Government of the Australian Capital Territory | |
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Government of the Australian Capital Territory | |
Overview | |
Established |
|
Country | Australia |
Polity | Australian Capital Territory |
Leader | Chief Minister of the Australian Capital Territory (Andrew Barr) |
Appointed by | Legislative Assembly of the Australian Capital Territory |
Main organ | Cabinet of the Australian Capital Territory |
Ministries | 9 Government Directorates |
Responsible to | Legislative Assembly of the Australian Capital Territory |
Annual budget | $8.4 billion (2023–2024) [1] |
Headquarters | 220 London Circuit, Canberra. |
Website | act |
The Government of the Australian Capital Territory, also referred to as the Australian Capital Territory Government or ACT Government, is the executive branch of the Australian Capital Territory, one of the territories of Australia. The leader of the party or coalition with the confidence of the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly forms government. Unlike the Australian States and the Northern Territory, the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly directly elects one of their number to be the Chief Minister of the Australian Capital Territory as the head of the Government, rather than being appointed by a Governor or Administrator. [2]
Since December 2014, the Chief Minister of the Australian Capital Territory has been Andrew Barr, leader of the Labor Party. Following the 2020 ACT election, the Government has been formed by a coalition of ten Labor members and six Greens members. The terms of the coalition are outlined in the Parliamentary and Governing Agreement for the 10th Legislative Assembly for the Australian Capital Territory. [3]
Ministers are appointed by the Chief Minister. [4] The current ministry of the Australian Capital Territory (Third Barr Ministry) comprises nine of the twenty five Members of the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly. [5] [6]
The ACT has internal self-government, but Australia's Constitution does not afford the territory government the full legislative independence provided to Australian states. Government for the Australian Capital Territory is outlined in Commonwealth legislation; the Australian Capital Territory (Self-Government) Act 1988. [7] Nonetheless, the ACT is governed according to the principles of the Westminster System, a form of parliamentary government based on the model of the United Kingdom.
Legislative power rests with the unicameral Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly.
Executive power rests formally with the Executive, which consists of the Chief Minister and Ministers, and is informally called the Cabinet.
Judicial power is exercised by the Supreme Court of the Australian Capital Territory and a system of subordinate courts, but the High Court of Australia and other federal courts have overriding jurisdiction on matters which fall under the ambit of the Australian Constitution.
The ACT does not have a separate system of local government such as that seen in the Australian States and the Northern Territory. In the ACT, government functions that would usually be handled by local government are instead directly handled by the Territory government.
The current arrangement of the incumbent ministry (Third Barr Ministry) of the ACT was appointed on 4 November 2020, comprising six Labor Party members and three Greens members. [5] [6]
Minister | Portfolio | Portrait | Party | Opposition counterpart | Portfolio | Portrait | Party | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Andrew Barr MLA | Chief Minister Treasurer Minister for Climate Action Minister for Economic Development Minister for Tourism | Labor | Elizabeth Lee MLA | Leader of the Opposition Shadow Treasurer Shadow Minister for Climate Action Shadow Minister for Economic Development, Tourism and Major Projects | Liberal | ||||
Yvette Berry MLA | Deputy Chief Minister | Labor | Giulia Jones MLA | Deputy Leader of the Opposition | Liberal | ||||
Minister for Housing and Suburban Development | Mark Parton MLA | Shadow Minister for Housing and Homelessness | Liberal | ||||||
Minister for Women | Nicole Lawder MLA | Shadow Minister for Women Shadow Minister for Seniors | Liberal | ||||||
Minister for Education and Youth Affairs Minister for Early Childhood Development | Jeremy Hanson MLA | Shadow Minister for Education and Higher Education Shadow Minister for Early Childhood Education | Liberal | ||||||
Minister for Sport and Recreation | James Milligan MLA | Shadow Minister for Sport and Recreation | Liberal | ||||||
Minister for the Prevention of Domestic and Family Violence | Elizabeth Kikkert MLA | Shadow Minister for Prevention of Domestic and Family Violence | Liberal | ||||||
Mick Gentleman MLA | Minister for Corrections | Labor | Shadow Minister for Corrections | ||||||
Minister for Police and Emergency Services | Jeremy Hanson MLA | Shadow Minister for Police Shadow Minister for Veterans Affairs | Liberal | ||||||
James Milligan MLA | Shadow Minister for Emergency Services | Liberal | |||||||
Minister for Planning and Land Management Minister for Industrial Relations and Workplace Safety | Peter Cain MLA | Assistant Shadow Treasurer Shadow Minister for Planning and Land Management Shadow Minister for Jobs and Workplace Affairs | Liberal | ||||||
Shane Rattenbury MLA | Attorney-General Minister for Consumer Affairs | Greens | Elizabeth Lee MLA | Shadow Attorney-General | Liberal | ||||
Minister for Water, Energy and Emissions Reduction | Leanne Castley MLA | Shadow Minister for Water, Energy and Emissions Reduction | Liberal | ||||||
