Lia Finocchiaro has led the Country Liberal Party to a landslide victory in the Top End, making her one of two conservative leaders in the country.
Crime, and the perception the government was unable to control it, formed the main plank of her party's campaign to oust Labor.
Ms Finocchiaro doubled down on her election promises on Monday, in a well-rehearsed commitment to create a "safe place to live, work and rest".
"The CLP's plan has always centred around making sure that we have a safe community, that we've rebuilt our economy and restore our lifestyle, and they will be the priorities of my government," she said.
The NT has been plagued by crime problems with Alice Springs twice being locked down and curfews imposed to curb violence.
While Ms Finocchiaro had been critical of Police Commissioner Michael Murphy during the election campaign, she used her first speech to back him in for the job.
She said she would be retain the police portfolio to follow through on her pledge to keep crime in her sights.
Lia Finocchiaro met with police commissioner Michael Murphy and public service boss Ken Davies. (Liam Mendes/AAP PHOTOS)
While she is still working on the make-up of her cabinet, Ms Finocchiaro said she intended to have law-and-order legislation in place by the time parliament sits in mid-October.
Key policies include lowering the age of criminal responsibility from 12 to 10 and toughening bail laws to stop violent offenders being released.
The Bail Act change will be called Declan's Law after 20-year-old Declan Laverty, who was stabbed to death while working in a bottle shop in Darwin's northern suburbs in March 2023.
Ms Finocchiaro flagged a need to "re-prioritise" the budget to ensure her government could achieve its targets on law and order, but stopped short of flagging a mid-year budget.
"What we know is there will need to be some re-prioritisation of pet projects and wasteful spending, and we will get to the bottom of that over the coming weeks and months," she said.
Ms Finocchiaro is now one of only two conservative state or territory leaders in Australia. ((A)manda Parkinson/AAP PHOTOS)
"What's most important to Territorians right now, and to my government, is that we address law and order issues and deliver community safety."
The new government will also be keen to move quickly to instigate its court diversion programs that include creating a boot camp for young offenders.
The Country Liberal Party's landslide victory has left Labor with only four seats so far, with Nightcliff still too close to call as incumbent Natasha Fyles, the former chief minister, remains slightly ahead.
In Fannie Bay, the race has narrowed between Labor's Brent Potter and the Green's Suki Dorras-Walker, with the NT electoral commission expecting the seat to be too close to call until all postal votes are returned next week.
The Northern Territory relies on the federal government for nearly half of its budget, however Ms Finocchiaro said she is yet to hear from Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.
NT Labor senator Malarndirri McCarthy, who was in Darwin for the election, posted her congratulations on social media.
Ms McCarthy said the federal government stood ready to deliver in partnership $4 billion in remote housing, the Central Australia plan and a $1 billion plan to better fund schools.
Labor is looking for a new leader after chief minister Eva Lawler was unseated in Drysdale.
Discussions have begun on the shape of Labor opposition but will not be finalised until vote counting concludes, a party spokesperson said.
