The Northern Territory opposition and two independent MLAs have called on the NT government to reinstate three parliamentary sitting days cancelled during recent COVID lockdowns.
The NT government shut Parliament down last month when Greater Darwin and Katherine entered the lockdowns.
It means Northern Territory Parliament will sit for 34 days this year, three days fewer than scheduled.
The federal House of Representatives sits on 67 days per on average, according to the Parliament of Australia website.
The federal Parliament has continued to sit despite the current ACT lockdown.
During the previous round of parliamentary sittings, the Labor government was broadly criticised by their political opponents for lacking a legislative agenda.
"The government must reinstate the three days of Parliamentary sittings … because while the government has no assembly business, the opposition and independent members have plenty," a statement from the opposition said.
In a joint front on Thursday, Opposition Leader Lia Finocchiaro and Member for Araluen Robyn Lambley and Member for Goyder Kezia Purick criticised the government's failure to reinstate the sitting days.
"I need to go to Parliament to represent the issues of my constituents," Ms Lambley said.
Ms Lambley implored the government to reschedule the lost days, which she said could be added to this month's sittings.
"We're going to the Speaker and asking her to use an extraordinary power that she has to recall Parliament," she said.
"She can recall Parliament. It is unusual … but it comes within the power of the government."
Mrs Finocchiaro said she and the Northern Territory's three independent MLA's, including Member for Mulka Yingiya Guyula, had written to Labor Speaker Ngaree Ah Kit to seek the reinstatement of the sitting days.
She said the failure to reinstate the days was an "abhorrent abuse of power" and showed Chief Minister Michael Gunner "was not worthy of his position".
"Parliament is one of the most critical tools to scrutinise legislation," she said.
“Parliament only sits around 30 days a year and … is one of the most critical tools to scrutinise legislation."
Leader of Government Business Natasha Fyles, in response to the criticism, on Thursday labelled the comments of dissenting MLAs a "stunt."
"Worrying about this now is just a stunt from an Opposition Leader scrapping for political relevance and some media airtime," she said.
Small Business Minister Paul Kirby today said the government could "work late into the night" to make up for lost hours over the next few sitting weeks.
"I'm sure that we can get through the body of work that we need to get through with the sitting days that we've got going forward," he said.
But Deputy Opposition Leader Gerard Maley, following Mr Kirby's comments, said extending the remaining sittings was inadequate to ensure proper scrutiny of the government.
"[Sitting late] doesn’t give the opposition and independents an opportunity to have further questions or raise general business," he said.
"So if they want to do that, they need to make sure they extend question time and also extend general business, not just extend their time."
A statement from the Office of the Speaker said Ms Ah Kit had received a letter and was considering the request.
