If Territorians had a new car that ran as poorly as the Country Liberals government they'd sue the manufacturer, the deputy opposition leader says.
NT Labor's Lynne Walker slammed the government over its most recent scandal, during which deputy chief minister Willem Westra van Holthe resigned and a new cabinet was secretly sworn in overnight.
"What we have is a government that is paralysed by its infighting, its constant scandals, and the fact they put self-interest ahead of the interests of Territorians," Ms Walker told reporters on Tuesday.
"If you had a three-and-a-half-year-old car like the CLP you'd be asking for your money back and suing the manufacturer."
She called on Chief Minister Adam Giles to explain what he knew about Mr Westra van Holthe's inappropriate business dealings with Vietnamese company CT Group, with whom he was planning to invest more than $500,000 of his own money while officially brokering a deal for a $140 million dragon fruit farm.
Mr Giles on Monday said he became aware of the deal before parliament resumed from its summer recess last week, "roughly speaking", and called the ensuing furore "a hiccup".
Ms Walker said he was "clearly delusional".
"(That) shows he seriously underestimates the seriousness of this matter," she said.
When asked if it was laughable that the government talked about stability after swearing in its 15th cabinet in less than four years, Ms Walker said: "If they can't govern themselves they can't govern the Territory."
She questioned Mr Giles' decision to retake the Police portfolio following allegations he made a year ago that senior unnamed police figures colluded with parliamentarians to unseat him as leader during a failed coup.
Ms Walker also questioned the government's decision to reshuffle and hold a swearing-in ceremony late on Monday night without inviting media, as is customary.
Deputy leader Peter Styles said media weren't notified because they had already left an earlier press conference to go home for the night.
"I thought it was unusual that a swearing-in ceremony would be held so secretly," Ms Walker said.
Share
