Northern Territory Legislative Assembly facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Legislative Assembly
15th Assembly
Coat of Arms of the Northern Territory
Legislative Assembly logo
Type
Type	Unicameral
History
Founded	1974; 51 years ago (1974)
Leadership
Speaker	Robyn Lambley Since 15 October 2024
Deputy Speaker	TBD
Leader of Government Business	Steve Edgington, Country Liberal
Government Whip	Andrew Mackay, Country Liberal Since 24 August 2024
Structure
Seats	25
Political groups	Government (17)      Country Liberal (17) Opposition (4)      Labor (4) Crossbench (4)      Greens (1)      Independent (3)
Length of term	4 years
Elections
Voting system	Full preferential voting
Last election	24 August 2024
Next election	22 August 2028
Meeting place
Parliament House, Darwin

The Legislative Assembly of the Northern Territory is the parliament for Australia’s Northern Territory. It is where laws are made for the people living in the Territory. The Assembly is unicameral, which means it has only one house or chamber where politicians meet.

There are 25 members in the Legislative Assembly. Each member is elected to represent a specific area, called an electorate, for a four-year term. Elections are held on the fourth Saturday of August every four years. The most recent election was on August 24, 2024.

To vote in a Northern Territory election, you must be over 18 and also be able to vote in federal elections for the Australian House of Representatives. Voting is compulsory, meaning everyone who is eligible must vote.

After the Assembly passes a new law, called a bill, it must be approved by the Administrator of the Northern Territory. The Administrator represents the Australian Government and the Crown. Once the Administrator gives approval, the bill becomes an official law.

Who is in the Assembly?

As of September 2024, here is how the 25 seats in the Legislative Assembly are divided among the political parties:

• A party or group needs at least 13 votes (a majority) to pass new laws.

What Powers Does the Assembly Have?

The chamber where the Legislative Assembly members meet to debate and vote on laws.

The Northern Territory gained the power to govern itself in 1978. This means the Legislative Assembly can make laws on many important topics for the Territory. However, the national government in Canberra still controls some areas. These include Aboriginal land, national parks, and uranium mining.

When members vote on a new law, a majority of votes is needed for it to pass. The Speaker, who leads the meetings, can also vote. If there is a tie, the Speaker has a special "casting vote" to break the tie.

The party with the most members in the Assembly forms the government. The leader of this party becomes the Chief Minister of the Northern Territory. The Chief Minister chooses other members to become ministers, who are in charge of different areas like health or education.

How Laws Are Made and Approved

When the Assembly passes a bill, it goes to the Administrator of the Northern Territory for approval. This is similar to how a state governor gives royal assent to laws. Usually, this approval is a formality.

However, the Australian Government has the final say. The Governor-General of Australia can reject a Territory law if advised to by the Prime Minister of Australia. The national parliament can also make laws for the Territory and even overrule laws passed by the Assembly.

For example, in 1995, the Northern Territory passed a controversial law about end-of-life choices. In response, the national parliament passed its own law in 1997. This new law removed the Territory's power to make laws on that specific subject. This shows how the national government can limit the Assembly's powers.

History of the Assembly

The very first Legislative Assembly of the Northern Territory in 1976.

The Northern Territory has not always had its own parliament. When the Commonwealth government took over from South Australia in 1911, it was run directly from Canberra.

It wasn't until 1974 that the Legislative Assembly was created. It started with 19 members who were all elected by the people. At first, it didn't have many powers. But in 1978, it was granted self-government, allowing it to make more decisions for the Territory. In 1983, the number of members was increased to 25.

For many years, from 1974 to 2001, the Country Liberal Party (CLP) was in power. In 2001, the Labor Party won the election, and Clare Martin became the first female Chief Minister.

Since then, control of the Assembly has switched between the CLP and Labor. The number of seats held by each party often changes at each election, leading to different governments being formed.

Images for kids

• 

  This chart shows how many new laws (Acts) were passed by the Assembly each year from 1989 to 2024.

See also

• 2024 Northern Territory general election
• Parliaments of the Australian states and territories
• Members of the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly
• Northern Territory ministries
• List of museums in the Northern Territory
• List of Northern Territory by-elections