The former deputy chief minister of the Northern Territory Government has argued against an inquiry into political donations, suggesting the "dodgy" private donations system be scrapped.

But David Tollner said donations would open his door "if you ever need to talk to me about something".

Speaking on 105.7 ABC Darwin today Mr Tollner said people who did not donate faced "a line-up at the door", explaining "you have to start prioritising".

Yesterday the Country Liberals (CLP) Government shut down an inquiry into political donations from the past 20 years, with Chief Minister Adam Giles saying it would be "unwieldy" and "unworkable" and would cost taxpayers "tens of millions of dollars".

The motion, unexpectedly passed by Parliament in August, exposed the CLP to an investigation into links between the party and an organisation alleged to be a slush fund, Foundation 51.

Since then emails obtained by the ABC suggested private company Foundation 51 spent $200,000 on the CLP election campaign without declaring it.

Speaking in Parliament yesterday in support of rescinding the motion for an inquiry, Mr Tollner said the Government "shouldn't be having any inquiries at all".

"We just need to dispense with the entire system. Dispense with the entire, dodgy system," he said.

Today Mr Tollner said any donations inquiry would erode people's confidence in the whole system of government.

"We're better off just saying 'look, the whole system is too murky'," he said.

"Politics in general is being dragged into the mud because of this and it doesn't do our community any good at all to have a system of government that people don't have confidence in."

Mr Tollner said it was "extraordinarily difficult" for political parties to raise funds for campaigning.

He said it was "incredibly important" for the democratic system that parties and candidates have the funds to run what he said was a "legitimate campaign".

"But there will always be a question in people's minds... what is someone donating for?" Mr Tollner said.

"When I have talked to people about donating money and the like, the best you can say is 'your donation will open my door if you ever need to talk to me about something'.

"You are supporting a democratic process and are supporting a conservative view of the world... but you can't buy anything more than that."

No donation means 'a line-up at the door'

Asked if people who did not make a political donation could make an appointment to meet with a government minister, Mr Tollner said the wait could take a while.

"When you become a minister you find quickly there is a line-up at the door... you have to start prioritising," he said.

He denied there was any issue with having the ear of a government minister because of political donations.

"Getting an audience with someone is not giving [them] a great favour," Mr Tollner said.

In Parliament yesterday Opposition Leader Delia Lawrie said the rescinding of the motion for the inquiry into donations signalled "truly a dark day in the Territory parliament, a truly abhorrent, abhorrent day".

Mr Giles said the Government was instead moving to appoint a "special investigator to look into current donation processes".

He said the investigator would make recommendations for improving donations transparency and accountability in a report in February next year.

Mr Giles said the investigation would be administered by the Department of the Chief Minister.