NT: Howard says he is listening in NT over council mergers

AAP General News (Australia)
08-29-2007
NT: Howard says he is listening in NT over council mergers

DARWIN, Aug 29 AAP - Prime Minister John Howard says he is on "a listening mission"

in the Northern Territory to test public support for council amalgamations.

Mr Howard told a gathering of about 600 people in Darwin today he is considering the
issue after the Northern Territory government introduced a bill last week paving the way
for forced council amalgamations.

"I am trying to assess the merits and demerits," he told the gathering.

"The arguments in favour of amalgamation are that it would produce more genuine council
areas," he said.

The flipside, he acknowledged, could be a loss of local identity, but he told the gathering
he was on a "listening mission".

Mr Howard has already intervened on the issue of council amalgamations in Queensland,
offering federal funding for plebiscites on mergers proposed by the state government.

Mr Howard was confronted by a group of demonstrators chanting anti-government slogans
and waving banners in protest over the Work Choices legislation as he entered the Darwin
meeting hall to address the gathering.

But inside, he received thunderous applause as he answered questions on issues ranging
from the Australian flag to same sex marriages and his unprecedented crackdown on indigenous
child abuse in the territory.

He also announced a series of local funding measures, including increased federal money
for concession fares on the Alice Springs to Darwin section of the Ghan Railway, and $36
million for the Tiger Brennan Drive project, which is an extension of the Auslink network.

Earlier in the day, the prime minister met with Northern Territory Chief Minister Clare
Martin and Ms Martin told reporters the need for additional doctors and police were high
on her agenda.

She said the discussions had gone well and that she intended to work with the commonwealth
despite being effectively sidelined by his emergency intervention in the territory to
combat child sex abuse in Aboriginal communities.

AAP bd/jt/sp

KEYWORD: HOWARD NT

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