The Don Dale youth jail should be refurbished into low security, open style units, with gardens and workshops for female inmates, and with rehabilitation the aim rather than retribution, writes Greg Chapman.

Blaming the budget shortfall on the Health Department CEO’s “bad behaviour” demoralises an already burnt out workforce, and is an attempt to divert responsibility from both the Territory and federal Labor governments, writes the doctors’ union NT president Dr Tom Fowles.

Julie Crisp’s time as Auditor-General is coming to an end, and Territorians should thank her for her good work, writes Gerry Wood.

A lack of clear direction by leadership focussing on quality education involving teaching and research instead of adversarial, debatable political objectives, open to wide and personal interpretation, inevitably leads to confusion and dissatisfaction amongst staff writes Dr Don Fuller.

The Northern Territory Government and the media have an obligation to tell residents that a local gas industry and associated industries such as petrochemicals, would lead to an increase in pollution, causing many diseases, and play a significant role in increasing world emissions, writes Professor David Shearman.

The owners of alcohol companies need to take some responsibility for the damage their drinks do in society, and it is time to stop alcohol advertising, especially in connection with sport, writes Gerry Wood.

One of the political parties needs to promise to expand the container deposit scheme to cover wine, spirit, juice, water and milk containers, if they win the Northern Territory election, writes Gerry Wood.

There has been a lot going on in Clown Town since our last edition, most of which we have tried to block out and move on from. But it appears it’s time once again to wallow in the misdeeds, malfeasance and asinine behaviour of our leaders and explore that sweet corruption-incompetence nexus that makes us all feel at home in the Great Territory Lifestyle.

Community services organisations will take a $14 million to $23 million annual hit if the portable long service leave proposal by Public Employment Minister Uibo proceeds, writes Gerard Butler, who was chair of the reference group that led the development of NT Build.

The idea of re-opening the old Berrimah prison again as an adult prison is a confusing development writes Gerry Wood.

It is unlikely the NT economy can grow at the rate required to be worth $40 billion by 2030, and given failing governance and increasing social dislocation, violence and lawlessness, it is unlikely that the Territory will be able to import the skilled labour to support the required economic development and growth to get their either, writes Dr Don Fuller.

CLOWN TOWN: Another week in the Territory and a further slide into terminal decline, so no better time than now to wallow in the misdeeds, malfeasance and asinine behaviour of our elected leaders and explore that sweet corruption-incompetence nexus that makes us all feel at home in the Great Territory Lifestyle. Find out the most clownish deeds committed in the NT this week.