NT parties reveal their top seven election promises for Indigenous affairs

With the Northern Territory election less than two weeks away, NITV News asks the Country Liberals and Labor to present their top seven policy promises for Indigenous Australians.

NT Chief Minister Adam Giles (left) and Labor opposition leader Michael Gunner (right) Source: AAP (SBS composite)

With Territorians set to head to the polls on August 27, the two major parties have centred their Indigenous affairs platforms on job creation and housing.

The incumbent NT Liberal Government has promised to deliver jobs in the civil and construction sectors if re-elected, while the Labor party has promised a $14-million expansion of the Indigenous Rangers program.

Both parties told NITV News that providing more housing in remote communities was a priority, but the policies are not directly comparable.

The Liberal plan would see 2,300 new houses constructed over 10 years, while Labor promised to spend $1.1 billion on remote housing over the same period.

The CLP also promised to reduce rates of Aboriginal imprisonment.

The top seven policies from both parties are presented unedited below:

COUNTRY LIBERAL PARTY

1. Create more jobs for Indigenous Territorians and continue support for Aboriginal businesses. Continue the successful Indigenous Employment Provisional Sum, which has seen 1051 individual Aboriginal people employed in new jobs in the civil and construction sectors across the NT.  The target was for 1000 jobs by the end of 2017, meaning the ambitious target has been reached nearly 18 months ahead of schedule.

2. Meet remote housing needs by building 2300 new houses, upgrading another 1000 and delivering required infrastructure over the next 10 years, utilising a minimum 35% local Aboriginal workforce

3. Connect the remote communities through improvement to services.

4. Reduce the rate of Aboriginal imprisonment.

5. Continue to improve education delivery, standards and outcomes.

6. Give Aboriginal communities greater control over health services and improve overall health.  

7. Support Aboriginal people to stay on country and promote culture and language.

TERRITORY LABOR

1. Increase enforcement powers for Indigenous Ranger groups and provide $14 million to create jobs on country.

2. Provide $1.1 billion for remote housing over 10 years with local control over tenancy management.

3. Invest $8 million in children in five sites to increase nurse home visits for 500 more children.

4. Expand the Family as First Teachers program which is engaging parents in the education of their children.

5. Hand control over schools to communities through a Community Led schools program of devolution of power over the next 10 years.

6. Give communities greater control over local government decision making.

7. Provide Aboriginal Peak Organisations Northern Territory (APONT) with $250,000 for operations.