Northern Territorians felt let down by the previous government, with unexpected leadership changes drawing attention from its good work, Labor leader Selena Uibo says.
As parliament resumed following the Country Liberal Party's big election win, Ms Uibo conceded voters lost confidence in Labor.
“We accept that many Territorians felt let down by Labor, and that the unexpected changes in leadership and reshuffles took the attention away from the work that was being done to improve the Northern Territory,” she said on Tuesday.
“We know that there are many Territorians who rely on Labor governments all across the country to champion social justice, fairness, inclusion and equality.
"I pledge to each and every one of those people… that we will continue to fight for these key principles whilst we are in opposition.”
As the first Indigenous woman to lead a major Australian political party, Ms Uibo was guided to her seat by the Numbulwar Red Flag Dancers for the first day of the new parliament in Darwin.
She claimed Labor had put the Northern Territory in its “strongest economic position yet” with gas imports expected to return the “government operating balances to surplus by 2027”.
However, the Territory’s debt blew out from $900 million in 2016, when Labor took government, to nearly $11 billion this year.
With parliament in session, Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro reiterated her plan to increase investment and reduce crime.
“Territorians have experienced years of hardship, national embarrassment and a fundamental lack of direction, years are being pushed around by noisy interest groups, people living interstate and people with no skin in the game,” she said.
“We won't be drawn into that noise. The Territory is in too fragile a state to pander or play games.”
Ms Finocchiaro said her government would stengthen relationships with Asia by leveraging the region's “abundance of gas, minerals and rare earths”.
Both major parties came under fire by newly-elected Greens member Kat McNamara for stoking division in the community over the ongoing war in Gaza.
They also said Labor had abandoned the left when it green-lit fracking in the Beetaloo Basin and called for a treaty between First Nations peoples and the government.
Earlier, the two major party leaders passed a motion to elect independent member Robyn Lambley as the Speaker of the 15th Legislative Assembly.
They then took Ms Lambley arm in arm as she was led to her seat.
“Traditionally, the Speaker is dragged up to this chair reluctantly,” Ms Lambley said.
“But I take it up with no reluctance … it is a high honour you have bestowed on me.”
Following the CLP's landslide election win, nearly half the parliament's MPs sworn in on Tuesday were first-term members.
It is expected Ms Finocchiaro will bring her suite of crime-repeals before parliament on Wednesday, where they will be passed on urgency.
