We will have real consequences and pathways out of crime with an immediate $15 million injection to establish work and compulsory youth diversion programs to break the cycle of reoffending.
“A CLP government will have your back, not hold you back. Because the Territory we know and love is worth fighting for,” said Mrs Finocchiaro.
