NT Labor suffered a severe defeat on Saturday with a 12 per cent swing to the Country Liberal Party on a two-party preferred basis sweeping the opposition into power.
With former chief minister Eva Lawler losing her seat of Drysdale, Labor must find a new leader from its severely reduced number of MPs.
Labor deputy leader Chansey Paech, an Eastern Arrernte and Gurindji man, held his seat of Gwoja, bucking the trend with a swing towards him.
Selena Uibo, a Nunggubuyu woman and minister in the outgoing Labor government, retained her seat of Arnhem.
Dheran Young, member for Daly, has retained his seat, having originally won the electorate in a 2021 by-election.
Labor's Manuel Brown, a Tiwi man of the Takaringuwi (Mullet) people, also defied the overall result by increasing the margin in his seat of Arafura by 17 per cent.
Independent MP Yingiya Mark Guyula, a Yolŋu man, kept his seat Mulka with more than 70 per cent of the vote.
Eight years after the CLP was reduced to two MPs - a result which came in the wake of furor over the treatment of youth held at NT detention centres - the Country Liberals returned to office pledging to lift the ban on spit hoods and take a harsh approach to young offenders.
CLP leader Lia Finocchiaro has vowed to reduce the age of criminal responsibility to 10, four years lower than recommended by world's best practice and leading experts, and introduce "Declan's Law", which will mean offenders defined as violent are automatically remanded to jail with a presumption against bail.
Indigenous people are radically over-represented in the NT's justice system.
Earlier this month, the North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency called for more investment in diversionary and restorative justice programs.
"(The) latest Closing the Gap report makes for disturbing reading and confirms that what we are currently doing in the Northern Territory is failing abysmally," NAAJA Principal Legal Officer Jared Sharp said.
The National Network of Incarcerated and Formerly Incarcerated Women and Girls warned prior to election day that the two major parties presented campaign promises that are "not only retrograde but also pose serious dangers to our communities".
"What we see with these campaign promises are two political parties relying on outdated populist law and order and deficit carceral platforms that are essentially racist in their design," said advocate Debbie Kilroy.
The Network cited Labor and the CLP's pledge to build two new women's prisons in Darwin and Alice Springs, and urged a moratorium on new prison builds.
Ms Kilroy said the CLP vow to grant police increased powers to fine, charge, and arrest people for drinking in public areas is "another example of punitive measures that disproportionately target vulnerable populations".
She said the CLP had an equally punitive approach to education policy, with plans for compulsory case conferences, fines, and in extreme cases, prosecution is "deeply troubling".
After the election, Mparntwe-based Kaytetye academic and doctor Jean Pepperill wrote: "I am genuinely scared for Aboriginal people of the NT from today. The yt (white) supremacy that exists in this territory should not be underestimated. I fear for mob."
Ms Finocchiaro met privately with Police Commissioner Michael Murphy and the Department of Chief Minister and Cabinet chief executive Ken Davies on Sunday.
The Central Land Council quizzed all parties on a range of key issues in the lead up to the election, including treaty, closing the gap, Indigenous rights under international law, housing energy standards, schools, justice, heritage protection, water allocations, mining royalties and rangers.
In response the CLP said it would not establish a new treaty working group, made no mention of Indigenous rights under international law, made no mention of housing energy standards or school funding, and made no comment on heritage protection.
Voter turnout was about 65 per cent, with some electorates as low as 32 per cent.
