Lia Finocchiaro has enjoyed – and endured – one of the most remarkable political journeys in Northern Territory history.

For a few days not so long ago, it seemed as though she would be the loneliest person in the Territory, the only CLP Member of the 25-strong Legislative Assembly facing a phalanx of Labor.

Today, she is the Chief Minister after having, in effect, wiped out the ALP.

Not bad for a woman once dismissed as being too young, too feminist and, believe it or not, too Territorian to make it to the top.

One of her fiercest CLP critics says: “We were all wrong. So many of us underestimated her.” Her first act after being swept into power with a massive majority was to meet police commissioner Michael Murphy.

“Territorians have clearly said that they want a government that is going to deal with our law-and-order crisis,” she says.

“Our newly elected Government will do everything we can to make the Northern Territory a safer place, which will help rebuild our economy and restore our lifestyle.”

She promises to:

• Lower the age of criminal responsibility back from 12 to 10

• Create two new boot camps for young offenders

• Introduce Declan’s Law, a tightening of bail laws to keep violent and repeat offenders off the streets
and named after Declan Laverty, who was stabbed to death at a Darwin bottle store by a 19-year-old man on bail for aggravated assault

• Put more police on the streets

• Introduce a retention bonus for police

• Switch responsibility for youth justice from Territory Families to back to Corrections

• Employ truancy officers

• Make parents accountable if they fail to send their kids to school. Also refer families who deprive their child of an education to income management with the Commonwealth.

“Community safety is by far the greatest issue facing the Territory and all other good things will come from having law and order,” she says.

Lia Emele Finocchiaro was born in Darwin and brought up in Palmerston, where she now represents the seat of Spillett with the largest majority in Territory history.

Her grandparents were migrants from Italy.

“As a born-and-bred secondgeneration Territory kid, I grew up living an iconic Territory childhood – hunting, camping, fishing and playing outside,” she says.

“I was extremely lucky to have the upbringing I had in the Territory and I’m forever grateful for that.”

She went to primary school in Palmerston and then Kormilda College, now the Haileybury Rendall School.

Ms Finocchiaro was the highestranking army cadet in the Territory while in high school.

She graduated from school with the international baccalaureate and then achieved a double degree in law and international studies at the University of Adelaide.

The pull of home was strong and she returned to Darwin in 2008 and joined the Clayton Utz law firm – and found time to sit for a diploma of legal practice at Charles Darwin University.

In 2012, she became the youngest Member of the Legislative Assembly in history when she won the Palmerston seat of Drysdale at the age of 27.

In some ways, it was an unpleasant election because she was preselected over sitting CLP member Ross Bohlin, who stood against her as a conservative independent.

The following year, Chief Minister Terry Mills gave her a swag of junior portfolios, making her the youngest Cabinet Minister in Territory history.

Mrs Finocchiarro will no doubt never forget the election in 2016 – she won preselection over former Treasurer Dave Tollner in the new seat of Spillett but the CLP lost heavily.

It seemed that she would be the only CLP member to survive the Labor landslide until Gary Higgins was confirmed as a narrow winner in Daly.

With only two MLAs, the road back to competitiveness, let alone power, seemed daunting.

Ironically, Labor did Ms Finocchiaro a big favour when then Chief Minister Michael Gunner ensured the two CLP members were given adequate resources to perform as the official Opposition.

Mrs Finocchiaro became Opposition Leader in early 2020 and led the CLP to a strong recovery at the election a few months later, reducing Labor’s majority to two.

The platform had been created for her extraordinary victory in August.

Mrs Finocchiaro has demonstrated over the years that she is her own woman – she has seen off powerful men, such as Dave Tollner and Ross Bohlin, and defied more conservative Territorians by voting in favour of abortion rights and the so-called morning-after pill.

She is married to Sam Burke, the son of former CLP Chief Minister Denis Burke, and they have two children: Isla and Isaac.

Juggling a busy political career and family life is not easy, but she still finds time to be involved with several charities and sporting clubs.

Touchingly, Mrs Finocchiaro never forgets to celebrate Grandparents Day.

In the 1950s, all four of her grandparents migrated to Australia from Italy in search of a better life in the Lucky Country.

“My dad’s parents settled in Darwin,” she says. “I am so thankful that they made the Territory home. My father was born here, I was born here and my children were born here.

“I always knew the Territory was a special place and that I was lucky to be a Territorian.

“Now I have the greatest honour and privilege being the Northern Territory’s Chief Minister, serving our great land and its people.

“It’s a role I cherish and I won’t take a day for granted.

“Territorians backed me in to become their Chief Minister. It’s now time for me and our team to get on with the job they elected us to do.”