The Northern Territory’s chief minister, Michael Gunner, has extended an invitation to Donald Trump to visit the territory, complete with crocodile insurance for the US president-elect.
Gunner told Guardian Australia the purpose of the invitation was to teach Trump a lesson about rising above division and to reinforce close cooperation as parts of the territory are reliant on US defence spending.
In the letter, dated 9 November, Gunner invited Trump to the “diverse and vibrant Northern Territory”.
“We have a long history of positive and friendly relations with the United States of America,” it said. “I would like this relationship to continue for the long-term benefit of the Northern Territory of Australia and America.
“It would be my pleasure to personally host you.”
The letter enclosed crocodile insurance, which Gunner said the Northern Territory provided to every president who graces its shores.
Gunner told Guardian Australia he wanted Trump to see the Northern Territory ’s diversity as “an example of a better way, and proof that we don’t have to live in such a divided society”.
“I want to make sure President Barack Obama’s commitment to defence infrastructure, which is extremely important to the Territory economy, is realised,” he said.
“While my politics clearly align with Hillary Clinton’s much more than Donald Trump’s, we do have to work with him as president of the United States.”
A cost-sharing agreement for US bases announced by defence minister, Marise Payne, and US secretary of defence, Ash Carter, in October included more than $2bn in infrastructure spending in the Top End. The deal formalised and publicised the cost split for the 2014 “force posture agreement”.
As well as upgrades to military infrastructure and barracks, the deal also seeks to grow the number of US Marines based in northern Australia over a 25-year deployment.
An earlier 2011 agreement between Barack Obama and Julia Gillard had flagged an increase to 2,500 marines rotating through Darwin by 2017.
Gunner said he assumed president-elect Trump would honour the cost-sharing agreement. “It’s normally good behaviour from a government to honour the contracts you’re in,” he told local radio.
“We are important, we are the capital of northern Australia, we are strategically crucial to the region,” he added.
“It’s important that the president-elect Trump realises the significance of the Northern Territory.”
He said unlike the rest of Australia, which would likely be more affected by changes to the Trans-Pacific Partnership, the territory would be significantly affected by changes to US defence investment and engagement.
On the crocodile insurance offered, Gunner said he expected Trump would be about to receive “about a million letters” and he wanted the territory’s to stand out.
When Obama visited the Darwin in 2011 the Northern Territory government also insured him in the event of a crocodile attack.
