NT scrutiny committee members call for shake-up after recommendations rejected

The NT Legislative Scrutiny Committee consists of five members, including three from the government. (ABC News: Tristan Hooft)

The two non-government members of the Northern Territory Legislative Scrutiny Committee are calling for the body to be reformed.

Independent Justine Davis and Deputy Opposition Leader Dheran Young say the committee is not operating the way it was intended.

The Country Liberal Party government, which revived the committee after winning government in 2024, says it takes transparency seriously.

Non-government members of a parliamentary committee responsible for scrutinising proposed Northern Territory laws are calling for the body to be reformed.

The NT Legislative Scrutiny Committee is currently investigating a controversial bill proposing to change NT child protection legislation, which the government says would prioritise "safety above all other considerations".

But ahead of two days of public hearings into the bill starting on Thursday, the committee's two non-government members have voiced concerns about how it is operating.

The committee is currently holding an inquiry into proposed changes to child protection laws. (ABC News: Tristan Hooft)

They say the committee's seven-day deadlines for public submissions on referred bills are too short, and in some instances, the body's work is being completely ignored by the government.

Independent Justine Davis and Labor Deputy Leader Dheran Young are also calling for the government's control of the committee to be diluted.

The Country Liberal Party (CLP) government has a majority on the committee through its three backbench representatives. Two of the backbenchers, Oly Carlson and Clinton Howe, also hold the chair and deputy chair positions respectively.

Oly Carlson chairs the NT Legislative Scrutiny Committee. (ABC News: Tristan Hooft)

Ms Davis said the committee was extremely important considering the NT only has one parliamentary chamber, but that in practice it was not working effectively.

"In the [March] parliamentary sitting, when seven bills were referred to the committee, they were all complex bills — one of them was 120 pages," she said.

"The expectation that [the public is] going to have time [within seven days] to actually understand what's in that bill and meaningfully engage with it and make recommendations to improve it — that's what the point of that whole process is — it's just not possible.

Justine Davis sits on the committee as an independent. (ABC News: Pete Garnish)

Despite its influence within the committee, the government still rejected 11 recommend