TIO sale: Delia Lawrie says Territorians 'concerned' about Govt's plan
Northern Territory Opposition Leader Delia Lawrie says there is a lot of community anger about the proposed sale of the Territory Insurance Office (TIO).
Ms Lawrie was in the Smith Street Mall in Darwin on Monday afternoon to gather signatures for a petition calling on the Government to abandon the sale.
She said she had received more than 80 signatures in an hour.
"A lot of people are very keen to sign the petition, a lot of people are very annoyed," she said.
"The Government doesn't own TIO, the people of the Territory own TIO.
"Territorians are very concerned, particularly people who live in the storm surge zones."
Ms Lawrie said if the Government did not listen to voters' concerns about the sale now, they could suffer a loss at the next election, which is due in 2016.
"I think any government who ignores Territorians have set themselves up for electoral loss," she said.
Voters will see through any re-investment of proceeds from the sale, Ms Lawrie added.
"People won't forget this, the won't be won over by pork-barrel presents," she said.
The Opposition Leader said Government backbenchers should cross the floor to oppose the sale.
"It takes 13 votes in Parliament to sell and people will be watching how their representatives vote. They will remember that at the next election," she said.
"We're calling on them to cross the floor - it is possible."
TIO sale could force people out of NT: Katherine Mayor
The Mayor of Katherine and former deputy leader of the Country Liberal Party, Fay Miller, told 105.7 ABC Darwin the sale of TIO was a grave concern for the people of Katherine.
Ms Miller said locals feared if TIO was sold, flood insurance premiums would rise and some may be unable to pay them.
"Some of them have lost everything once, some of them have lost it twice and they certainly don't want to go losing everything again... that will determine whether some people decide to stay," she said.
Ms Miller said she believed the sale was a fait accompli but she would still like the Government to engage in public consultation.
"I can remember when the first time TIO was suggested that they would sell it, there was a huge revolt about it, but this time we haven't been given an opportunity really to present a case at all."
