Editing Northern Territory (section)

===Parliament===
{{main|Northern Territory Parliament|Northern Territory Legislative Assembly|Proposed Northern Territory statehood}}
The Northern Territory Parliament is one of the three [[unicameralism|unicameral]] parliaments in the country. Based on the [[Westminster System]], it consists of the [[Northern Territory Legislative Assembly]] which was created in 1974, replacing the [[Northern Territory Legislative Council]]. It also produces the ''[[Northern Territory of Australia Government Gazette]]''.{{Citation needed|date=September 2024}}

The Northern Territory Legislative Council was the partly elected governing body from 1947 until its replacement by the fully elected Northern Territory Legislative Assembly in 1974. The total enrolment for the 1947 election was 4,443. The Northern Territory was split into five electorates: Darwin, Alice Springs, Tennant Creek, Batchelor, and Stuart.{{Citation needed|date=September 2024}}

While this assembly exercises powers similar to those of the parliaments of the states of Australia, it does so by legislated [[devolution]] of powers from the [[Australian Government|Commonwealth Government]], rather than by any constitutional right. As such, the Commonwealth Government retains the right to legislate for the territory, including the power to override legislation passed by the Legislative Assembly. The [[Monarchy of Australia|Monarch]] is represented by the [[Administrator of the Northern Territory]], who performs a role similar to that of a [[governors of the Australian states|state governor]].{{Citation needed|date=September 2024}}

Twenty-five members of the Legislative Assembly are elected to four-year terms from single-member [[Electoral district|electorates]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Government |first=Northern Territory |date=2017-06-16 |title=Members |url=https://parliament.nt.gov.au/members |access-date=2024-09-18 |website=parliament.nt.gov.au |language=en |archive-date=18 September 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240918023750/https://parliament.nt.gov.au/members |url-status=live }}</ref>

Numerous times since self government was granted there has been [[Proposed Northern Territory statehood|agitation for full statehood]] within the region.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2022-08-13 |title=The Northern Territory worked for decades to become a state. Could it ever happen? |url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-08-14/northern-territory-statehood-future/101292860 |access-date=2024-09-18 |work=ABC News |language=en-AU |archive-date=18 September 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240918023749/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-08-14/northern-territory-statehood-future/101292860 |url-status=live }}</ref> A [[1998 Northern Territory referendum|referendum]] of voters in the Northern Territory was held on the issue in 1998, which resulted in a 'no' vote.<ref>{{Cite web |last=House of Representatives Standing Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs |date=2007-05-01 |title=The long road to statehood: Report of the inquiry into the federal implications of statehood for the Northern Territory |url=https://www.aph.gov.au/binaries/house/committee/laca/ntstatehood/report/fullreport.pdf |access-date=2024-09-18 |website=Parliament of Australia}}</ref> This was a shock to both the Northern Territory and Commonwealth governments, as opinion polls showed most Territorians supported statehood. But under the Australian Constitution, the federal government may set the terms of entry to full statehood. The Northern Territory was offered three senators, rather than the twelve guaranteed to original states (because of the difference in populations, equal numbers of Senate seats would mean a Territorian's vote for a senator would have been worth more than 30 such votes in [[New South Wales]] or [[Victoria (state)|Victoria]]). Alongside what was cited as an arrogant approach adopted by then chief minister [[Shane Stone]], it is believed that most Territorians, regardless of their general views on statehood, were reluctant to adopt the particular offer that was made.<ref>{{cite video |title=ABC Lateline Discussion |url=http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/stories/s13445.htm |url-status=dead |medium=Current Affairs |publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation |location=Australia |date=15 October 1998 |access-date=10 February 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060519013129/http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/stories/s13445.htm |archive-date=19 May 2006}}</ref>