The form of the Government of New South Wales is prescribed in its Constitution, which dates from 1856, although it has been amended many times since then. Since 1901, New South Wales has been a state of the Commonwealth of Australia, and the Australian Constitution regulates its relationship with the Commonwealth.
Under the Australian Constitution, New South Wales ceded legislative and judicial supremacy to the Commonwealth, but retained powers in all matters not in conflict with the Commonwealth. Section 109 of the Australian Constitution provides that, where a State law is inconsistent with a federal law, the federal law prevails (to the extent of the inconsistency). The New South Wales Constitution says: "The Legislature shall, subject to the provisions of the Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act, have power to make laws for the peace, welfare, and good government of New South Wales in all cases whatsoever." Initially the Australian states retained significant independence. Over time, however, that independence has been greatly eroded by both the proliferation of Commonwealth Law, and the increasing financial domination of the Commonwealth.
New South Wales is governed according to the principles of the Westminster system, a form of parliamentary government based on the model of the United Kingdom. Legislative power rests with the Parliament of New South Wales, which consists of the Queen, represented by the Governor of New South Wales, and the two Houses, the New South Wales Legislative Council and the New South Wales Legislative Assembly.
Executive power rests formally with the Executive Council, which consists of the Governor and senior ministers. The Governor, as representative of the Queen, is the formal repository of power, which is exercised by him or her on the advice of the Premier of New South Wales and the Cabinet.
The Premier and Ministers are appointed by the Governor, and hold office by virtue of their ability to command the support of a majority of members of the Legislative Assembly.
Judicial power is exercised by the Supreme Court of New South Wales and a system of subordinate courts, but the High Court of Australia and other federal courts have overriding jurisdiction on matters which fall under the ambit of the Australian Constitution.
New South Wales celebrated the Sesquicentenary of Responsible Government in 2006.
Contents |
| Minister | Office | Portrait | Party | Opposition counterpart |
Office | Portrait | Party | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barry O'Farrell | Premier of New South Wales | Liberal | John Robertson | Leader of the Opposition | Labor | ||||
| Minister for Western Sydney | Labor | ||||||||
| Andrew Stoner | Deputy Premier of New South Wales | National | Linda Burney | Deputy Leader of the Opposition | Labor | ||||
| Minister for Trade and Investment | Mick Veitch | Shadow Minister for Trade and Investment | Labor | ||||||
| Minister for Regional Infrastructure and Services | Shadow Minister for Regional Infrastructure and Services | ||||||||
| Jillian Skinner | Minister for Health | Liberal | Andrew McDonald | Shadow Minister for Health | Labor | ||||
| Minister for Medical Research | Shadow Minister for Medical Research | ||||||||
| Adrian Piccoli | Minister for Education | National | Carmel Tebbutt | Shadow Minister for Education and Training | Labor | ||||
| Mike Gallacher | Minister for Police and Emergency Services | Liberal | Nathan Rees | Shadow Minister for Police and Emergency Services | Labor | ||||
| Minister for the Hunter | Linda Burney | Shadow Minister for the Hunter | Labor | ||||||
| Duncan Gay | Minister for Roads and Ports | National | Tony Kelly | Shadow Minister for Roads and Ports | Labor | ||||
| Brad Hazzard | Minister for Planning and Infrastructure | Liberal | Linda Burney | Shadow Minister for Planning Infrastructure and Heritage | Labor | ||||
| Minister Assisting the Premier on Infrastructure NSW | Labor | ||||||||
| Chris Hartcher | Minister for Resources and Energy | Liberal | Tony Kelly Luke Foley |
Shadow Minister for Resources and Primary Industries Shadow Minister for Energy |
Labor | ||||
| Special Minister of State | Luke Foley | Shadow Special Minister of State | Labor | ||||||
| Minister for the Central Coast | Linda Burney | Shadow Minister for the Central Coast | Labor | ||||||
| Gladys Berejiklian | Minister for Transport | Liberal | Penny Sharpe | Shadow Minister for Transport | Labor | ||||
| George Souris | Minister for Tourism Major Events Hospitality and Racing | National | Tony Kelly | Shadow Minister for Tourism Major Events Hospitality and Racing | Labor | ||||
| Minister for the Arts | Nathan Rees | Shadow Minister for the Arts | Labor | ||||||
| Mike Baird | Treasurer | Liberal | Michael Daley | Shadow Treasurer | Labor | ||||
| Greg Pearce | Minister for Finance and Services | Liberal | Shadow Minister for Finance and Services | ||||||
| Minister for the Illawarra | Labor | ||||||||
| Katrina Hodgkinson | Minister for Primary Industries | National | Tony Kelly | Shadow Minister for Resources and Primary Industries | Labor | ||||
| Minister for Small Business | Robert Furolo | Shadow Minister for Small Business | Labor | ||||||
| Andrew Constance | Minister for Ageing | Liberal | Barbara Perry | Shadow Minister for Ageing | Labor | ||||
| Minister for Disability Services | Shadow Minister for Disability Services | ||||||||
| Greg Smith | Attorney General | Liberal | Paul Lynch | Shadow Attorney General | Labor | ||||
| Minister for Justice | Shadow Minister for Justice | ||||||||
| Don Page | Minister for Local Government | National | Sophie Cotsis | Shadow Minister for Local Government | Labor | ||||
| Minister for the North Coast | Labor | ||||||||
| Pru Goward | Minister for Family and Community Services | Liberal | Barbara Perry | Shadow Minister for Family and Community Services | Labor | ||||
| Minister for Women | Sophie Cotsis | Shadow Minister for the Status of Women | Labor | ||||||
| Anthony Roberts | Minister for Fair Trading | Liberal | Cherie Burton | Shadow Minister for Fair Trading | Labor | ||||
| Kevin Humphries | Minister for Mental Health | National | Robert Furolo | Shadow Minister for Mental Health | Labor | ||||
| Minister for Healthy Lifestyles | Cherie Burton | Shadow Minister for Healthy Lifestyles | Labor | ||||||
| Minister for Western New South Wales | Labor | ||||||||
| Robyn Parker | Minister for the Environment | Liberal | Luke Foley | Shadow Minister for the Environment and Climate Change | Labor | ||||
| Minister for Heritage | Linda Burney | Shadow Minister for Planning Infrastructure and Heritage | Labor | ||||||
| Victor Dominello | Minister for Citizenship and Communities | Liberal | Sophie Cotsis | Shadow Minister for Citizenship and Communities | Labor | ||||
| Minister for Aboriginal Affairs | Barbara Perry | Shadow Minister for Aboriginal Affairs | Labor | ||||||
| Graham Annesley | Minister for Sports and Recreation | Liberal | Linda Burney | Shadow Minister for Sport and Recreation | Labor | ||||
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