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By ERWIN CHLANDA
“There is no budget event in Alice Springs.
“The Chief Minister’s budget launch and speech will be available from the Chief Minister’s Facebook page.”
That’s the blunt message from the communications manager of the Department of the Chief Minister and Cabinet.
The launch will be at a Chamber of Commerce luncheon in Darwin.
There will be no Budget luncheon – or breakfast – in Alice Springs, an annual social and business highlight for many years, with the Chief Minster or the Treasurer giving a speech and taking questions, over around 20 years, according to one long-time member. (Example.)
But the branch of the Chamber in Alice Springs is in a forgiving mood, saying it is “happy to be supporting the Chief Ministers Budget Lunch tomorrow which will then be live streamed via a Facebook platform.
“We look forward to every business which has access to Facebook being able to view the Chief Minister’s address tomorrow, and we are looking forward to supporting local budget announcement events in 2021.”
So as one leader communicating with his electorate via social media has been shown the door, the NT leader is clearly adopting the practice.
PHOTOS: In 2013, Chamber of Commerce members Kay Eade and Julie Ross with Treasurer Dave Tollner (above), and (at top) the crowd, with Chief Minister Adam Giles in the foreground, listening to Mr Tollner’s address.
There is only one reason why Mr Gunner, our NT Chief Minister and Treasurer, would cancel this long held tradition of addressing a Budget function in Alice Springs: It is to avoid facing the towns folk.
In the current climate, knowing that the Chief Minister is in Alice Springs at a particular time and place would almost certainly trigger a large demonstration.
People are looking for an opportunity to express their rage and frustration to the Chief Minister.
Instead of avoiding us, the Chief Minister needs to bring us together, lead us in finding solutions to the escalating and catastrophic crime in our town.
Facing us with courage and honesty could earn him a degree of respect.
What we have here is a tacit admission by the Chief Minister that Central Australia is effectively a separate jurisdiction to the north.
I think that feeling is mutual for many, if not most of us.
The Great Depression brought a sudden end to the Territory of Central Australia, perhaps the current downturn can restore that separation.
Maybe it’s time to seize the opportunity to secede from blighted Darwin control and end the detested Top End tyranny over the Centre.