Chief Minister of the Northern Territory Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Chief Minister of the Northern Territory
Flag of the Northern Territory
Coat of arms of the Northern Territory
Incumbent Lia Finocchiaro since 28 August 2024
Department of the Chief Minister
Style	The Honourable
Abbreviation	CM
Member of	Parliament National Cabinet Cabinet Executive Council
Reports to	Parliament
Seat	Darwin, Northern Territory
Appointer	Administrator of the Northern Territory by convention, based on appointee's ability to command confidence in the Legislative Assembly
Term length	At the Administrator's pleasure contingent on the chief minister's ability to command confidence in the house of Parliament
Constituting instrument	None (constitutional convention)
Formation	19 October 1974 as Majority Leader 1 July 1978 as chief minister
First holder	Goff Letts as Majority Leader Paul Everingham as chief minister
Deputy	Deputy Chief Minister of the Northern Territory
Salary	A$325,392
Website	www.chiefminister.nt.gov.au

The Chief Minister of the Northern Territory is like the main leader or boss of the Northern Territory government. This job is similar to a state premier in other parts of Australia.

When the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly (which is like their parliament) started in 1974, the leader was called the Majority Leader. This name was used for the first few years. In 1978, the Northern Territory got more control over its own laws. At that time, the leader's title changed to Chief Minister. This new role came with much more power.

The Administrator officially chooses the Chief Minister. Usually, the Administrator picks the leader of the political party that has the most seats in the Legislative Assembly. This is the normal way things are done.

Since 28 August 2024, the Chief Minister has been Lia Finocchiaro from the Country Liberal Party. She became the fourth woman to hold this important position in the Northern Territory.

History of the Chief Minister Role

The Country Liberal Party won the first election in the Northern Territory on 19 October 1974. They chose Goff Letts as the Majority Leader. He led a group that acted like a government ministry.

In the 1977 election, Goff Letts lost his seat. Paul Everingham from the Country Liberal Party took over as Majority Leader on 13 August 1977. When the Northern Territory gained more self-government on 1 July 1978, Paul Everingham became the first Chief Minister. His group then officially became a Ministry.

Even though the leader was called "Majority Leader," the leader of the other main party was called the Leader of the Opposition, not "Minority Leader."

In 2001, Clare Martin made history. She became the first Chief Minister from the Labor Party and the first woman to hold the job. Before 2004, the Northern Territory Electoral Office handled elections. In March 2004, a new, independent group called the Northern Territory Electoral Commission was created to manage elections.

In 2013, Adam Giles became the Chief Minister and leader of the Country Liberal Party. He was the first indigenous Australian to lead a state or territory government in Australia.

After the 2016 election, Michael Gunner from the Labor Party became Chief Minister. He was the first Chief Minister who was born in the Northern Territory. He decided to step down on 10 May 2022. On 13 May 2022, Natasha Fyles was chosen by the Labor Party to take his place. On 19 December 2023, Natasha Fyles resigned because of a problem with some shares she owned. On 21 December 2023, Eva Lawler became Chief Minister.

List of Chief Ministers of the Northern Territory

From 1974 to 1978, the leader of the government was known as the Majority Leader:

Political parties

Country Liberal Party (CLP) Territory Labor Party (TL)

No.	Portrait	Name Electoral division (Birth–death)	Election	Term of office			Political party	Executive	Administrator
No.	Portrait	Name Electoral division (Birth–death)	Election	Term start	Term end	Time in office	Political party	Executive	Administrator
1		Goff Letts MLA for Victoria River (1928–2023)	1974	19 October 1974	12 August 1977	2 years, 297 days	CLP	Letts	Jock Nelson (1973–1975)
1		Goff Letts MLA for Victoria River (1928–2023)	1974	19 October 1974	12 August 1977	2 years, 297 days	CLP	Letts	None (1975–1978)
2		Paul Everingham MLA for Jingili (born 1943)	1977	13 August 1977	30 June 1978	321 days	CLP	Everingham	None (1975–1978)
2		Paul Everingham MLA for Jingili (born 1943)	1977	13 August 1977	30 June 1978	321 days	CLP	Everingham	John England (1978–1981)

