The Northern Territory’s new water laws risk handing greater control of the Territory’s scarce water resources to commercial interests while undermining Aboriginal water rights and environmental safeguards, argue Erin O’Donnell, Professor Marcia Langton and Sue Jackson.

The Northern Territory Government’s claims that developing the Beetaloo Sub-basin will contribute $17 billion to the economy and 13,000 jobs relies on a very low probability scenario in nine-year-old modelling, while the moderate scenario shows less than $40 million a year in economic benefit to the Territory and an average of 82 jobs a year over 25 years, writes Climate Integrity executive director Claire Snyder.

The NT Government should allow Southern Cross Care to expand its Pearl aged-care facility onto adjoining public land in Fannie Bay, rather than requiring it to compete with private developers, as the Territory faces a shortage of aged-care places, writes Sonja Pastor.

Despite the NT’s extraordinary dependence on Canberra, its latest National Cabinet “win” reveals a striking parallel: the Commonwealth has not used its power to stop Aboriginal disadvantage GST money being spent elsewhere and now it’s not using its power to stop renewable policy being bent to accommodate gas-powered AI data centres, writes Justin Tutty.

Defence Housing Australia needs to relocate its planned housing development to the Defence Establishment Berrimah site and include a land swap that leaves the irreplaceable natural and cultural values of Lee Point intact for future generations, writes the Planning Action Network’s Nick Kirlew.

The vote on the Northern Territory’s voluntary assisted dying legislation was a quasi conscience vote, it was really a pre-planned party vote as part of a strategy to pass the law regardless, writes Gerry Wood.

In the history of euthanasia legislation relating to the Northern Territory, this was the first occasion on which it had been presented or opposed as a matter of government policy in any parliament, writes Dr Robyn Smith.

The euthanasia debate needs more balanced media coverage and to look beyond individual choice, saying end-of-life decisions affect the whole community and the former Natural Death Act offered a sensible alternative, writes Gerry Wood.

The Northern Territory’s voluntary assisted dying laws risk creating fear and confusion among Yolngu people because of failures to communicate in their language and within their cultural framework, potentially leading them to avoid medical treatment and worsening already poor health, argues Richard Trudgen.

OPINION: There were two significant political stories during the week ended August 21, which provided, in combination, a revealing and accurate “report card” on the health of the Northern Territory’s Polity, writes John Lawrence. Once again it showed beyond any doubt that the NT is no longer even near being a functioning jurisdiction; quite the opposite.

The Northern Territory needs a radical rethink of population policy, including targeted migration to attract highly skilled workers, tax incentives to draw Australians north and improved employment packages to retain talent and build a more diverse economy, writes Dr Don Fuller, whose current visit has highlighted the challenges facing the Territory.