Your 2024 NT Election Guide

About the 2024 Northern Territory election

The election to determine the next government of the Northern Territory will be held on Saturday, 24 August. We asked the candidates what their policies are on raising the age of criminal responsibility and funding diversion programs that are proven to work. Check out your electorate below and make an informed decision when you vote.

What do we want from the next NT government?

• Raise the age of criminal responsibility to at least 14; in line with international human rights standards and the expert advice that tells us kids don’t belong in prison. It doesn’t teach them a lesson. It puts them on a pipeline to reoffending and causes them irreparable trauma, removes them from their culture and support systems. 
• Prevent the age of criminal responsibility from being lowered to 10 – which some voice are calling for, and in doing so – ignoring the available data that tells us locking up kids does not improve community safety. We all want a safer Northern Territory, but evidence shows that locking up children does not make our community any better off.
• Fund Indigenous led and evidence based alternatives to prison. On average, it costs taxpayers $1 million to incarcerate a child per year. We’re calling on governments to instead start investing these funds in justice that works – that embraces therapeutic and rehabilitative methods, addresses the underlying causes of problematic behaviour in children and diverts kids away from the criminal justice system.

Unhappy with the position of the candidates in your electorate?

Email them using our simple form, or check out all of the ways you can take action this election in our activist toolkit.