Gary Humphries

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Gary Humphries

Gary John Joseph Humphries (b. July 6, 1958) is a member of the Australian Senate from the Australian Capital Territory. He represents the Liberal Party of Australia.

Humphries was born in Sydney and went to the Australian National University in Canberra where he was elected President of the ANU Students' Association. He worked as a solicitor and political adviser before his election to the ACT Legislative Assembly in 1989. He served in the ministry of Trevor Kaine and in the Kaine and Carnell shadow minstries. When Kate Carnell became the Chief Minister in 1995, Humphries became a leading member of her team. In 1997 he became Deputy Chief Minister and in 1999 Treasurer (finance minister). In 2000 he succeeded Carnell as Chief Minister. At the 2001 ACT election Humphries was defeated by the Australian Labor Party under Jon Stanhope.

In December 2002, Humphries was elected by the party memebership to fill a vacancy in the Senate caused by the resignation of Margaret Reid. He is not expected to have serious problems with re-election in the immediate future. In 2004 there was speculation the Liberals would reject his preselection for the Senate spot, but he won the ballot unopposed.^{[citation needed]}

Gary Humphries was the first Liberal senator to vote against the Howard Government in its 10 years in office, when he voted to reverse the Federal Government's ban on the ACT's civil unions law in the Senate.^[1]

Gary Humphries has two sons, Felix and Owain.

[edit] References

^ Senators fail to overturn gay union ban, News.com.au June 15, 2006

Preceded by Craig Duby	Opposition Leader of the Australian Capital Territory 1991	Succeeded by Trevor Kaine
Preceded by Kate Carnell	Chief Minister of the Australian Capital Territory 2000–2001	Succeeded by Jon Stanhope
Preceded by Jon Stanhope	Opposition Leader of the Australian Capital Territory 2001–2002	Succeeded by Brendan Smyth