NT Attorney-General John Elferink defends spending $45,000 of taxpayers' money on a recent study trip to the United States. Mr Elferink said he met with a US Army general and addressed US Marines who would soon be posted in Darwin to "tell those marines that we expect them to obey the law here".

unfortunately a stern word from mr Elferink does not carry the same weight as would a full public review of the relevant (50-year old) treaty