Minister for Children and Families explained
The Northern Territory Minister for Territory Families is a Minister of the Crown in the Government of the Northern Territory. The minister administers their portfolio through Territory Families.[1]
The Minister is responsible for child guardianship, child protection, children and families policy, children's services, family and parent support services, family responsibility agreements and orders, family violence services, men's and women's policy, multicultural affairs, pensioner and carer concessions, out of home care, the Seniors Card, seniors policy, youth affairs and services and youth detention.
The former minister is Dale Wakefield (Labor). She was sworn in on 12 September 2016 following the Labor victory at the 2016 election. The ministry and department were both created in a reorganisation by the incoming government, which was significant for having separated youth justice from adult correctional services for the first time following the Don Dale Youth Detention Centre scandal and subsequent Royal Commission into Juvenile Detention in the Northern Territory.[2] [3]
The enlarged Territory Families ministry replaced a number of separate ministries from the preceding Giles Ministry, including the ministers for children and families, women's policy, men's policy, multicultural affairs, Senior Territorians and Young Territorians.[4] The Minister for Children in the Gunner Ministry is a new position concerned with "whole of government children's policy", while specific areas of child-related policy lie in Territory Families.[5]
List of ministers
Territory families
| Minister | Party | Term | Ministerial title |
|---|
| | | Labor | 12 September 2016 – 7 September 2020 | Minister for Territory Families |
| | | Labor | 8 September 2020 – Present | Minister for Territory Families and Urban Housing |
|
Children and families / family and community services
| Minister | Party | Term [6] [7] [8] [9] [10] | Ministerial title |
|---|
| | | Country Liberal | 19 March 1987 – 27 July 1989 | Minister for Health and Community Services |
| | | Country Liberal | 31 July 1989 – 3 September 1989 |
| | | Country Liberal | 4 September 1989 – 12 November 1990 |
| | | Country Liberal | 13 November 1990 - 29 November 1992 |
| | | Country Liberal | 30 November 1992 – 30 June 1995 |
| 1 July 1995 – 14 September 1997: no minister – responsibilities held by other ministers |
|---|
| | | Country Liberal | 15 September 1997 – 8 February 1999 | Minister for Health, Family and Children's Services |
| | | Country Liberal | 9 February 1999 – 26 August 2001 |
| | | Labor | 27 August 2001 – 12 November 2003 |
| | 13 November 2001 – 14 December 2003 | Minister for Health and Community Services |
| | | Labor | 15 December 2003 – 10 July 2005 | Minister for Family and Community Services |
| | | Labor | 11 July 2005 – 6 August 2007 |
| | | Labor | 7 August 2007 – 30 June 2008 |
| | 1 July 2008 – 17 August 2008 | Minister for Children and Families |
| | | Labor | 18 August 2008 – 3 December 2009 |
| | | Labor | 4 December 2009 – 28 August 2012 |
| | | Country Liberal | 4 September 2012 – 5 March 2013 |
| | | Country Liberal | 6 March 2013 – 9 September 2013 |
| | | Country Liberal | 14 March 2013 – 27 August 2016 |
| | | Labor | 31 August 2016 – 11 September 2016 |
| | | Labor | 12 September 2016 – 25 June 2018 | Minister for Children |
| | | Labor | 26 June 2018 – 7 September 2020 |
| | | Labor | 8 September 2020 – Present |
|
Women
| Minister | Party | Term | Ministerial title |
|---|
| | | CLP | 15 September 1997 – 8 February 1999 | Minister for Women's Policy |
| | | CLP | 9 February 1999 – 26 August 2001 |
| | | Labor | 27 August 2001 – 10 July 2005 |
| | | Labor | 11 July 2005 – 17 August 2008 |
| | | Labor | 18 August 2008 – 28 August 2012 |
