Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles visits Northern Territory on first day of campaign trail

ABC NEWS (Australia)

The election campaign has begun in the Northern Territory with a visit from the Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister Richard Marles. He's been in Darwin to meet the crew of a U.S. submarine and announce a new community hub in Palmerston.

Transcript

00:00Walking alongside his Solomon candidate, Richard Miles was in town to help make promises to

00:08the people of Palmerston.

00:10In this instance, to be able to provide this social infrastructure for this growing community

00:16is a fantastic commitment.

00:19Our federal commitment to the Sokoli community hub will ensure that this growing area of

00:25Palmerston has got a first class place for events.

00:30A $10 million pledge from Labor to build a new library and community hall in the suburb

00:35of Sokoli.

00:36But it's too little too late, according to Solomon's country Liberal Party competitor.

00:42Luke Gosling and Labor have had nine years to make these announcements and do something

00:46for the residents of Palmerston.

00:48So five weeks out from election, this is something that I would expect him to do.

00:52And I think going forward it's really important that people remember that for nine years

00:55Luke Gosling has done nothing for Palmerston.

00:58Sokoli is one of several Palmerston suburbs that's recently shifted into the seat of Solomon.

01:04It swung in the CLP's favour at the territory election and Labor is using these next few

01:09weeks to regain its footing.

01:11The Defence Minister was also in Darwin to meet with a crew of a US submarine.

01:16But when he faced scrutiny from the media over the future of Darwin Port's controversial

01:20lease to a Chinese-owned company, he provided no certainty on whether the federal government

01:25would assist in returning it to Australian hands.

01:28The port should never have been leased in this way and that's been our position from

01:33the get-go.

01:36That is ultimately a matter for the Northern Territory Government in terms of the way in

01:39which it's managing its lease with Landbridge, but we keep engaging with the Northern Territory

01:43Government on this issue.

01:44A recurring question in a changing geopolitical environment.

01:50Thanks for watching.

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