Don Dale, economic stimulus, establishing an anti-corruption commission: the Northern Territory’s chief minister-elect already has a long list of what he wants to start working on.
On Sunday morning Michael Gunner did the rounds at Nightcliff Markets in Darwin, buying his favourite laksa and being congratulated by locals on winning a landslide victory to government.
With about half the votes counted on Saturday night, Mr Gunner said Labor was calling 15 seats and is still in play in six others, with the Country Liberals so far taking one and independents three.
It may still be 10 days or so before the final make-up of the government is known, he told reporters.
But he said he wanted to speak with the Manufacturers’ Council and the Chamber of Commerce about implementing “Buy Local” plans, and will be seeking a meeting with the Corrections Commissioner and the Department of Justice CEO, as well as Aboriginal peak organisations and the NT Council of Social Services to discuss Don Dale youth detention centre.
“(I want) to make sure we start on the right foot even now about how we handle these issues; we want to do them differently, better and together,” Mr Gunner said.
He wants to begin establishing an anti-corruption commission and a judicial inquiry into political donations, to talk to the Taxi Council about paving the way for ride sharing, and said Labor’s first homebuyers’ grant would be effective as of Thursday.
There are still questions around whether the CLP will win four seats to form a viable opposition, or whether independents will do so.
Mr Gunner said he would do “absolutely nothing to cripple accountability”.
“We want to have resourced independents and opposition in the NT, I’ m not going to be playing what I would think would be foolish games here with how those people are resourced to hold us to account,” he said.
Labor had learned from the CLP’s mistakes over the past term, he said.
“We should take those lessons and apply them to the next four (years) and recognise it is a privilege and an honour to be here,” Mr Gunner said.
“It can very easily and very quickly be taken away from you if you don ’t honour the commission that’s been granted to you… If you even for a second put your interest ahead of Territorians’ interest you will be gone.”
He said the primary emotion he felt on Saturday night was relief, but that the hard work had already begun.
“I felt no joy in the result of the CLP, I felt joy in what my team returned,” he said.
“They ’re not enemies, they ’re Territorians; I’ d like to think we have a contest of ideas and will continue to have a contest of ideas.”
The NT Electoral Commission will resume vote-counting on Monday.
