Weeks of debate around the Northern Territory's crime and justice reforms came to a head with Declan’s Law introduced to parliament on the second day of sittings. But it wasn't smooth sailing – protesters gathering outside parliament house as controversy around the reforms continue.
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00:00A young girl putting a face to a political debate, this Darwin family joining a rally
00:07on the steps of parliament in a last ditch effort to stop a series of crime reforms.
00:13I'm here because I'm the father of a 10 year old and an 8 year old and I'm frankly quite
00:18mortified at the thought that my 10 year old daughter, should she commit a crime, could
00:25be thrown up into jail.
00:26Families, representatives of various organisations and Indigenous leaders joining together in
00:32the hopes the government would heed their message.
00:35Get outside, listen to us, stop this insanity.
00:39But stop they would not.
00:41The CLP pushing ahead introducing five bills to parliament on day two of sittings, including
00:47Declan's law and a bill to lower the age of criminal responsibility to 10.
00:53In their first press conference since sittings began, the Chief Minister fronting media alongside
00:57Declan Laverty's mum, Samara.
01:00She has shown so much courage and conviction to deliver Declan's law.
01:05Declan Laverty was stabbed to death 19 months ago.
01:09During the trial over his death, it was revealed he too was carrying a knife.
01:14Today's press conference cut short when Ms Laverty hit back at a question about how the
01:18reforms may have affected him.
01:21I for one am absolutely sick of the victim blaming.
01:25Declan did nothing wrong.
01:27The new government has reinstated a Legislative Scrutiny Committee, whose job it will be to
01:33look at proposed legislation in more detail.
01:36But none of the reforms which make up the CLP's crime reduction package will go before
01:41that committee, because they say the laws need to be introduced as a matter of urgency.
01:46Labor has accused the government of lacking transparency and accountability, even though
01:52they were the ones to scrap the committee several years ago.
01:55The Chief Minister also flagged a plan for remand and corrections, but stopped short
02:00of providing any detail.
02:02We cannot wait to clean up Labor's mess and wait for more people to become victims of crime.