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Deputy Chief Minister of the Australian Capital Territory
Coat of arms of the Australian Capital Territory
Flag of the Australian Capital Territory
Incumbent Yvette Berry since 31 October 2016
Style	The Honourable
Member of	Legislative Assembly Cabinet
Seat	1 Constitution Avenue, Canberra
Nominator	Chief Minister of the Australian Capital Territory
Formation	16 May 1989
First holder	Paul Whalan

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 who took over from former Labor deputy leader Simon Corbell on 31 October 2016, following Corbell's retirement 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. Following the formation of the inaugural government ministry under chief minister Rosemary Follett, deputy Labor leader Paul Whalan was appointed to the position.

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.

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. Independents Group leader Craig Duby expected to be elevated to the position, but this never occurred.

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

#	Deputy Chief Minister (birth–death)		Party	Term start	Term end	Time in office	Chief Minister (term)
1		Paul Whalan (born 1941)	Labor	16 May 1989	5 December 1989	203 days		Follett (1989–1989)
2		Bernard Collaery (born 1944)	Residents Rally	13 December 1989	29 May 1991	1 year, 167 days		Kaine (1989–1991)
3		Wayne Berry (born 1942)	Labor	18 June 1991	13 April 1994	2 years, 299 days		Follett (1991–1995)
4		David Lamont (born 1953)	Labor	13 April 1994	15 March 1995	336 days
5		Tony De Domenico (born 1950)	Liberal	15 March 1995	9 January 1997	1 year, 300 days		Carnell (1995–2000)
6		Gary Humphries (born 1958)	Liberal	9 January 1997	31 January 1997	22 days
7		Trevor Kaine (1928–2009)	Liberal	31 January 1997	17 February 1997	17 days
(6)		Gary Humphries (born 1958)	Liberal	17 February 1997	18 October 2000	3 years, 244 days
8		Brendan Smyth (born 1959)	Liberal	18 October 2000	13 November 2001	1 year, 25 days
9		Ted Quinlan (born 1942)	Labor	13 November 2001	20 April 2006	4 years, 158 days		Stanhope (2001–2011)
10		Katy Gallagher (born 1970)	Labor	20 April 2006	16 May 2011	5 years, 26 days
11		Andrew Barr (born 1973)	Labor	16 May 2011	11 December 2014	3 years, 209 days		Gallagher (2011–2014)
12		Simon Corbell (born 1970)	Labor	11 December 2014	31 October 2016	1 year, 325 days		Barr (2014–present)
13		Yvette Berry (born 1968)	Labor	31 October 2016	Incumbent	8 years, 50 days

See also

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

References

1. Manager, Web (17 November 2016). "Berry-Yvette". www.parliament.act.gov.au. Retrieved 21 March 2017.
2. "Deputy Chief Minister Simon Corbell to retire at 2016 ACT election". ABC News. 14 August 2015. Retrieved 21 March 2017.
3. "1989 List of elected candidates". Elections ACT. 9 July 2024. Archived from the original on 7 October 2024. Retrieved 23 October 2024.
4. "Chronological list of ministries" (PDF). ACT Parliament. Archived from the original (PDF) on 18 July 2024. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
5. "THE FIRST KAlNE MINISTRY" (PDF). legislation.act.gov.au. 5 December 1989. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 4 March 2016.
6. "Kaine's showdown". The Canberra Times. 30 May 1991. p. 1. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
7. Mason, Leanne (30 May 1991). "The Rally 'remains in a very powerful position'". The Canberra Times. p. 6. Retrieved 24 October 2024.
8. "Hansard of the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly" (PDF). hansard.act.gov.au. 29 May 1991. p. 3. Retrieved 24 October 2024. 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. Uhlmann, Chris (7 June 1991). "Duby's victory champagne goes flat". The Canberra Times. p. 1. Retrieved 24 October 2024.

v t e Government of the Australian Capital Territory
Executive	Chief Minister Deputy Chief Minister Treasurer Attorney-General Minister for Health ACT Ministry
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• Australian Capital Territory-related lists
• Deputy chief ministers of the Australian Capital Territory
• Lists of deputy heads of government of Australian states and territories
• Ministers of the Australian Capital Territory government