As the only option to take over as the Northern Territory's new opposition leader, Lia Finocchiaro has already moved to reassure public servants their jobs would be safe if the Country Liberals won government.
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Ms Finocchiaro inherited the opposition leadership after Gary Higgins, the only other CLP MP in the NT parliament, announced he was quitting the top job on Monday, seven months out from the next election.
Mr Higgins became leader after they were the only two CLP members left at the 2016 election when Labor swept to power, winning 18 of the 25 seats.
He had a difficult job holding Michael Gunner's Labor government to account.
Mr Higgins, 65, held an emotional press conference in which he said the decision to quit was solely his and he could no longer "effectively serve as opposition leader" due to his health problems.
He will quit as leader on February 1 but will remain as MP for the rural electorate of Daly until the August election.
Ms Finocchiaro immediately made her election pitch, vowing to keep government assets and public service jobs.
The Labor government axed some of its highest-paid public servants and introduced staffing and pay caps as part of the budget repair report which ordered departments to cut spending by $11.2 billion over 10 years.
But Ms Finocchiaro said no government assets would be sold or leased - the previous CLP government controversially leased Darwin Port to a Chinese entity.
Residential power and water prices will be fixed at 2020 levels for four years.
"An elected CLP Government will keep Power Water, Territory Generation and Jacana Energy in public hands," she told reporters.
"I also have a clear message for public servants - your jobs are safe with a CLP Government. My promise to you is that you are valued, respected and essential.
A government under her would tackle waste to deal with the NT's multibillion dollar debt and deficit crisis, she said.
Ms Finocchiaro is a 35-year-old former lawyer and married mother who entered the NT Legislative Assembly in 2012.
The previous CLP government, in which Mr Higgins was a minister, was divided and beset by scandals including Adam Giles replacing Terry Mills as chief minister while the latter was overseas, and numerous MPs turning independent.
Mr Higgins said both he and Ms Finocchiaro strongly believed the CLP should have "new blood" representing it and not go back to past MPs from the Giles years, such as former deputy chief minister Dave Tollner who is seeking preselection.
A former chief executive of the powerful NT Cattlemen's Association, Tracey Hayes, is the CLP candidate running against Mr Gunner in his seat of Fannie Bay.
Australian Associated Press
