The Northern Territory "got nothing" in the federal budget, says a Labor politician, but a territory business group doesn't agree.
Luke Gosling is Labor's candidate for the federal seat of Solomon and was very unhappy with Scott Morrison's first budget: "We got nothing in the territory," he told Mix 104.9 radio on Wednesday morning.
"We literally got nothing in the way of infrastructure, in the way of education cuts being restored, there was only a tiny amount there.
"The Liberals ripped out $309 million from territory schools over the forward estimates and what, they just put back $40 million of that, and they want congratulations for that?"
Mr Gosling said the $77 million earmarked for roads would pay for only 77km of roads, and criticised the federal government for its lack of direction on developing the north, the subject of a much-touted white paper released by former Prime Minister Tony Abbott last year.
But Labor does support the small tax break for people earning over $80,000 and tax cuts for small businesses.
The $20 million for ongoing works to the Palmerston hospital was announced previously, Mr Gosling said, and he was also unhappy that the NT has not received a PET cancer scanner that incumbent Country Liberals Member for Solomon Natasha Griggs promised in 2010.
But the NT Chamber of Commerce welcomed the budget.
About 96 per cent of NT businesses are small and medium enterprises that will benefit from the new tax cuts, and CEO Greg Bicknell said the $40m raised through the asset recycling scheme to be spread across minor infrastructure projects would be a boon for the NT.
"It's those smaller infrastructure projects that really hit the mark for us, rather than the big headline-grabbers," he told AAP.
"The larger projects attract interest from all around the country and outside of Australia, the smaller ones are really the bread and butter for the local business community."
Earlier on Wednesday NT Treasurer David Tollner praised the budget as being "extraordinarily responsible".
