Gary Humphries

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Gary Humphries
4th Chief Minister of the Australian Capital Territory
In office 18 October 2000 – 5 November 2001
Preceded by	Kate Carnell
Succeeded by	Jon Stanhope
Born	6 July 1958 (1958-07-06) (age 49) Sydney, New South Wales
Nationality	Australian
Political party	Liberal Party
Spouse	Cathie Humphries
Profession	Australian Senator

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 in 1958 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 ministries. When Kate Carnell became the Chief Minister in 1995, Humphries became a 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 membership as nominee to fill a forthcoming casual vacancy in the Senate caused by the announced resignation of Margaret Reid. Reid formally resigned on 14 February 2003, and Humphries was elected by the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly on 18 February to fill the casual vacancy.

In 2004 there was speculation the Liberals would reject his preselection for the Senate spot, but he won the ballot unopposed 97 votes to 43 votes (43 people voted for 'none of the above').^[1][2] Unopposed in the pre-selection ballot held on 26 June 2007, he was chosen to contest the election later that year.

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, however there is controversy over the reason why he did this.^[3] In the Senate, Humphries has served on several Australian Senate committees, including the Select Committee on Mental Health (2005-2006). In September 2006 Humphries became Chairman of the Standing Committee on Community Affairs.^[4]

Humphries' Senate seat was targeted in the 2007 election by online activist organisation GetUp, as part of their broader campaign to prevent any one political party from having a majority of the seats in the federal upper house.^[5][6] The profile of the campaign was bolstered by polling that suggested that for the first time a coalition Senator might struggle to retain their seat in the ACT.^[7] Normally, the two Senate seats in each Australian territory are considered safely in the hands of the two major parties owing to the very high quota of votes required to win a territory seat under the Australian electoral system.

Despite the GetUp campaign Humphries easily won his senate seat - retaining Coalition control in the Senate until July 2008.

Gary Humphries has a wife, Cathie, and two sons, Felix and Owain.

[edit] References

1. ^ Scott Hannaford, 'Humphries may face rebel Liberals', Canberra Times, 21 Apr 2004.
2. ^ Andrew Fraser, 'Humphries to recontest poll', Canberra Times, 24 Apr 2007.
3. ^ Senators fail to overturn gay union ban, News.com.au June 15, 2006
4. ^ Australian Senate, Biography of Senator Gary Humphries
5. ^ GetUp!, home page, retrieved October 2007
6. ^ Kerry-Anne Walsh, 'Trio gang up to beat Senate majority', Sun Herald, 28 October 2007
7. ^ Emma Macdonald, 'Battle to break Senate control begins in ACT', Canberra Times, 15 October 2007

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

Chief Ministers of the Australian Capital Territory
Follett | Kaine | Carnell | Humphries | Stanhope

