Parliamentary committees give community members, organisations and businesses a chance to have a say in shaping public policy. People can make submissions and present evidence, which becomes part of the public record.
Committees look at issues or proposed laws in more detail than is possible during debates in Parliament. Once a proposed law is referred to a committee in Parliament, the committee gathers information from the public, experts, government departments and other organisations through written submissions and public hearings and site visits. After considering the evidence, the committee writes a report for the Parliament with recommendations for future action.
Committee membership is decided by the Parliament and generally reflects the mix of members in the Assembly. Some members are voting members, who make formal decisions about how the committee is run. Others are participating members, who can take part in hearings, ask questions and help prepare reports, but they do not vote.
The NT Legislative Assembly has 8 committees, whose members undertake functions of the Assembly that can more easily be performed by a small group of Members. This includes:
- inquiring into matters of public importance, such as the scrutiny of government activities,
- addressing a difficult issue of public policy, or
- consulting on proposed laws.
I am a Member of the following committees:
- Estimates Committee
- Legislative Scrutiny Committee
- Public Accounts Committeehttps://parliament.nt.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0008/1549736/Signed-Report-Inquiry-into-the-Darwin-Waterfront-Corporation-July-2025.pdf
Find out more about each and the upcoming enquiries at https://parliament.nt.gov.au/committees.
Committee Reports and Dissenting Reports
Legislative Scrutiny Committee
Inquiry into the Territory Coordinator Bill 2025 (Serial 17)
Northern Territory Legislative Assembly, Darwin, 12 March 2025.
Includes Dissenting Report – Justine Davis MLA.
Inquiry into the NT Aboriginal Sacred Sites Legislation Amendment Bill 2025 (Serial 23)
Northern Territory Legislative Assembly, Darwin, 4 April 2025.
Includes Dissenting Report – Justine Davis MLA.
Inquiry into the Domestic and Family Violence and Victims Legislation Amendment Bill 2025
Northern Territory Legislative Assembly, Darwin, 4 April 2025.
Includes Dissenting Reports – Justine Davis MLA and Mr Chanston Paech MLA.
Public Accounts Committee
Inquiry into the Darwin Waterfront Corporation
Northern Territory Legislative Assembly, Darwin, July 2025.
Includes Dissenting Report: Justine Davis MLA.