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Chief Minister of Northern Territory
Ministry
Territorial
Incumbent: Paul Henderson
Style:	The Honourable
Appointed by:	Tom Pauling as Administrator of the Northern Territory
First:	Goff Letts
Formation:	1974

In Australia, a Chief Minister is the head of government of a self-governing territory, while the head of government of a state is a Premier.

The Chief Minister of the Northern Territory is appointed by the Administrator, who in normal circumstances will appoint the head of whatever party holds the majority of seats in the legislature of the territory (in the Northern Territory, the Legislative Assembly). However, in times of constitutional crisis the Administrator can appoint someone else as Chief Minister.

The incumbent Chief Minister of the Northern Territory is Paul Henderson, representing the Australian Labor Party since 2007.

[edit] Chief Ministers of the Northern Territory

	Chief Minister	Party	Period in office
	Dr Goff Letts 1	Country Liberal Party	1974 - 1977
	Paul Everingham	Country Liberal Party	1977 - 1984
	Ian Tuxworth	Country Liberal Party	1984 - 1986
	Stephen Hatton	Country Liberal Party	1986 - 1988
	Marshall Perron	Country Liberal Party	1988 - 1995
	Shane Stone	Country Liberal Party	1995 - 1999
	Denis Burke	Country Liberal Party	1999 - 2001
	Clare Martin	Australian Labor Party	2001 - 2007
	Paul Henderson	Australian Labor Party	2007 - present

¹ While the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly was created in 1974, self-government was not granted until 1978. As a result, members of the executive in the first parliament (1974-1977) and the first eighteen months of the second were known by alternative titles. While Dr Goff Letts and his successor Paul Everingham were officially known as Majority Leaders, their function was effectively the same as that of a Chief Minister from 1978.

[edit] See also

• List of Chief Ministers of the Northern Territory by time in office

v • d • e Current Premiers and Chief Ministers of the States and internal territories of Australia ACT NSW NT QLD SA TAS VIC WA Jon Stanhope Kristina Keneally Paul Henderson Anna Bligh Mike Rann David Bartlett John Brumby Colin Barnett

v • d • e Politics of the Northern Territory Administrator Tom Pauling • Former Administrators Chief Minister Paul Henderson • Former Chief Ministers Opposition Leader Terry Mills • Former Opposition Leaders Speaker of the Assembly Jane Aagaard • Former Speakers Legislature Current assembly • Former legislatures • Legislative Council Ministries Current ministry • Past ministries Political parties Australian Labor Party • Country Liberal Party • Northern Territory Greens • Northern Territory Nationals Elections 2005 election • 2008 election • Past elections • Past by-elections • Electoral divisions Current issues Northern Territory National Emergency Response Other Australian politics Federal • ACT • New South Wales • Queensland • South Australia • Tasmania • Victoria • Western Australia