Minister for Gaming | Mark Parton MLA | Shadow Minister for Gaming, Racing and Community Clubs | Liberal | ||||||
Rachel Stephen-Smith MLA | Minister for Health | Labor | Giulia Jones MLA | Shadow Minister for Health | Liberal | ||||
Minister for Families and Community Services Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs | Elizabeth Kikkert MLA | Shadow Minister for Families, Youth and Community Services Shadow Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs | Liberal | ||||||
Chris Steel MLA | Minister for Skills Special Minister of State | Labor | James Milligan MLA | Shadow Minister for Vocational Training and Skills | Liberal | ||||
Minister for Transport and City Services | Mark Parton MLA | Shadow Minister for Transport | Liberal | ||||||
Nicole Lawder MLA | Shadow Minister for City Services | Liberal | |||||||
Tara Cheyne MLA | Minister for the Arts | Labor | Shadow Minister for Arts | ||||||
Minister for Multicultural Affairs Minister for Human Rights | Giulia Jones MLA | Shadow Minister for Multicultural Affairs | Liberal | ||||||
Minister for Business and Better Regulation Assistant Minister for Economic Development | Peter Cain MLA | Shadow Minister for Regulatory Services | Liberal | ||||||
Leanne Castley MLA | Shadow Minister for Business Assistant Shadow Minister for Economic Development, Tourism and Major Projects | Liberal | |||||||
Rebecca Vassarotti MLA | Minister for the Environment Minister for Heritage | Greens | Shadow Minister for Environment and Heritage | ||||||
Minister for Homelessness and Housing Services Minister for Sustainable Building and Construction | Mark Parton MLA | Shadow Minister for Housing and Homelessness Shadow Minister for Sustainable Building and Construction | Liberal | ||||||
Emma Davidson MLA | Minister for Disability Assistant Minister for Seniors, Veterans, Families and Community Services | Greens | James Milligan MLA | Shadow Minister for Disability | Liberal | ||||
Minister for Mental Health Minister for Justice Health | Giulia Jones MLA | Shadow Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing | Liberal | ||||||
The ACT Government is served by a unified ACT Public Service agency, reporting to a single Head of Service.
Administrative units, known as Directorates, are grouped under areas of portfolio responsibility. Each Directorate is led by a Director-General who reports to one or more Ministers.
As of November 2020 [update] , there are nine Directorates: [8]
The ACT Government also has a number of Public Authorities and Territory Owned Corporations: [9]
The following are officers of the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly:
The Australian Capital Territory (ACT), known as the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) until 1938, is a federal territory of Australia. Canberra, the capital city of Australia, is situated within the territory. It is located in southeastern Australian mainland as an enclave completely within the state of New South Wales. Founded after Federation as the seat of government for the new nation, the territory hosts the headquarters of all important institutions of the Australian Government.
The Legislative Assembly of the Northern Territory is the unicameral legislature of the Northern Territory of Australia. The Legislative Assembly has 25 members, each elected in single-member electorates for four-year terms. The voting method for the Assembly is the full-preferential voting system, having previously been optional preferential voting. Elections are on the fourth Saturday in August of the fourth year after the previous election, but can be earlier in the event of a no confidence vote in the government. The most recent election for the Legislative Assembly was the 2020 election held on 22 August. The next election is scheduled for 24 August 2024.
The Legislative Assembly for the Australian Capital Territory is the unicameral legislature of the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). It sits in the Legislative Assembly Building on Civic Square, close to the centre of the city of Canberra.
Rosemary Follett is a former Australian politician who was the first Chief Minister of Australian Capital Territory, serving in 1989 and again between 1991 and 1995. She was the first woman to become head of government in an Australian state or territory.
The Government of South Australia, also referred to as the South Australian Government or the SA Government, is the executive branch of the state of South Australia. It is modelled on the Westminster system, meaning that the highest ranking members of the executive are drawn from an elected state parliament. Specifically the party or coalition which holds a majority of the House of Assembly.
The Australian Government, also known as the Commonwealth Government, is the national government of the Commonwealth of Australia, a federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy. The executive government consists of the prime minister and other ministers that currently have the support of a majority of members of the House of Representatives and in some contexts also includes the departments and other executive bodies that ministers oversee. The current executive government consists of Anthony Albanese and other Australian Labor Party ministers, in place since the 2022 federal election.
Katherine Ruth Gallagher 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 Government since 2022 having formerly served as the 6th Chief Minister of the Australian Capital Territory from 2011 to 2014. She has been a Senator for the Australian Capital Territory since the 2019 federal election, as a member of the Australian Labor Party (ALP). She previously served in the Senate from 2015 to 2018.
