At your Oz Day barbie, chew over statehood: Adam Giles

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p2154-Adam-GilesLETTER TO THE EDITOR
 
Sir – As Territorians unwind with some steak on the barbie and a few cold ones, they should have a yarn about Statehood for the Northern Territory.
 
Australia Day is about celebrating everything that is great about this country, including giving everyone a fair go. But Territorians aren’t being given a fair go by Canberra as long as we remain a mere Territory of the Commonwealth.
 
Unlike other jurisdictions, any law passed by our democratically elected Legislative Assembly can be overridden by Canberra and we have fewer rights than the States when it comes to a national referendum.
 
That is why the Government is aiming for NT Statehood on the 40th anniversary of self-government on 1 July 2018.
 
I have secured the support of the Federal Government and State Premiers for this to happen and now it is up to the people of the Northern Territory.
 
The Country Liberals have learned from the unsuccessful 1998 referendum on Statehood.
 
We need to take all Territorians with us on this journey, including the Leader of the Opposition. This isn’t about giving the NT Government more power, it is about empowering Territorians.
 
Ask your friends and family if they think it is right that we are treated as a second class jurisdiction by Canberra.
 
If we do become a State what shall we call ourselves? Do we stick with Northern Territory or is there a better name like the State of North Australia?
 
Please contact me or your local MP – Country Liberal, Labor Party or Independent – to tell him or her what you think. Statehood would not cause significant Government policy changes, including Indigenous land rights.
 
Chief Minister Adam Giles
 
 

2 COMMENTS

  1. Before we worry about becoming a state, and worry about what we should call it, we need to learn to stand on our own two feet and not to rely on Federal money. A lot fewer people on sit down money would be a big help.

  2. The only logical new state is one to be called North Australia, eliminating present state borders and incorporating all of the land and sea north of the Tropic of Capricorn.
    Locate all defence forces, major shipping ports, airports, railway links in proximity to Asia, using Darwin Broome and Townsville as the major centres.
    Harness the huge tides, sun and wind and supply electric power to southern regions.
    Invite all the Kurdish people to come and live in north Australia, providing their own accommodation, as they help to build various new towns and expand places like Tennant Creek to its optimum population as the “hub” of NA.
    That diaspora would resolve many of the world’s Middle East problems and would provide NA with 250,000 hard-working, non-Muslim people. Thereby we would have sufficient people to deserve statehood.
    Remember the Snowy Mountains Scheme where new Australians did such a mighty job? Let’s do Stage Two of the Ord and industrialise the north.
    Sadly, Alice Springs becomes part of South Australia again, but what’s wrong with than?

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