v • d • e Current members of the Australian Senate NSW George Campbell (ALP) • Helen Coonan (Lib) • John Faulkner (ALP) • Concetta Fierravanti-Wells (Lib) • Michael Forshaw (ALP) • Bill Heffernan (Lib) • Steve Hutchins (ALP) • Sandy Macdonald (Nat) • Fiona Nash (Nat) • Kerry Nettle (Grn) • Marise Payne (Lib) • Ursula Stephens (ALP) QLD Andrew Bartlett (Dem) • Ron Boswell (Nat) • Sue Boyce (Lib) • George Brandis (Lib) • John Hogg (ALP) • Barnaby Joyce (Nat) • Joe Ludwig (ALP) • Ian Macdonald (Lib) • Jan McLucas (ALP) • Brett Mason (Lib) • Claire Moore (ALP) • Russell Trood (Lib) SA Cory Bernardi (Lib) • Simon Birmingham (Lib) • Grant Chapman (Lib) • Alan Ferguson (Lib) • Mary Jo Fisher (Lib) • Annette Hurley (ALP) • Linda Kirk (ALP) • Anne McEwen (ALP) • Nick Minchin (Lib) • Natasha Stott-Despoja (Dem) • Penny Wong (ALP) • Dana Wortley (ALP) Tas Eric Abetz (Lib) • Guy Barnett (Lib) • Bob Brown (Grn) • Carol Brown (ALP) • David Bushby (Lib) • Richard Colbeck (Lib) • Christine Milne (Grn) • Kerry O'Brien (ALP) • Stephen Parry (Lib) • Helen Polley (ALP) • Nick Sherry (ALP) • John Watson (Lib) Vic Lyn Allison (Dem) • Kim Carr (ALP) • Jacinta Collins (ALP) • Steve Conroy (ALP) • Steve Fielding (FFP) • Mitch Fifield (Lib) • Rod Kemp (Lib) • Julian McGauran (Lib) • Gavin Marshall (ALP) • Kay Patterson (Lib) • Michael Ronaldson (Lib) • Judith Troeth (Lib) WA Judith Adams (Lib) • Mark Bishop (ALP) • Mathias Cormann (Lib) • Alan Eggleston (Lib) • Chris Ellison (Lib) • Chris Evans (ALP) • David Johnston (Lib) • Ross Lightfoot (Lib) • Andrew Murray (Dem) • Rachel Siewert (Grn) • Glenn Sterle (ALP) • Ruth Webber (ALP) Territories ACT Gary Humphries (Lib) • Kate Lundy (ALP) NT Trish Crossin (ALP) • Nigel Scullion (CLP) Labor (ALP) • Democrat (Dem) • Family First (FFP) • Greens (Grn) • Liberal (Lib) • Country Liberal (CLP) • National (Nat)

v • d • e Next members of the Australian Senate NSW Mark Arbib (ALP) • Doug Cameron (ALP) • Helen Coonan (Lib) • John Faulkner (ALP) • Concetta Fierravanti-Wells (Lib) • Michael Forshaw (ALP) • Bill Heffernan (Lib) • Steve Hutchins (ALP) • Fiona Nash (Nat) • Marise Payne (Lib) • Ursula Stephens (ALP) • John Williams (Nat) QLD Ron Boswell (Nat) • Sue Boyce (Lib) • George Brandis (Lib) • Mark Furner (ALP) • John Hogg (ALP) • Barnaby Joyce (Nat) • Joe Ludwig (ALP) • Ian Macdonald (Lib) • Jan McLucas (ALP) • Brett Mason (Lib) • Claire Moore (ALP) • Russell Trood (Lib) SA Cory Bernardi (Lib) • Simon Birmingham (Lib) • Don Farrell (ALP) • Alan Ferguson (Lib) • Mary Jo Fisher (Lib) • Sarah Hanson-Young (Grn) • Annette Hurley (ALP) • Anne McEwen (ALP) • Nick Minchin (Lib) • Penny Wong (ALP) • Dana Wortley (ALP) • Nick Xenophon (Ind) Tas Eric Abetz (Lib) • Guy Barnett (Lib) • Catryna Bilyk (ALP) • Bob Brown (Grn) • Carol Brown (ALP) • David Bushby (Lib) • Richard Colbeck (Lib) • Christine Milne (Grn) • Kerry O'Brien (ALP) • Stephen Parry (Lib) • Helen Polley (ALP) • Nick Sherry (ALP) Vic Kim Carr (ALP) • Jacinta Collins (ALP) • Stephen Conroy (ALP) • David Feeney (ALP) • Steve Fielding (FFP) • Mitch Fifield (Lib) • Helen Kroger (Lib) • Gavin Marshall (ALP) • Julian McGauran (Lib) • Michael Ronaldson (Lib) • Scott Ryan (Lib) • Judith Troeth (Lib) WA Judith Adams (Lib) • Mark Bishop (ALP) • Michaelia Cash (Lib) • Mathias Cormann (Lib) • Alan Eggleston (Lib) • Chris Ellison (Lib) • Chris Evans (ALP) • David Johnston (Lib) • Scott Ludlam (Grn) • Louise Pratt (ALP) • Rachel Siewert (Grn) • Glenn Sterle (ALP) Territories ACT Gary Humphries (Lib) • Kate Lundy (ALP) NT Trish Crossin (ALP) • Nigel Scullion (CLP) Labor (ALP) • Family First (FFP) • Greens (Grn) • Liberal (Lib) • Country Liberal (CLP) • National (Nat)