A motion to refer NT Chief Minister Michael Gunner to a powerful parliamentary committee over a decision to blacklist a local news organisation has been voted down.

The NT Independent has been operating for almost a year, but the government has refused to allow its reporters to attend press conferences and advised government agencies not to respond to its questions.

The government claims its ban relate to grievances with the outlet's publisher.

But its stance has triggered criticism from press freedom advocates, media academics and the Media Entertainment and Arts Alliance, among others.

In the Senate last December, a motion calling on the NT government to reverse its ban passed unanimously.

Labor Senator Malarndirri McCarthy said: "Australian governments should not be in the business of suppressing press freedoms."

In the NT parliament today, independent MLA Robyn Lambley moved a motion to refer Mr Gunner to the Privileges Committee — which scrutinises potential abuses of parliamentary privilege — saying his actions were in breach of the Legislative Assembly Members' Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards.

Ms Lambley said his actions did not respect the rule of law, did not provide fairness and integrity in official decision-making and did not allow freedom of reporting by the media.

Additionally, she said they were not consistent with the democratic principles of parliament and that they had disadvantaged a local media outlet.

The Leader of Government Business, Natasha Fyles, immediately moved to have Ms Lambley's motion put to a vote, with Labor's majority on the floor ensuring it was unsuccessful.

Ms Lambley later told the ABC the government had deliberately tried to avoid scrutiny on the matter.

"And I guess what I compared it to immediately was knowing that this issue was fully debated out in the Australian Senate in December and all parties unanimously voted to advise the Northern Territory Chief Minister to lift the ban.

"In contrast, zero debate on the issue, completely shut down, no integrity, no transparency."

Ms Lambley's motion was the third attempt this week to have a matter involving government standards referred to the Privileges Committee.

On Tuesday, the CLP's Member for Braitling, Josh Burgoyne, accused a government staffer of trying to intimidate him outside parliament, but his move to have the matter referred was unsuccessful.

On Wednesday, the government agreed to refer MLA Mark Turner to the committee after the CLP accused him in Parliament of misleading the Legislative Assembly in a speech last week.