NT CLP government faces reality check over police commissioner scandal

After losing the Northern Territory election last year, outgoing Labor chief minister Eva Lawler read from a prepared concession speech.

The tone was humble, conciliatory.

But at one point, the outspoken former school principal meandered off-script.

"It is hard work in government and the [Country Liberal Party] will find that out," she said.

"It isn't easy — Territorians are expecting to see crime reduced in the Northern Territory, all those election commitments that we heard from the CLP."

Over the course of the past two weeks, Ms Lawler's warning has proved accurate.

The Country Liberal Party's (CLP) handling of an NT Independent Commissioner Against Corruption (ICAC) finding of improper conduct against the police commissioner ate up the media cycle, and forced Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro into crisis mode.

Michael Murphy had been found to have mishandled a conflict of interest in helping his good friend Peter Kennon land an assistant commissioner position in the police force.

It came at a time when Ms Finocchiaro was trying to sell her government's "year of action" economic agenda, which seemed to get nearly swallowed underneath the police scandal.

"This has been a tumultuous period for our police," Ms Finocchiaro told the press this week.

On Tuesday, Mr Murphy's position as commissioner was officially terminated.

Ms Finocchiaro also publicly tabled the full report into Mr Murphy's "negligent" conduct, which went some way towards clearing the air about what exactly the ICAC had unearthed.

"Ultimately I've taken careful and methodical steps forward over a two-week period to make sure I put the best interests of Territorians first."

The ICAC scandal and Ms Finocchiaro's response to it marked the first real test of the CLP to explain and justify its actions since winning power in an election landslide in August.

CLP channels Trump to laud new role

Being forced to sack a police commissioner wasn't the CLP's only recent wake-up call.

There was also the midnight session of NT parliament that saw the CLP manage to wrangle its flagship economic policy — the creation of the territory coordinator role — into law.

The change will see former gas company boss Stuart Knowles become the interim territory coordinator, with the mandate of fast-tracking major economic projects for the NT.

But it didn't get up without outcry.

Outside parliament, protesters held placards and heckled, while inside the chamber the crossbench and Labor decried the government's decision to place an unelected official in a position of unprecedented power to make decisions on the territory's economic future.

As independent MLA Justine Davis put it: "I am increasingly concerned … we are witnessing the erosion of our democracy, the inability to listen to respected voices in our community, and the creation of poor legislation".

"It is harmful for our community, for our economy and for our environment," she said.

Whether it is sound policy or not is yet to be seen, but plenty of members of Darwin's business community are backing it as a way to cut red tape and help fuel the NT's stagnant economy.

In an echo of the US president, Deputy Chief Minister Gerard Maley gave his best Donald Trump impression in support of the plan, quoting the refrain "drill, baby, drill!"

By the week's end, Ms Finocchiaro had proven something about her leadership.

She'd largely weathered the storm of a scandal and managed to get her key piece of economic reform passed in the face of fierce criticism from opponents.

But she'd also proven her predecessor's words to be correct — governing isn't easy, especially in a place as feverish and politically volatile as the Northern Territory capital.