The deputy chief minister of the Australian Capital Territory is the second-most senior officer in the

Government of the Australian Capital Territory The Government of the Australian Capital Territory, also referred to as the Australian Capital Territory Government or ACT Government, is the executive authority of the Australian Capital Territory, one of the territories of Australia. The leade ...

. The deputy chief ministership has been a ministerial portfolio since its establishment in 1989. Unlike in other states and territories, the deputy chief minister of the ACT is not nominally appointed by an administrator or vice-regal, but by the chief minister. The current deputy chief minister is the Labor Party's

Yvette Berry Yvette Simone Berry (born 1 August 1968) is an Australian politician and Deputy Chief Minister of the Australian Capital Territory. She has been a Labor Party member for the seat of Ginninderra in the ACT Legislative Assembly since the 2012 AC ...

who took over from former Labor Deputy leader

Simon Corbell Simon Corbell (born 21 November 1970) is a former Australian politician and Deputy Chief Minister of the Australian Capital Territory. He was also Attorney-General, Minister for Health, Minister for the Environment and Minister for the Capital ...

on 31 October 2016, following Corbell's retirement at the

2016 Australian Capital Territory general election A general election for the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly was held on Saturday, 15 October 2016. The 15-year incumbent Labor Party, led by Chief Minister Andrew Barr, won a fifth term over the main opposition Liberal Part ...

History and duties

The office of Deputy Chief Minister was created in May 1989, for

Paul Whalan Paul Russell Whalan (born 10 July 1941) is an Australian political lobbyist, former politician and member of the first Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly, representing Canberra for the Labor Party. Whalan was elected in 1989 and r ...

, the Deputy Leader of the Labor Party, following the formation of the first government of the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly. The duties of the deputy chief minister are to act on behalf of the chief minister of the Australian Capital Territory in his or her absence overseas or on leave. The deputy chief minister has always been a member of the Cabinet, and has always held at least one substantive portfolio (It would be technically possible for a minister to hold only the portfolio of Deputy Chief Minister, but this has never happened). If the chief minister were to die, become incapacitated or resign, the Assembly would normally elect the deputy chief minister as chief minister. If the governing or majority party had not yet elected a new leader, that appointment would be on an interim basis. Should a different leader emerge, that person would then be appointed chief minister. For a short period, between 29 May 1991 and 18 June 1991, there was no deputy chief minister as the chief minister, Trevor Kaine, has assumed all ministerial responsibilities.

Gary Humphries Gary John Joseph Humphries (born 6 July 1958) is a Deputy President of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal. He was a member of the Australian Senate representing the Australian Capital Territory for the Liberal Party of Australia from 2003 to 2 ...

Katy Gallagher Katherine Ruth Gallagher (born 18 March 1970) is an Australian politician who has been serving as the Minister for Finance, Minister for Women, Minister for the Public Service and Vice-President of the Executive Council in the Albanese Gove ...

and Andrew Barr are the only deputy chief ministers who have gone on to become chief minister.

Trevor Kaine Trevor Thomas Kaine (17 February 1928 – 3 June 2008), was an Australian politician who served as Chief Minister of the Australian Capital Territory from 1989 to 1991. Kaine was elected into a multi-member single electorate in the unicameral ...

is the only chief minister who has taken a 'backward' step to become deputy chief minister.

List of deputy chief ministers of the Australian Capital Territory

¹ Despite

Labor Labour or labor may refer to: * Childbirth, the delivery of a baby * Labour (human activity), or work ** Manual labour, physical work ** Wage labour, a socioeconomic relationship between a worker and an employer ** Organized labour and the la ...

Chief Minister A chief minister is an elected or appointed head of government of – in most instances – a sub-national entity, for instance an administrative subdivision or federal constituent entity. Examples include a state (and sometimes a union terri ...

, Follett, losing a no confidence vote in the Assembly on 5 December 1989, Labor's Whalan remained Deputy Chief Minister for eight days under

Liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * a supporter of liberalism ** Liberalism by country * an adherent of a Liberal Party * Liberalism (international relations) * Sexually liberal feminism * Social liberalism Arts, entertainment and m ...

Chief Minister,

, until Kaine announced his Alliance

ministry Ministry may refer to: Government * Ministry (collective executive), the complete body of government ministers under the leadership of a prime minister * Ministry (government department), a department of a government Religion * Christian ...

with Residents Rally on 13 December 1989.
²

Bernard Collaery Bernard Joseph Edward Collaery (born 12 October 1944) is an Australian barrister, lawyer and former politician. Collaery was a member of the Australian Capital Territory's first Legislative Assembly for the Residents Rally party, from 1989 t ...

resigned all Ministerial responsibilities on 29 May 1991, losing confidence in Kaine led Alliance government with Residents Rally, due to unpopular decisions to close schools, close the

Royal Canberra Hospital Royal Canberra Hospital was the first hospital in Canberra, the capital of Australia. It opened in 1914 (a year after the planned city was opened) on the Acton Peninsula, as the Canberra Community Hospital. It grew to become the major hospital in ...

and amend planning laws.

References

{{Australian deputy premiers

Deputy Chief Minister A chief minister is an elected or appointed head of government of – in most instances – a sub-national entity, for instance an administrative subdivision or federal constituent entity. Examples include a state (and sometimes a union terri ...

Australian Australian(s) may refer to: Australia * Australia, a country * Australians, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia ** European Australians ** Anglo-Celtic Australians, Australians descended principally from British colonists ** Aboriginal A ...

History and duties

List of deputy chief ministers of the Australian Capital Territory

See also

References