This report examines federal implications of statehood for the Northern Territory, including the historical context of the campaign for statehood and recent developments.

Committee Chairman, Peter Slipper MP, said that the establishment of the first new state in the constitutional history of Australia is no simple matter. "The prospect of statehood raises a host of unresolved constitutional, policy and administrative issues that may impact on current federal arrangements,” he said. "These issues include the future treatment of Aboriginal land rights, representation and legislative arrangements, mining and uranium resource issues and national parks and marine protected areas."

In 2003 the Northern Territory Chief Minister Clare Martin put statehood back on the agenda by announcing a new community focused campaign. "Many Territorians appear to be in favour of the idea of statehood despite the failed referendum on the issue in 1998", Mr Slipper said.

On 14-16 November 2006, the Committee held a statehood seminar in Alice Springs and Darwin where it heard a variety of views on a range of unresolved issues. "The most contentious issues centred on the representation of the new state in the federal parliament, the future treatment of the Aboriginal Land Rights (Northern Territory) Act 1976, and the role of the Commonwealth government in assisting the Territory to achieve statehood".