Leader of the Opposition, Lia Finocchiaro, says the Chief Minister has once again highlighted the fact his team has no plan for the economic future of the Northern Territory, after announcing the creation of two highly-paid public servant positions, with no powers and no teeth.
“The final Territory Economic Reconstruction Commission (TERC) report was handed to the Chief Minister last November. Since then, we’ve heard crickets from the Gunner Labor Government about its plan to implement the recommendations and kick start private investment in the Territory. Now, more than four months on, the Gunner Government has used the Easter long weekend to cobble together a media release full of buzz words and zero substance.
“Two weeks ago, the Opposition debated legislation to establish the Territory Coordinator: a major change to how the Territory does business, a change that empowered an independent team to fast-track, facilitate and make decisions on much-needed private sector investment. Two weeks ago, the Gunner Government rejected that plan, touting it as additional red tape. Today’s announcement is nothing more than spin. It’s desperate and pathetic and reeks of a Government asleep at the wheel.
“The announcement of the Territory Investment Commissioner and Major Projects Commissioner, which will sit within government and report directly to the Chief Minister, shows Michael Gunner can’t even follow the advice of the taxpayer funded reports he commissioned. These new roles will simply write more reports to gather dust on the shelves.
“The TERC report recommended a ‘single point of coordination’, recognising that the attraction and delivery of economically significant projects are linked. It also recommended a ‘one-stop shop’ was the best approach, because attracting investment does not end with an expression of interest, it must be consistent through all stages of the investment pipeline.
“The appointment of two Commissioners, who will have overlapping responsibilities with existing structures, and sit within government, is more expensive and less efficient than the CLP’s Territory Coordinator. Today’s announcement also acknowledges that these two new Commissioners will have no new legislative powers which means they’ll have no teeth or ability to do anything different to what is already being done.
“The Chief Minister doesn’t have a job description for these so-called Commissioners and hasn’t even started the recruitment process for the two roles. Instead, two public servants will be parachuted into the highly-paid positions from today, while Michael Gunner works out the details. Who will be promoted to these interim roles? How much will they be paid? It smacks of ‘jobs for the boys’.
“This is a farcical plan that isn’t worth the paper it’s printed on, which gives huge pay rises to two people who have absolutely no power to make a difference.
“Labor has barricaded itself with advisors on economic recovery including the Team Territory Executive; Team NT; all the Regional Economic Reconstructions Teams and NT Rebound; Investment Territory; Major Projects Team; Departmental CEO’s, Ministers and Executives – and the Chief Minister’s answer is to appoint two more people with no power and no teeth to advise government.
“It’s no wonder Territorians have lost all faith in the Gunner Government to dig us out of the
$8.4 billion budget black hole. Labor now holds the unenviable positions of one of the most over-advised, under delivering government in history,” said Ms Finocchiaro.