Central Australia

I believe this to be a crucial portfolio for the people of Central Australia. It encourages voices and issues that assist to inform broader government perspectives. This region represents a very significant ‘chunk’ of the Northern Territory providing a substantial infrastructure that services vast areas of the rural and remote Northern Territory.  Alice Springs, as a regional services hub hosting the largest regional population within the NT, is integral to the implementation of government programs. It is indeed rich in essence with regard to it’s people and it’s physical resources. Developing partnerships with commercial and corporate enterprises helps to build infrastructure and provide employment.  The cultural mix we enjoy here may make us very diverse in some ways though more aligned in others.

Whilst essentially a symbolic portfolio with no dedicated budget and no public sector agency that it reports to, this role relies entirely on the incumbent Minister to proactively promote the issues of and for all Centralians to parliamentary colleagues. The Minister has the task of influencing his/her cabinet colleagues as to the importance, diversity and wealth of the region. It is a role that I would relish, in time, if offered the opportunity. Independent MLAs cannot be appointed as Ministers but at the discretion of any incumbent government, they can be appointed to particular portfolios.

It is strategically important for us to continue to promote the Central Australian region to the government of the day. Let’s all continue to ‘Build it……and they will come’!!!