Northern Territory Speaker Kezia Purick is threatening to use her legislative powers to stop work on a new $19 million carpark at Parliament House.
In a letter obtained by the ABC sent by Ms Purick to Infrastructure Minister Eva Lawler and copied to all 25 members of the legislative assembly, Ms Purick labelled the multi-million-dollar State Square Underground Car Park project "unsatisfactory" and "poorly executed".
Ms Purick, who as Speaker has legislative powers over the parliamentary precinct, said she wanted to ensure the protection of the parliament building "on behalf of every Territorian".
"This is not a house or a building; this is the people's parliament and that's why I'm very concerned," she said.
While much of the underground carpark has already been constructed, in her letter, Ms Purick ordered work go no further on a 90-bay carpark set to be built for ministerial staff in front of Parliament House.
"Work may not commence on the 90-bay carpark within the precinct until I am satisfied it will progress in accordance with agreed plans."
'I don't have any confidence'
Ms Purick described information provided about the project from the NT Government and its Infrastructure Department as "piecemeal, often inaccurate and constantly changing".
She also labelled the process of construction as "very poorly executed".
The NT Speaker, who has protective powers over the precinct under the Legislative Assembly Act, said she wanted to see robust plans for the remainder of the project before allowing work to commence on the site again.
"I've sent the letter to the Minister saying enough is enough … we want to get proper plans, proper briefings, proper designs, likely timeframes, and potential disruption to Parliament House and its operation," she said.
"Don't treat me like a fool. I know how to read plans and designs.
"I just think the Minister and that department need to have a hard, good look at how they've managed this project."
Ms Lawler, however, disagreed with the Speaker's dim view of the project's management.
"We believe there has been plenty of conversations around that," she said.
"Around any project, there is always communications and sometimes one party feels there hasn't been enough communication."
Ms Lawler said she would not be "micromanaging" the project into the future.
"We have the department who works with the contractor to build those projects," she said.
'Perfectly good' $120,000 footpath demolished
Chief among Ms Purick's frustrations detailed in the letter was the demolition of a "perfectly good" footpath installed at a cost to taxpayers of $120,000.
Ms Purick said the Infrastructure Department, without permission or planning, ripped up the walkway which was built only two years ago.
Ms Purick also suggested she was not impressed with the aesthetics of the nearly-completed $19 million project.
"I don't know if the government takes comfort from the look of that underground carpark," she said.
"I don't really take a lot of comfort, and I know a lot of people in the community don't take a lot of comfort from it."
Meanwhile, independent MLA Gerry Wood said he believed there had been a divergence between what the Government promised with the project and what it has so far produced.
"From what was told at the beginning, when you heard statements made in Parliament, and what you see now, I get the impression that the two aren't the same," he said.
Funding for the carpark, which will double as a cyclone shelter, had previously been criticised against the backdrop of the Territory's debt-laden budget, with net debt forecast to spiral to $35 billion over the next decade.
In a press release in March 2019, the Department of Infrastructure said the carpark would "enable the relocation of existing surface-grade parking within the Civic and State Square precinct to below ground, freeing up space to provide opportunity for projects that will improve greening, cooling and revitalisation".
