Paul Henderson
8th Chief Minister of the Northern Territory
Incumbent
Assumed office  26 November 2007
Preceded by	Clare Martin
Constituency	Wanguri
Born	15 August 1962 (1962-08-15) (age 47) Croix-Chapeau, France
Nationality	Australian
Political party	Australian Labor Party
Spouse(s)	Stacey Henderson
Profession	Machinist

Paul Raymond Henderson (born 15 August 1962)^[1] is an Australian politician and the current Chief Minister of the Northern Territory.

Henderson was born in Croix-Chapeau, France, where his father was serving with the United States military. He was educated in the United Kingdom to A-Levels and studied mechanical engineering through the City and Guilds of London Institute. He worked as an apprentice marine fitter in Southhampton before emigrating to Australia in 1982, where he worked as an underground fitter at the zinc mines in Rosebery, Tasmania. He moved to Darwin in the Northern Territory in 1983, working as a marine fitter.^[2] In 1985 he began working for the Northern Territory government as a computer operator, was self-employed as a computer analyst in the UK from 1991 to 1992 and returned to work for the Northern Territory government in 1993.

Henderson was elected to the Northern Territory Legislative Assembly in an August 1999 by-election for the Australian Labor Party (ALP), representing the electorate of Wanguri when the previous member, John Bailey, resigned.^[3]

He held the following ministries: Minister for Employment, Education and Training; Minister for Tourism; Minister for Public Employment; and Minister for Multicultural Affairs, until he became Chief Minister of the Northern Territory after the sudden resignation of Clare Martin on 26 November 2007.^[4]

The Henderson-led ALP retained government at the 2008 territory election, with 13 of 25 seats, a one-seat majority.

In August 2009, Labor MLA Alison Anderson resigned from the ALP after a disagreement with Henderson's government over housing in remote indigenous areas. The opposition Country Liberal Party moved a motion of no-confidence against Henderson, which was defeated by one vote after Henderson reached an agreement with Independent MLA Gerry Wood to support his government.^[5]

[edit] See also

• Next Northern Territory general election

[edit] References

Political offices
Preceded by Clare Martin	Chief Minister of the Northern Territory 2007–present	Incumbent
Preceded by John Bailey	Member for Wanguri 1999–present	Incumbent

v • d • e Chief Ministers of the Northern Territory Everingham · Tuxworth · Hatton · Perron · Stone · Burke · Martin · Henderson

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