Government of the Northern Territory beginning 13 March 2013 - period in office of Premier Giles, Adam Graham ending on 31 August 2016
Period in office of premier (see Glossary entry for 'period in office' and related terms)
Parliamentary support during period
Coalition partner 1
Minority
Defection by Party Members
Number of ministers at beginning of period (this may vary during the period)
Assembly elections contested as premier or after which became premier (see Glossary entry for 'after election')
| Election | Premier at election | Premier's party | Premier after election | Premier's party |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NT 27 August 2016 | Adam Graham Giles | Country Liberal Party | Michael Patrick Francis Gunner | Australian Labor Party |
Previous period in this series for NT | Next period in this series for NT
Notes
Change of party leader (Mills): Beginning of Giles period in office: While Premier Mills was on an overseas business trip for the Northern Territory, the Country Liberal Party parliamentary party removed him as leader of the party, and elected Giles in his place. Mills had 'lost the support of four Aboriginal Territory MPs, including factional power-broker and Indigenous Advancement Minister Alison Anderson' (Aikman and Wallace, see 'Sources', below); Giles became Premier of a Liberal Country Party majority government.
Change in parliamentary support: In the years after the replacement of Mills as Chief Minister, there were a series of defections from the Country Liberal Party caucus. Most members sat as Independents and were unwilling to vote against the government on a matter of confidence. On 20 July 2015, Kezia Purick, the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly, resigned from the Country Liberal Party, leaving the government with a minority support in the Assembly. Purick wished to continue as Speaker and Chief Minister Giles stated that he has sufficient support among Independent members to continue in government until the Assembly election due in August 2016; see, Helen Davidson, 'NT government loses majority after Speaker Kezia Purick quits CLP', The Guardian, 20 July 2015, online here [accessed 27 August 2016].
Loss of election: At the Legislative Assembly election held on 27 August 2016, the Giles Country Liberal Party minority government was heavily defeated, winning on two seats in the Legislative Assembly.
Sources
Amos Aikman and Rick Wallace, 'Territory coup delivers indigenous history', The Australian, 14 March 2013, online here [accessed 27 August 2016]