07:00

The Northern Territory is “on its own” after the federal budget, the chief minister, Michael Gunner, has declared.

The Labor-led government, elected in August, has been particularly unhappy about the new proposed GST redistribution, which the NT says would strip $2bn from the NT’s budget over the next four years, and which were confirmed on Tuesday.



Morrison has previously said he didn’t know where the NT government got its figure from, but did admit the NT faced large cuts. On Wednesday Gunner claimed the budget confirmed “the biggest GST cuts in the history of the Northern Territory”.

The NT government was hoping for some help in the federal budget, including further federal investment in agricultural and resource sector infrastructure, and initiatives geared towards closing the gap in Indigenous health.

The NT has the country’s highest proportion of Indigenous residents, with many living in remote communities in poor living conditions and low levels of service delivery.

Tonight was a test of whether or not Canberra is serious about developing the north and Closing the Gap – it failed that test. The federal government has turned its back on us – which makes our record investment in jobs, infrastructure and housing even more important to the economic future of the Territory. The Territory has the most disadvantaged people in Australia and tonight’s budget did little to improve their lives.

This morning the Coalition senator Nigel Scullion dubbed Gunner’s complaints as “crocodile tears” and said the Territory was well supported.

He highlighted a number of previously announced federal investments in the NT contained in the budget, including road upgrades for remote communities and the cattle industry.