Minister for Territory Families
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.[1]
The current minister is Dale Wakefield (Labor). She was sworn in on 12 September 2016 following the Labor victory at the 2016 election.[1] 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.[1][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.[1][5]
List of Ministers for Territory Families
Former posts
Children and Families / Family and Community Services
Minister | Party | Term [6][7][8][9][10] | Ministerial title |
| Don Dale | Country Liberal | 19 March 1987 – 27 July 1989 | Minister for Health and Community Services |
| Marshall Perron | Country Liberal | 31 July 1989 – 3 September 1989 |
| Stephen Hatton | Country Liberal | 4 September 1989 – 12 November 1990 |
| Daryl Manzie | Country Liberal | 13 November 1990 - 29 November 1992 |
| Mike Reed | Country Liberal | 30 November 1992 – 30 June 1995 |
1 July 1995 – 14 September 1997: no minister – responsibilities held by other ministers |
| Denis Burke | Country Liberal | 15 September 1997 – 8 February 1999 | Minister for Health, Family and Children's Services |
| Stephen Dunham | Country Liberal | 9 February 1999 – 26 August 2001 |
| Jane Aagaard | Labor | 27 August 2001 – 12 November 2003 |
| 13 November 2001 – 14 December 2003 | Minister for Health and Community Services |
| Marion Scrymgour | Labor | 15 December 2003 – 10 July 2005 | Minister for Family and Community Services |
| Delia Lawrie | Labor | 11 July 2005 – 6 August 2007 |
| Marion Scrymgour | Labor | 7 August 2007 – 30 June 2008 |
| 1 July 2008 – 17 August 2008 | Minister for Children and Families |
| Malarndirri McCarthy | Labor | 18 August 2008 – 3 December 2009 |
| Kon Vatskalis | Labor | 4 December 2009 – 28 August 2012 |
| Robyn Lambley | Country Liberal | 4 September 2012 – 5 March 2013 |
| Alison Anderson | Country Liberal | 6 March 2013 – 9 September 2013 |
| John Elferink | Country Liberal | 14 March 2013 – 27 August 2016 |
Child Protection
Women's Policy
Men's Policy
Minister | Party | Term [10] | Ministerial title |
| Bess Price | CLP | 12 December 2014 – 27 August 2016 | Minister for Men's Policy |
Multicultural Affairs
Minister | Party | Term [6][7][8][9][10] | Ministerial title |
| Nick Dondas | 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 |
| Jim Robertson | Country Liberal | 13 December 1983 – 19 August 1985 | Minister for Youth, Sport, Recreation and Ethnic Affairs |
| Ray Hanrahan | Country Liberal | 20 August 1985 – 28 April 1986 |
| Don Dale | Country Liberal | 29 April 1986 – 18 March 1987 |
19 March 1987 – 3 September 1989: no minister – responsibilities held by other ministers |
| Roger Vale | 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 |
| Eric Poole | Country Liberal | 30 November 1992 – 15 September 1993 | Minister for Sport, Recreation and Ethnic Affairs |
| Shane Stone | Country Liberal | 16 September 1993 – 20 June 1996 | Minister for Ethnic Affairs |
| Stephen Hatton | Country Liberal | 21 June 1996 – 14 September 1997 |
| Mick Palmer | Country Liberal | 15 September 1997 – 3 August 1999 |
| Peter Adamson | Country Liberal | 4 August 1999 – 26 August 2001 |
| Kon Vatskalis | Labor | 27 August 2001 – 9 December 2004 |
| 9 December 2004 – 31 August 2006 | Minister for Multicultural Affairs |
| Delia Lawrie | Labor | 1 September 2006 – 6 August 2007 |
| Paul Henderson | Labor | 7 August 2007 – 28 August 2012 |
| Terry Mills | Country Liberal | 29 August 2012 – 13 March 2013 |
| Peter Styles | Country Liberal | 14 March 2013 – 27 August 2016 |
Senior Territorians
Young Territorians
Minister | Party | Term [6][7][8][9][10] | Ministerial title |
| Nick Dondas | 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 |
| Nick Dondas | 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 |
| Nick Dondas | 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 |
| Jim Robertson | Country Liberal | 13 December 1983 – 19 August 1985 | Minister for Youth, Sport, Recreation and Ethnic Affairs |
| Ray Hanrahan | Country Liberal | 20 August 1985 – 28 April 1986 |
| Don Dale | Country Liberal | 29 April 1986 – 18 March 1987 |
19 March 1987 – 3 September 1989: no minister – responsibilities held by other ministers |
| Roger Vale | 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 |
| Shane Stone | Country Liberal | 15 September 1997 – 8 February 1999 | Minister for Young Territorians |
| Denis Burke | Country Liberal | 9 February 1999 – 26 August 2001 |
| Clare Martin | Labor | 27 August 2001 – 10 July 2005 |
| Marion Scrymgour | Labor | 11 July 2005 – 29 November 2007 |
| Matthew Bonson | Labor | 30 November 2007 – 17 August 2008 |
| Malarndirri McCarthy | Labor | 18 August 2008 – 5 August 2009 |
| Gerry McCarthy | Labor | 6 August 2009 – 3 December 2009 |
| Rob Knight | Labor | 4 December 2009 – 28 August 2012 |
| Terry Mills | Country Liberal | 29 August 2012 – 6 March 2013 |
| Lia Finocchiaro | Country Liberal | 7 March 2013 – 13 March 2013 |
| Peter Styles | Country Liberal | 14 March 2013 – 14 February 2016 |
| Nathan Barrett | Country Liberal | 15 February 2016 – 18 July 2016 |
| Gary Higgins | Country Liberal | 19 July 2016 – 7 August 2016 |
References