From 1978 onwards, the position has been known as the Chief Minister:

No.	Portrait	Name Electoral division (Birth–death)	Election	Term of office			Political party	Ministry	Administrator
No.	Portrait	Name Electoral division (Birth–death)	Election	Term start	Term end	Time in office	Political party	Ministry	Administrator
1		Paul Everingham MLA for Jingili (born 1943)	—	1 July 1978	15 October 1984	6 years, 106 days	CLP	Everingham	John England (1978–1981)
			1980						John England (1978–1981)
			1980						Eric Johnston (1981–1989)
			1983
2		Ian Tuxworth MLA for Barkly (1942–2020)	—	16 October 1984	13 May 1986	1 year, 209 days	CLP	Tuxworth
3		Stephen Hatton MLA for Nightcliff (born 1948)	—	14 May 1986	12 July 1988	2 years, 59 days	CLP	Hatton
3		Stephen Hatton MLA for Nightcliff (born 1948)	1987	14 May 1986	12 July 1988	2 years, 59 days	CLP	Hatton
4		Marshall Perron MLA for Fannie Bay (born 1942)	—	13 July 1988	24 May 1995	6 years, 315 days	CLP	Perron
			—						James Muirhead (1989–1993)
			1990						James Muirhead (1989–1993)
			1990						Austin Asche (1993–1997)
			1994
5		Shane Stone MLA for Port Darwin (born 1950)	—	25 May 1995	7 February 1999	3 years, 258 days	CLP	Stone
			1997
			1997						Neil Conn (1997–2000)
6		Denis Burke MLA for Brennan (born 1948)	—	8 February 1999	27 August 2001	2 years, 200 days	CLP	Burke	Neil Conn (1997–2000)
6		Denis Burke MLA for Brennan (born 1948)	—	8 February 1999	27 August 2001	2 years, 200 days	CLP	Burke	John Anictomatis (2000–2003)
7		Clare Martin MLA for Fannie Bay (born 1952)	2001	27 August 2001	26 November 2007	6 years, 91 days	TL	Martin	John Anictomatis (2000–2003)
			2001						Ted Egan (2003–2007)
			2005						Ted Egan (2003–2007)
			2005						Tom Pauling (2007–2011)
8		Paul Henderson MLA for Wanguri (born 1962)	—	26 November 2007	28 August 2012	4 years, 276 days	TL	Henderson
			2008
			2008						Sally Thomas (2011–2014)
9		Terry Mills MLA for Blain (born 1957)	2012	29 August 2012	13 March 2013	196 days	CLP	Mills
10		Adam Giles MLA for Braitling (born 1973)	—	14 March 2013	30 August 2016	3 years, 169 days	CLP	Giles
10		Adam Giles MLA for Braitling (born 1973)	—	14 March 2013	30 August 2016	3 years, 169 days	CLP	Giles	John Hardy (2014–2017)
11		Michael Gunner MLA for Fannie Bay (born 1976)	2016	31 August 2016	13 May 2022	5 years, 255 days	TL	Gunner	John Hardy (2014–2017)
			2016						Vicki O'Halloran (2017–2023)
			2020
12		Natasha Fyles MLA for Nightcliff (born 1978)	—	13 May 2022	21 December 2023	1 year, 222 days	TL	Fyles
12		Natasha Fyles MLA for Nightcliff (born 1978)	—	13 May 2022	21 December 2023	1 year, 222 days	TL	Fyles	Hugh Heggie (since 2023)
13		Eva Lawler MLA for Drysdale (born 1962)	—	21 December 2023	28 August 2024	251 days	TL	Lawler
14		Lia Finocchiaro MLA for Spillett (born 1984)	2024	28 August 2024	Incumbent	310 days	CLP	Finocchiaro

Chief Minister of the Northern Territory facts for kids

History of the Chief Minister Role

List of Chief Ministers of the Northern Territory

See also