Councils must be mindful of the need to keep rates increases at the level of inflation

This is currently under three per cent

So why would the council approve a nine per cent increase, at a time when Mount Isa is doing it quite tough?

We need strong leadership by the Mayor to stand up for the ratepayers of Mount Isa when confronted with this outrageous budget.

We need council members to reject this nonsense budget, and send it back to be re-worked to a 1 % increase.

Michael Beard

Mount Isa

The NT Government's leasing of Port Darwin to the Landridge group, an organisation with links to the Chinese military, is an action that verges on treason. It was a poor economic deal for the NT and has compromised national security.

Prominent Defence strategists have spoken out strongly against the 99 year lease. It beggars belief at a time when tensions are escalating in the South China Sea and China is disregarding the findings of the World Court and intimidating neighbouring countries in the region, the NT Government would grant such a lease.

It would be extremely naive for citizens not to consider that similar  tactics will be used in Australia in the years to come.  It is well known how Bob Menzies acquired the nick-name Pig Iron Bob in the 1930s. 

Our national security is almost entirely dependent on the US. The NT Government's action has drawn a swift rebuke from the US and caused embarrassment for Prime Minister Turnbull.

While advertising the benefits of leasing the port out to China, the NT Government has made the claim that all port staff will have security of jobs until 2018. That's only eighteen months away. Presumably after that date, the lessee will be able to bring its own workforce in from overseas under 457 visa arrangements or some other scheme that the government will be intimidated into introducing to appease China.

In future years we may see Chinese owned cattle stations in Australia staffed by Chinese citizens using Chinese made trucks to transport Australian cattle over Australian taxpayer funded roads to a Chinese controlled port. Once in Darwin the cattle will be loaded onto Chinese ships by Chinese waterside workers to be sent to China where Chinese accountants can juggle figures so that it appears that there are no profits being made in Australia, and hence no taxation revenue for the Australian Government.

The Chief Minister maintains that Territorians concerns about the lease amount to xenophobia but his present Deputy refutes this claim. Federal Member for Kennedy Bob Katter recently stated "The disposal of the port has created a tollgate, which under the China Free Trade agreement provides the port lessee with the right to place an unlimited toll charge on all imports and exports flowing into and out of the Northwest quadrant of Australia.”

The port lease has also compromised border security. With illicit drugs being one of the largest problems facing the Australian nation today, the disposal of the port to a foreign entity has greatly increased the difficulty our authorities will have in controlling the flow of illegal drugs into Australia. In future years the Darwin port under foreign ownership may prove to be a huge drug smuggling corridor that cannot be controlled.

When an administration governing less than 1% of the population acts in a manner that may impact adversely on all Australians, serious questions need to be asked. The NT Chief Minister should be called to account for his government's actions.

Bruce Francais     

Katherine