New Political Priorities in the NT

Leadership in the Northern Territory has long suffered from a crisis not merely of competence, but of conscience. As ideological fads spread like weeds in Australian institutions, political priorities in the NT have drifted from responsibility to symbolism, replacing prudence with platitudes, and economic stewardship with emotional grandstanding. The cost? Rising crime, stagnant economic development, and a bloated public sector that thrives while the productive sectors suffocate.

Ethical leadership, contrary to its current caricature, is not about appearing compassionate or inclusive on cue. It is about choosing what is right over what is popular, what is just over what is fashionable, and what serves the long-term public good over what soothes the mob. In a world addicted to virtue signalling, the true ethical leader dares to be unpopular in the short term to protect liberty, enforce order, and reward contribution rather than entitlement.

The NT’s political landscape needs fewer professional sympathizers and more unapologetic custodians of justice, merit, and security. A region plagued by violent assaults, property crimes, and public intoxication cannot afford to be governed by theorists experimenting with "trauma-informed approaches" while shopkeepers bleed, workers are stabbed, residents retreat behind bars, and law enforcement is undermined by bureaucratic busybodies more concerned with paperwork than patrols.

A new political priority must be the dismantling of the enabling class, the parasitic layer of consultants, NGOs, and public-funded "community advocates" who build careers on perpetual dysfunction. Leadership must replace slogans with action: restore police discretion, enforce bail breaches, remove juvenile repeat offenders from communities, and make deterrence visible. The idea that disorder is cured by understanding alone has only emboldened predators and abandoned victims.

Economic policy must stop the appeasement of moral crusaders who conflate development with destruction. Ethical leaders understand that jobs, investment, and property rights are the foundation of dignity. Red tape, activist resistance, and arbitrary intervention have strangled enterprise in the name of abstract “justice,” when real justice is ensuring families can thrive without begging for handouts or fearing nightly break-ins. Domestic environmental terrorists in Darwin dishonestly seeking to conflate metal spikes thrown into the bush that harmed people and vehicles alike, as WWII ordinance despite the direct evidence to the contrary.

Ethical leadership demands moral courage, enforcing standards without apology, rewarding productivity, and telling hard truths. The Territory doesn’t need another bureaucratic commission to study disadvantage. It needs to shut down the industries that depend on it. It doesn’t need more programs teaching “respect”. It needs policies that demand it. And it doesn’t need leaders who speak of “healing” while enabling harm, it needs leaders who act decisively against those who destroy communities.

The world is indeed changing, but ethical leadership is timeless. It is not measured by how many conferences a politician attends or how fluently they recite the jargon of “inclusivity.” It is measured by how effectively they protect the innocent, restrain the destructive, and build a culture of responsibility. The NT is crying out not for change that flatters peoples ideals, but for change that restores order, rewards effort, and reclaims moral clarity. The growing coward class in the NT require confrontation, because they are violent and mentally deranged and require regulation, and discipline, their pathetic parents unfortunately failed them. From the author.

The opinions and statements are those of Sam Wilks and do not necessarily represent whom Sam Consults or contracts to. Sam Wilks is a skilled and experienced Security Consultant with almost 3 decades of expertise in the fields of Real estate, Security, and the hospitality/gaming industry. His knowledge and practical experience have made him a valuable asset to many organizations looking to enhance their security measures and provide a safe and secure environment for their clients and staff.