THE fate of Paul Henderson's wounded ALP Government appears signed and sealed. Alison Anderson, the mercurial Loritja woman and member for MacDonnell, this week promised Opposition Leader Terry Mills that she would vote for a no-confidence motion brought against the Northern Territory Government.

And Mr Mills is believed to have provided Ms Anderson with an assurance that if the Country Liberals (CL) assume power as a result, she will be offered a place in his ministerial line-up.

With the other remaining independent Gerry Wood willing to support a non-confidence vote, Mr Henderson seems to be, as Ms Anderson herself put it, "a dead man walking''.

This week Ms Anderson, a former indigenous affairs minister, predicted that Tuesday's parliamentary session would be the "greatest day" in Northern Territory politics, her inflated exuberance no doubt a reflection of the secret understanding struck with Mr Mills midweek.

Yesterday Mr Mills issued a letter calling on the speaker of the Legislative Assembly to approve the early recall of the NT Parliament so that his no-confidence motion could be voted on, saying he had the support of Ms Anderson and Mr Wood.