NT Chief Minister criticised over $90k US trip
The international travel costs of NT government ministers have come into the spotlight, with new figures revealing Natasha Fyles is spending more than ninety thousand dollars on a nine-day trip to the United States. The Country Liberal Party has branded the figure as "ridiculous" at a time of rising costs of living, but the government says it's all in the name of bringing business back to the territory.
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00:00 Flying high, the territory's leaders head abroad for high level meetings, while back
00:06 home a political fight takes flight.
00:09 Surely there's better ways to spend that money and that she could have made that a less expensive
00:13 trip.
00:14 The Chief Minister's in Washington with two staffers to meet US policy makers and try
00:19 to strengthen ties with the US Defence Force.
00:22 The nine day trips estimated to cost $90,000, mainly on airfares and accommodation.
00:29 Treasurer Eva Lawler's in Singapore with one staffer for trade meetings tabbing up to around
00:34 $30,000.
00:35 And at a time when cost of living is through the roof, to take two members of staff with
00:40 Natasha Files overseas at $10,000 a day shows Territorians that they're not really serious
00:46 about driving down debt.
00:48 Some Territorians agree the costs don't pass the pub test.
00:52 We have to spend a month or a year to get that money so it's not good I guess.
00:59 On a trip for, what did you say, five days?
01:02 Nine days.
01:03 Nine days, I think that's just horrendous.
01:04 I reckon it stinks.
01:06 The government's defending the spend, saying that's what it costs to do business.
01:10 This is about creating jobs and investment for the Northern Territory and could generate
01:15 billions of dollars into our economy into the future.
01:18 In 2015, Ms Manison described a trip by CLP minister Best Price to the US as a junket,
01:24 which cost $45,000 for 10 days.
01:28 Despite the assurances, it's hard for Territorians to know if they're getting the best bang for
01:32 their buck from travel spends.
01:34 The government admitting it stopped publishing itineraries before ministerial travel, as
01:39 it had promised to do before the 2016 election.
01:42 There hasn't been a policy change.
01:44 You know, there was a fair few years there between COVID, but I can assure people that
01:50 they will be released in those full details prior to trips.
01:53 A renewed promise still up in the air.
01:55 [BLANK_AUDIO]