Premier of New South Wales facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Premier of New South Wales
Flag of New South Wales
Coat of arms of New South Wales
Incumbent Chris Minns since 28 March 2023
Premier's Department Cabinet Office
Style	The Honourable (formal) Premier (informal)
Member of	New South Wales Legislative Assembly
Reports to	Parliament
Appointer	Governor of New South Wales by convention, based on appointee's ability to command confidence in the Legislative Assembly
Term length	At the governor's pleasure contingent on the premier's ability to command confidence in the lower house of Parliament
Constituting instrument	None (constitutional convention)
Formation	6 June 1856
First holder	Stuart Donaldson
Deputy	Deputy Premier of New South Wales
Salary	$416,440

The Premier of New South Wales is like the chief leader or "boss" of the government in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Think of them as the captain of the state's team. New South Wales uses a system called the Westminster Parliamentary System. This means the government works with a Parliament of New South Wales that makes laws.

The Governor of New South Wales officially chooses the Premier. But, in reality, the Premier is always the person who has the most support from the elected members in the main part of Parliament, called the Legislative Assembly.

Before 1901, when Australia became a country (Federation), the leader of New South Wales was sometimes called the "prime minister." After 1901, the title "Premier" was used more often. This helped avoid confusion with the new national leader, the prime minister of Australia.

The current Premier is Chris Minns. He is the leader of the New South Wales Labor Party. He became Premier on March 28, 2023. Chris Minns won the election on March 25, 2023, after the Liberal/National Coalition had been in charge for twelve years.

What Does a Premier Do?

The Premier of New South Wales has a very important job. They lead the state government and make big decisions for everyone in New South Wales.

Leading the Government

The Premier is the head of the state's government. This means they are in charge of the team of ministers. These ministers are like heads of different departments, such as education, health, or transport. The Premier makes sure these departments work well together.

Working with Parliament

The Premier is also a member of the Legislative Assembly. This is where elected representatives meet to discuss and pass laws. The Premier leads their political party in Parliament. They work to get their party's laws and plans approved.

Representing New South Wales

The Premier speaks for New South Wales on important issues. They represent the state when dealing with the Australian national government or other states. They also meet with leaders from other countries.

How Does Someone Become Premier?

Becoming Premier involves elections and gaining the support of Parliament.

Winning an Election

First, a political party needs to win the most seats in the Legislative Assembly during a state election. The leader of that winning party usually becomes the Premier.

Appointed by the Governor

After the election, the Governor of New South Wales officially appoints the new Premier. The Governor is the King's representative in the state. This appointment is usually a formal step, as the Premier is already chosen by the election results.

History of Premiers in New South Wales

The role of Premier in New South Wales began a long time ago. The first Premier was Stuart Donaldson, who started his term on June 6, 1856. Since then, many different people have held this important position.

Notable Premiers Over Time

Over the years, Premiers have come from various political parties. They have led New South Wales through many changes and challenges. Some Premiers served for a short time, while others, like Neville Wran, served for many years. Neville Wran was Premier for over 10 years, from 1976 to 1986.

Women Premiers

New South Wales has also had women Premiers. Kristina Keneally was the first woman to become Premier of New South Wales in 2009. Later, Gladys Berejiklian also served as Premier from 2017 to 2021.

List of Recent Premiers of New South Wales

Here is a list of some of the more recent Premiers of New South Wales.

No.	Portrait	Name Electoral district	Election	Term of office			Political party	Ministry	Monarch
				Term start	Term end	Time in office
39	Bob Carr	Bob Carr MP for Maroubra	1995	4 April 1995	3 August 2005	10 years, 121 days	Labor	Carr I
			—					Carr II
			1999					Carr III
			2003					Carr IV
40	Morris Iemma	Morris Iemma MP for Lakemba	—	3 August 2005	5 September 2008	3 years, 36 days	Labor	Iemma I
			2007					Iemma II
41	Nathan Rees	Nathan Rees MP for Toongabbie	—	5 September 2008	4 December 2009	1 year, 90 days	Labor	Rees
42	Kristina Keneally	Kristina Keneally MP for Heffron	—	4 December 2009	28 March 2011	1 year, 114 days	Labor	Keneally
43	Barry O'Farrell	Barry O'Farrell MP for Ku-ring-gai	2011	28 March 2011	17 April 2014	3 years, 20 days	Liberal	O'Farrell
44	Mike Baird	Mike Baird MP for Manly	—	17 April 2014	23 January 2017	2 years, 281 days	Liberal	Baird I
			2015					Baird II
45	Gladys Berejiklian	Gladys Berejiklian MP for Willoughby	—	23 January 2017	5 October 2021	4 years, 255 days	Liberal	Berejiklian I
			2019					Berejiklian II
46	Dominic Perrottet	Dominic Perrottet MP for Epping	—	5 October 2021	28 March 2023	1 year, 174 days	Liberal	Perrottet I
								Perrottet II
									Charles III (2022–present) Governor: Margaret Beazley
47	Chris Minns	Chris Minns MP for Kogarah	2023	28 March 2023	Incumbent	2 years, 89 days	Labor	Minns

See also

In Spanish: Primer ministro de Nueva Gales del Sur para niños