| | | CLP | 4 September 2012 – 5 March 2013 |
| | | CLP | 6 March 2013 – 9 September 2013 |
| | | CLP | 15 September 2013 – 27 August 2016 |
| | | Labor | 31 August 2016 – 11 September 2016 |
| 12 September 2016 – 7 September 2020: no minister – responsibilities held by other ministers |
|---|
| | | Labor | 8 September 2020 – Present |
|
Multicultural affairs
| Minister | Party | Term | Ministerial title |
|---|
| | | Country Liberal | 1 December 1982 – 12 December 1983 | Minister for Youth, Sport, Recreation and Ethnic Affairs |
| | 13 December 1983 – 20 December 1984 | Minister for Health, Youth, Sport, Recreation and Ethnic Affairs |
| | | Country Liberal | 13 December 1983 – 19 August 1985 | Minister for Youth, Sport, Recreation and Ethnic Affairs |
| | | Country Liberal | 20 August 1985 – 28 April 1986 |
| | | Country Liberal | 29 April 1986 – 18 March 1987 |
| 19 March 1987 – 3 September 1989: no minister – responsibilities held by other ministers |
|---|
| | | Country Liberal | 4 September 1989 – 12 November 1990 | Minister for Youth, Sport, Recreation and Ethnic Affairs |
| | 13 November 1990 – 29 November 1992 | Minister for Sport, Recreation, Ethnic Affairs and Local Government |
| | | Country Liberal | 30 November 1992 – 15 September 1993 | Minister for Sport, Recreation and Ethnic Affairs |
| | | Country Liberal | 16 September 1993 – 20 June 1996 | Minister for Ethnic Affairs |
| | | Country Liberal | 21 June 1996 – 14 September 1997 |
| | | Country Liberal | 15 September 1997 – 3 August 1999 |
| | | Country Liberal | 4 August 1999 – 26 August 2001 |
| | | Labor | 27 August 2001 – 9 December 2004 |
| | 9 December 2004 – 31 August 2006 | Minister for Multicultural Affairs |
| | | Labor | 1 September 2006 – 6 August 2007 |
| | | Labor | 7 August 2007 – 28 August 2012 |
| | | Country Liberal | 29 August 2012 – 13 March 2013 |
| | | Country Liberal | 14 March 2013 – 27 August 2016 |
| | | Labor | 31 August 2016 – 11 September 2016 |
| 12 September 2016 – 20 December 2018: no minister – responsibilities held by other ministers |
|---|
| | | Labor | 21 December 2018 – 7 September 2020 | Minister for Multicultural Affairs |
| | | Labor | 8 September 2020 – Present |
|
Senior territorians
| Minister | Party | Term | Ministerial title |
|---|
| | | Country Liberal | 15 September 1997 – 8 February 1999 | Minister for Senior Territorians |
| | | Country Liberal | 9 February 1999 – 26 August 2001 |
| | | Labor | 27 August 2001 – 10 July 2005 |
| | | Labor | 11 July 2005 – 29 November 2007 |
| | | Labor | 30 November 2007 – 17 August 2008 |
| | | Labor | 18 August 2008 – 5 August 2009 |
| | | Labor | 6 August 2009 – 3 December 2009 |
| | | Labor | 4 December 2009 – 28 August 2012 |
| | | Country Liberal | 29 August 2012 – 6 March 2013 |
| | | Country Liberal | 7 March 2013 – 13 March 2013 |
| | | Country Liberal | 14 March 2013 – 11 December 2014 |
| | | Country Liberal | 12 December 2014 – 10 February 2015 |
| | | Country Liberal | 11 February 2015 – 27 August 2016 |
| | | Labor | 31 August 2016 – 11 September 2016 |
| 12 September 2016 – 7 September 2020: no minister – responsibilities held by other ministers |
|---|
| | | Labor | 8 September 2020 – Present | Minister for Seniors |
|
Young territorians
| Minister | Party | Term | Ministerial title |
|---|
| | | Country Liberal | 2 January 1979 - 30 June 1980 | Minister for Youth, Sport and Recreation |
| 1 July 1980 – 31 December 1980: no minister – responsibilities held by other ministers |
|---|
| | | Country Liberal | 1 January 1981 – 25 January 1982 | Minister for Youth, Sport and Recreation |
| 26 January 1982 – 30 November 1982: no minister – responsibilities held by other ministers |
|---|
| | | Country Liberal | 1 December 1982 – 12 December 1983 | Minister for Youth, Sport, Recreation and Ethnic Affairs |
