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Chief Minister of the Australian Capital Territory facts for kids

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Chief Minister of the
Australian Capital Territory
Flag of the Australian Capital Territory.svg
Flag of the Australian Capital Territory
Coat of Arms of the Australian Capital Territory.svg
Coat of arms of the Australian Capital Territory
AndrewBarrportrait.jpg
Incumbent
Andrew Barr

since 11 December 2014
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.

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
1
RosemaryFollett
Rosemary Follett
Rosemary Follett
Labor
11 May
1989
5 December
1989
208 days
2
Trevor Kaine and John Langmore (cropped)
Trevor Kaine
Trevor Kaine
Liberal
5 December
1989
6 June
1991
1 year, 183 days
(1)
RosemaryFollett
Rosemary Follett
Rosemary Follett
Labor
6 June
1991
2 March
1995
3 years, 269 days
3
Kate Carnell
Kate Carnell
Kate Carnell
Liberal
2 March
1995
18 October
2000
5 years, 230 days
4
Gary John Joseph Humphries
Gary Humphries
Gary Humphries
Liberal
18 October
2000
5 November
2001
1 year, 18 days
5
JonStanhope2006
Jon Stanhope
Jon Stanhope
Labor
5 November
2001
12 May
2011
9 years, 188 days
6
Katy Gallagher Portrait 2011
Katy Gallagher
Katy Gallagher
Labor
16 May
2011
11 December
2014
3 years, 209 days
7
AndrewBarrportrait (cropped)
Andrew Barr
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.

Andrew Barr Katy Gallagher Jon Stanhope Gary Humphries Kate Carnell Rosemary Follett Trevor Kaine Rosemary Follett

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
1.
AndrewBarrportrait (cropped)
Andrew Barr
Andrew Barr Labor 10 years, 239 days 2016 2020 2024
2.
JonStanhope2006
Jon Stanhope
Jon Stanhope Labor 9 years, 181 days 2001
2004
2008
3.
Kate Carnell
Kate Carnell
Kate Carnell Liberal 5 years, 222 days 1995
1998
4.
RosemaryFollett
Rosemary Follett
Rosemary Follett Labor 4 years, 122 days 1989
1992
5.
Katy Gallagher Portrait 2011
Katy Gallagher
Katy Gallagher Labor 3 years, 208 days 2012
6.
Trevor Kaine and John Langmore (cropped)
Trevor Kaine
Trevor Kaine Liberal 1 year, 183 days
7.
Gary John Joseph Humphries
Gary Humphries
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
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