Media Release from Shadow Minister for Business, Jobs and Training Marie-Clare Boothby:
The latest release of economic data on retail trade by the ABS continues to highlight Eva Lawler’s failure as Treasurer and Chief Minister by making it harder to do business in the Territory.
Total retail trade sales are stagnant with a 0.03% change from the month of April, despite it being the dry season and the start of the peak tourism season for the Territory.
“Today’s figures show that Eva Lawler and Labor have made it harder to do business in the Territory and that Territorians are struggling under high cost of living.” said Shadow Minister, Marie-Clare Boothby.
Previous data shows that tourists are not coming as overseas short term visitor arrivals to the Territory dropped sharply by 10.5% in March 2024, when compared to March 2023.
Labor’s failure on crime has trashed the Territory’s reputation as a safe place for tourists to visit and as a result, retail businesses are struggling to keep their staff safe and pay the bills.
“While our economy is going backwards Territorians will continue to pay more.”
“Territorians are under pressure due to high cost of living and so they are spending less on non-essential items and on enjoying our beautiful lifestyle”
“With 868 Territorians moving interstate last quarter, there is additional pain for local businesses.”
Territorians don’t trust Labor to manage our economy which has been ranked last for 5 ½ years by CommSec.
“This is why the CLP has a Roadmap to Rebuild the Territory which includes tax relief for small business, halving approval timeframes and growing our population through the nations best home builder program.
“By rebuilding the economy, reducing crime and restoring our lifestyle, we can bring down the cost of living for Territorians.