| | 13 December 1983 – 20 December 1984 | Minister for Health, Youth, Sport, Recreation and Ethnic Affairs |
| | | Country Liberal | 13 December 1983 – 19 August 1985 | Minister for Youth, Sport, Recreation and Ethnic Affairs |
| | | Country Liberal | 20 August 1985 – 28 April 1986 |
| | | Country Liberal | 29 April 1986 – 18 March 1987 |
| 19 March 1987 – 3 September 1989: no minister – responsibilities held by other ministers |
|---|
| | | Country Liberal | 4 September 1989 – 12 November 1990 | Minister for Youth, Sport, Recreation and Ethnic Affairs |
| 13 November 1990 – 14 September 1997: no minister – responsibilities held by other ministers |
|---|
| | | Country Liberal | 15 September 1997 – 8 February 1999 | Minister for Young Territorians |
| | | Country Liberal | 9 February 1999 – 26 August 2001 |
| | | Labor | 27 August 2001 – 10 July 2005 |
| | | Labor | 11 July 2005 – 29 November 2007 |
| | | Labor | 30 November 2007 – 17 August 2008 |
| | | Labor | 18 August 2008 – 5 August 2009 |
| | | Labor | 6 August 2009 – 3 December 2009 |
| | | Labor | 4 December 2009 – 28 August 2012 |
| | | Country Liberal | 29 August 2012 – 6 March 2013 |
| | | Country Liberal | 7 March 2013 – 13 March 2013 |
| | | Country Liberal | 14 March 2013 – 14 February 2016 |
| | | Country Liberal | 15 February 2016 – 18 July 2016 |
| | | Country Liberal | 19 July 2016 – 7 August 2016 |
| | | Labor | 31 August 2016 – 11 September 2016 |
| 12 September 2016 – 7 September 2020: no minister – responsibilities held by other ministers |
|---|
| | | Labor | 8 September 2020 – Present | Minister for Youth |
|
Former posts
Child protection
| Minister | Party | Term | Ministerial title |
|---|
| | | Labor | 7 August 2007 – 17 August 2008 | Minister for Child Protection |
| | | Labor | 18 August 2008 – 3 December 2009 |
| | | Labor | 4 December 2009 – 28 August 2012 |
| | | Country Liberal | 29 August 2012 – 3 September 2012 |
|
Men's policy
| Minister | Party | Term | Ministerial title |
|---|
| | | CLP | 12 December 2014 – 27 August 2016 | Minister for Men's Policy |
| | | Labor | 31 August 2016 – 11 September 2016 |
|
Notes and References
- Web site: Administrative Arrangements Order . Government of the Northern Territory . 12 September 2016 . 11 April 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20200320123703/https://legislation.nt.gov.au/LegislationPortal/~/link.aspx?_id=21F1F716C7F9479A92DEB3838348F081&_z=z . 20 March 2020 . live .
- News: NT Chief Minister Michael Gunner unveils new Cabinet . Northern Territory News . 12 September 2016 . 13 September 2016.
- News: Northern Territory axes CEOs and amalgamates departments under public service shakeup . The Guardian . 8 September 2016 . 13 September 2016.
- Web site: Ministries of the Twelfth Assembly . Northern Territory Legislative Assembly . 9 September 2016.
- News: Territory Labor launches election campaign . Northern Territory News . 7 August 2016 . 13 September 2016.
- Web site: Northern Territory Government Ministries (CLP) 1st to 8th Assembly 1974 - 2001 . Northern Territory Legislative Assembly . 13 September 2016.
- Web site: Northern Territory Government Ministries (ALP) Ninth Assembly 27 August 2001 – 23 June 2005 . Northern Territory Legislative Assembly . 13 September 2016.
- Web site: Northern Territory Government Ministries (ALP) Tenth Assembly 2005 - 2008 . Northern Territory Legislative Assembly . 13 September 2016.
- Web site: Northern Territory Government Ministries (ALP) Eleventh Assembly 18 August 2008 – 28 August 2012 . Northern Territory Legislative Assembly . 13 September 2016.
- Web site: Northern Territory Government Ministries (Country Liberals) Twelfth Assembly 29 August 2012 – 27.08.16 . Northern Territory Legislative Assembly . 13 September 2016.