The 1989 Australian Capital Territory general election was held on 4 March 1989 to elect the 1st Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly. This was the first direct election by voters in the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) for their power legislative body.
Andrew James Barr is an Australian politician who has been serving as the 7th Chief Minister of the Australian Capital Territory since 2014. He has been a Labor Party member in the ACT Legislative Assembly since 2006, after being elected on a countback to replace former Treasurer Ted Quinlan, who resigned mid-term. Barr was immediately promoted to Cabinet upon his election. On 11 December 2014 he was elected as Chief Minister after his predecessor, Katy Gallagher, resigned and announced her intention to run for the Senate. In addition to being Chief Minister, he holds the portfolios of Treasurer; Climate Action; Trade, Investment and Economic Development; and Tourism.
The Chief Minister, Treasury and Economic Development Directorate (CMTEDD) is a directorate of the Australian Capital Territory government, which advises the ACT Chief Minister, currently Andrew Barr.
Michael (Mick) David Gentleman is an Australian politician and is a member of the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly representing the electorate of Brindabella for the Labor Party. He was first elected to the assembly in 2004, but lost his seat in the 2008 election. He was re-elected to the assembly at the 2012 election, 2016 election and 2020 election. Mick Gentleman has been a Minister in the ACT Government since 2014.
Shane Stephen Rattenbury, is the Attorney-General of the ACT and former Speaker of the ACT Legislative Assembly, and a member of the multi-member district unicameral Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly representing the electorate of Molonglo from 2008 to 2016 and the electorate of Kurrajong since 2016 for the ACT Greens. He was the first Speaker in any Parliament in the world representing a Green political party.
The chief minister of the Australian Capital Territory is the head of government of the Australian Capital Territory. The leader of the party with the largest number of seats in the unicameral Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly usually takes on the role. Unlike other states and territories, the chief minister is not appointed by a governor or administrator, but elected directly by the Assembly.
Molonglo Valley is a district in the Australian Capital Territory in Australia. The district is subdivided into divisions (suburbs), sections and blocks and is the newest district of the ACT. The district is planned to consist of thirteen suburbs, planned to contain 33,000 dwellings, with an expected population of between 50,000 and 73,000. To be developed in three stages over more than ten years, the district will contain a principal town centre and a secondary group centre, with residential suburbs located to the south and north of the Molonglo River; located to the west of Lake Burley Griffin.
The First Gallagher Ministry was the 11th ministry of the Government of the Australian Capital Territory, and was led by Labor Chief Minister Katy Gallagher and her deputy Andrew Barr. It was initially appointed as a transitional ministry on 16 May 2011 following the resignation of Jon Stanhope as Chief Minister and the subsequent election of Katy Gallagher as his replacement by the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly. Gallagher had stated that, once the 2011-12 ACT Budget was passed by the assembly, she would appoint her deputy Andrew Barr to the Treasury portfolio in her place. This was implemented on 1 July 2011.
The ACT Labor Party, officially known as the Australian Labor Party (Australian Capital Territory Branch) and commonly referred to simply as ACT Labor, is the ACT branch of the Australian Labor Party (ALP). The branch is the current ruling party in the Capital Territory and is led by Andrew Barr, who has concurrently served as chief minister of the Australian Capital Territory since 2014. It is one of two major parties in the unicameral Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly, and is currently in a coalition with the ACT Greens.
The Second Barr Ministry was the 14th ministry of the Government of the Australian Capital Territory, led by Labor Chief Minister Andrew Barr and his deputy Yvette Berry. It was appointed on 1 November 2016, following the 2016 general election held two weeks earlier. The Greens signed a new formal Parliamentary Agreement with Labor which continued to maintain Green's leader Shane Rattenbury's position in the Ministry, whilst mandating that the Greens not move or support any motion of no confidence in the Labor Government, except in instances of gross misconduct or corruption.
The First Barr Ministry was the 13th ministry of the Government of the Australian Capital Territory, and was led by Labor Chief Minister Andrew Barr and his deputy Yvette Berry. It was appointed on 15 December 2014 following the resignation of Katy Gallagher as Chief Minister and the subsequent election of Andrew Barr as her replacement by the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly. Green's Shane Rattenbury continued to serve as a minister for the remainder of the parliamentary term, as part of the Labor-Greens parliamentary agreement signed in 2012 at the start of the term.
The Second Gallagher Ministry was the 12th ministry of the Government of the Australian Capital Territory, and was led by Labor Chief Minister Katy Gallagher and her deputy Andrew Barr. It was appointed on 7 November 2012, following the 2012 general election held two weeks earlier.
The Third Barr Ministry is the 15th ministry of the Government of the Australian Capital Territory, led by Labor Chief Minister Andrew Barr and his deputy Yvette Berry. It was appointed on 4 November 2020 to replace the Second Barr Ministry, following the 2020 general election held two weeks earlier.