Chansey Paech facts for kids

Quick facts for kids The Honourable Chansey Paech MLA
20th Deputy Chief Minister of the Northern Territory
In office 21 December 2023 – 28 August 2024
Chief Minister	Eva Lawler
Preceded by	Nicole Manison
Succeeded by	Gerard Maley
Attorney-General of the Northern Territory
In office 23 May 2022 – 28 August 2024
Chief Minister	Natasha Fyles Eva Lawler
Preceded by	Selena Uibo
Succeeded by	Gerard Maley
12th Speaker of the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly
In office 23 June 2020 – 7 September 2020
Preceded by	Kezia Purick
Succeeded by	Ngaree Ah Kit
Member of the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly for Gwoja
Incumbent
Assumed office 22 August 2020
Preceded by	New seat
Member of the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly for Namatjira
In office 27 August 2016 – 22 August 2020
Preceded by	Alison Anderson
Succeeded by	Bill Yan
Personal details
Born	Chanston James Paech November 1987 Alice Springs, Northern Territory, Australia
Political party	Labor Party

Chanston James "Chansey" Paech (born 1987) is an Australian politician. He is a member of the Labor Party. Since 2016, he has served in the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly. He represented the area of Namatjira until 2020. After that, he represented Gwoja. Chansey Paech has Aboriginal heritage. He is from the Arrernte, Arabana and Gurindji peoples.

Early Life and Learning

Chanston James Paech was born in 1987. His birthplace was Alice Springs in the Northern Territory of Australia. His mother is Aboriginal, from the Arrernte and Gurindji peoples. His father has German heritage.

He is related to important Central Australian figures. These include Topsy Smith and Walter Smith. Before becoming a politician, Paech was active in supporting equal rights for all people.

Paech went to school in Alice Springs. He took part in many youth programs. One of these was the first National Indigenous Youth Parliament. He later studied at Charles Darwin University. His studies included environmental and land management, conservation, and horticulture.

Early Career

In 2012, Chansey Paech was elected. He became a member of the Alice Springs Town Council.

What Chansey Paech Believes In

Justice and Law

In May 2022, Paech became the Northern Territory Attorney General. This means he was in charge of legal matters. He wanted to improve the justice and prison systems. In October 2022, he introduced new laws. These laws aimed to raise the age when someone can be held criminally responsible. They also changed rules for adult sentencing.

Paech also worked on anti-discrimination laws. These changes aimed to better protect vulnerable people. They also helped minority groups.

In February 2022, Paech was responsible for sacred sites laws. He made a decision in parliament. He rejected a plan to expand the McArthur River mine. This mine was a topic of much discussion.

Housing for Communities

When the Gunner Government was in power, Paech was a Minister. He was in charge of remote housing, homelands, and town camps. He disagreed with the federal government. He felt they were not doing enough to provide housing in these areas.

His Views on Policies

Paech has spoken against the Northern Territory Emergency Response. This was also known as the Intervention. He also opposed the policy that followed it, called Stronger Futures.

Political Journey

Paech was chosen as the Labor candidate for Namatjira. This was for the 2016 Territory election. The person holding the seat, Alison Anderson, was retiring. She had been an independent politician. She had served since 2005.

The Namatjira area was thought to be a strong seat for the Country Liberal Party. However, Alison Anderson supported Paech. She was a well-known Indigenous activist. Her support helped Paech greatly. Election expert Antony Green thought her support made Namatjira "a certain Labor gain."

Paech won the seat by a large margin. He received 59 percent of the vote. This was a big change in votes. It made Namatjira a safe Labor seat again. After winning, he became Deputy Speaker. He also became Chairman of Committees.

Paech is the first openly Indigenous Member of Parliament in Australia. He gave his first speech in parliament on October 19, 2016. In his speech, he said he was "eternally proud of who I am and where I come from." He added, "I am young, I am black; a true-blue Territorian. I am a proud face of the diversity and future of the great Australian Labor party." He also spoke about hoping for a day when all people's rights would be equal.

In June 2020, Paech was elected Speaker of the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly. This made him the first Aboriginal Speaker of an Australian Parliament. He replaced Kezia Purick, who resigned from her role. Before the 2020 Territory election, the Namatjira area boundaries changed. This made it harder for Paech to win there. So, he ran for re-election in the nearby area of Gwoja. He won easily in Gwoja.

He stepped down as Speaker in September 2020. He then joined the Gunner Ministry. He became a Minister for several areas. These included Local Government, Remote Housing, and Arts and Culture.

In May 2022, Paech became the Northern Territory Attorney General. He also took on other roles. These included Leader of Government Business and Minister for Local Government. These roles were part of the Fyles Ministry.

Paech is a member of the Left faction of the Labor Party.