5 August 2025
Northern Territory Police have sent an unmistakable message to the Government: We will not be taken for granted.
In a clear show of unity and frustration, 1120 members of the Northern Territory Police Force participated in the Consent Agreement ballot, with a staggering 81% voting NO to the Government’s latest offer.
Northern Territory Police Association (NTPA) President, Nathan Finn, said the result came as no surprise given the compounding pressures police officers face every day, with little to no meaningful support from the current Government.
“Our members are angry. They are exhausted. And they are fed up with being ignored and disrespected by a Government that continues to undervalue their commitment and sacrifice,” President Finn said.
“Police are furious not only at the insulting 3% wage cap we have been forced to fight, but at the Chief Minister’s so-called ‘retention bonus’ lottery that leaves the vast majority of officers with nothing. It’s a sham.”
President Finn said the betrayal runs even deeper, following comments from the NT Police Executive and the Government that if members rejected the offer, they would be dragged before the arbitration tribunal, with the threat of having the offer stripped back even further.
“Our members will not be threatened, they will not be intimidated, and they will not be coerced into accepting a deal that fails to respect their service or their worth.
“The job of a police officer has never been more demanding or dangerous. We are operating under immense strain and ever-increasing expectations."
President Finn said it is now up to the Government to listen and act.
“If the Chief Minister and her Government are serious about law and order, then they must return to the negotiation table and deliver a Consent Agreement that reflects the reality of frontline policing in the Northern Territory.
“This vote was not just about pay, it was a collective demand for respect, for certainty, and for leadership. Our members deserve better. And we will not stop until we get it.”
