Deputy Chief Minister of the Australian Capital Territory explained

The Deputy Chief Minister of the Australian Capital Territory is the second-most senior officer in the government of the Australian Capital Territory. The position 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^[1] who took over from former Labor deputy leader Simon Corbell on 31 October 2016, following Corbell's retirement^[2] at the 2016 Australian Capital Territory election.

History

The 1989 ACT election, which was the first under self-government, resulted in Labor emerging as the largest party in the Legislative Assembly with five seats.^[3] Following the formation of the inaugural government ministry under chief minister Rosemary Follett, deputy Labor leader Paul Whalan was appointed to the position.^[4]

When a no-confidence motion resulted in the end of the Follett government, new chief minister and Liberal Party leader Trevor Kaine briefly held all portfolios after becoming chief minister, before the new ministry was sworn in on 13 December 1988.^[5]

There was no deputy chief minister between 29 May 1991 and 18 June 1991 after Kaine sacked the Residents Rally (including its leader, deputy chief minister Bernard Collaery) from the Alliance government.^{[6] [7]} Independents Group leader Craig Duby expected to be elevated to the position, but this never occurred.^{[8] [9]}

Gary Humphries, Katy Gallagher and Andrew Barr are the only deputy chief ministers who have gone on to become chief minister. Trevor Kaine is the only chief minister who has taken a 'backward' step to become deputy chief minister.

Duties

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.

List of deputy chief ministers

class=unsortable		Deputy Chief Minister		Party	Term start	Term end	Time in office	Chief Minister
1		Paul Whalan	Labor	16 May 1989	5 December 1989
2		Bernard Collaery	Residents Rally	13 December 1989	29 May 1991
3		Wayne Berry	Labor	18 June 1991	13 April 1994
4		David Lamont	Labor	13 April 1994	15 March 1995
5		Tony De Domenico	Liberal	15 March 1995	9 January 1997
6		Gary Humphries	Liberal	9 January 1997	31 January 1997
7		Trevor Kaine	Liberal	31 January 1997	17 February 1997
(6)		Gary Humphries	Liberal	17 February 1997	18 October 2000
8		Brendan Smyth	Liberal	18 October 2000	13 November 2001
9		Ted Quinlan	Labor	13 November 2001	20 April 2006
10		Katy Gallagher	Labor	20 April 2006	16 May 2011
11		Andrew Barr	Labor	16 May 2011	11 December 2014
12		Simon Corbell	Labor	11 December 2014	31 October 2016
13		Yvette Berry	Labor	31 October 2016	Incumbent

See also

• Chief Minister of the Australian Capital Territory
• List of Australian Capital Territory ministries

Notes and References

1. Web site: Berry-Yvette. Manager. Web. 2016-11-17. www.parliament.act.gov.au. en. 2017-03-21.
2. News: Deputy Chief Minister Simon Corbell to retire at 2016 ACT election. 2015-08-14. ABC News. 2017-03-21. en-AU.
3. Web site: 1989 List of elected candidates . 9 July 2024 . Elections ACT . 23 October 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20241007133014/https://www.elections.act.gov.au/elections/previous-assembly-elections/1989-election/1989-list-of-elected-candidates . 7 October 2024.
4. Web site: Chronological list of ministries . ACT Parliament . 24 October 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240718165423/https://www.parliament.act.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0005/399506/A07.pdf . 18 July 2024.
5. Web site: THE FIRST KAlNE MINISTRY . legislation.act.gov.au . 4 March 2016 . 5 December 1989. https://web.archive.org/web/20160304091301/http://www.legislation.act.gov.au/ni/1989-2/19891205-18800/pdf/1989-2.pdf . 4 March 2016 .
6. Web site: Kaine's showdown . The Canberra Times . 24 October 2024 . 1 . 30 May 1991.
7. Web site: Mason . Leanne . The Rally 'remains in a very powerful position' . The Canberra Times . 24 October 2024 . 6 . 30 May 1991.
8. Web site: Hansard of the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly . hansard.act.gov.au . 24 October 2024 . 3 . 29 May 1991 . Mr Speaker, there seems to be a misapprehension that because of that there will no longer be an Alliance Government in some other form. That is quite wrong. All that it means, Mr Speaker, is that the remaining two members of the Residents Rally, of the four original members of this Assembly, are no longer a part of the Government..
9. Web site: Uhlmann . Chris . Duby's victory champagne goes flat . The Canberra Times . 24 October 2024 . 1 . 7 June 1991.