Chief Minister of the Australian Capital Territory facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Chief Minister of theAustralian Capital Territory |
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![]() Flag of the Australian Capital Territory
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![]() Coat of arms of the Australian Capital Territory
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Chief Minister, Treasury and Economic Development Directorate | |
Style | The Honourable |
Abbreviation | CM |
Member of | ACT Cabinet (Barr IV) National Cabinet |
Reports to | Legislative Assembly |
Seat | 1 Constitution Avenue, Canberra |
Appointer | Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly |
Constituting instrument | Australian Capital Territory (Self-Government) Act 1988 (Cth), section 40 |
Formation | 11 May 1989 |
First holder | Rosemary Follett |
Deputy | Deputy Chief Minister of the Australian Capital Territory |
Salary | A$404,406 |
The Chief Minister of the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) is like the leader of the government for the ACT. This person is in charge of making important decisions for the territory. The Chief Minister is usually the leader of the political party that wins the most seats in the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly.
Unlike leaders in other Australian states, the Chief Minister is chosen directly by the Assembly members. They are not appointed by a governor. The Chief Minister's role is similar to a state premier. They also act a bit like a mayor because the ACT does not have separate local councils. The Chief Minister is part of the National Cabinet, which is a group of leaders from all over Australia.
The current Chief Minister is Andrew Barr from the Labor Party. He became Chief Minister on 11 December 2014. Andrew Barr has been the Chief Minister for the longest time in the ACT's history.
Contents
Who Has Been Chief Minister?
This table shows the people who have served as Chief Minister of the ACT.
No. | Portrait | Name Party |
Took office | Left office | Time in office |
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1 | Rosemary Follett Labor |
11 May 1989 |
5 December 1989 |
208 days | |
2 | Trevor Kaine Liberal |
5 December 1989 |
6 June 1991 |
1 year, 183 days | |
(1) | Rosemary Follett Labor |
6 June 1991 |
2 March 1995 |
3 years, 269 days | |
3 | Kate Carnell Liberal |
2 March 1995 |
18 October 2000 |
5 years, 230 days | |
4 | Gary Humphries Liberal |
18 October 2000 |
5 November 2001 |
1 year, 18 days | |
5 | Jon Stanhope Labor |
5 November 2001 |
12 May 2011 |
9 years, 188 days | |
6 | Katy Gallagher Labor |
16 May 2011 |
11 December 2014 |
3 years, 209 days | |
7 | Andrew Barr Labor |
11 December 2014 |
Incumbent | 10 years, 239 days | |
Timeline of Chief Ministers
This timeline shows when each Chief Minister was in office.

Longest Serving Chief Ministers
This list ranks the Chief Ministers by how long they have been in office.
- Parties
Australian Labor Party Liberal Party of Australia
Rank | Portrait | Chief Minister | Party | Time in office (total) |
Election Wins |
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1. | Andrew Barr | Labor | 10 years, 239 days | 2016 2020 2024 | |
2. | Jon Stanhope | Labor | 9 years, 181 days | 2001 2004 2008 |
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3. | Kate Carnell | Liberal | 5 years, 222 days | 1995 1998 |
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4. | Rosemary Follett | Labor | 4 years, 122 days | 1989 1992 |
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5. | Katy Gallagher | Labor | 3 years, 208 days | 2012 | |
6. | Trevor Kaine | Liberal | 1 year, 183 days | ||
7. | Gary Humphries | Liberal | 1 year, 25 days |
Political Parties in Power
The Australian Capital Territory Assembly has been active for 13237 days. Here's how long each major party has held the Chief Minister position:
Australian Labor Party
- The Labor Party has held the Chief Minister position for 10249 days.
Liberal Party of Australia
- The Liberal Party has held the Chief Minister position for 2990 days.
Related Information
- Deputy Chief Minister of the Australian Capital Territory
- Australian Capital Territory ministries
- List of Australian heads of government by time in office