Andrew Barr

Andrew James Barr (born 29 April 1973) is an Australian politician who has been serving as the 7th Chief Minister of the Australian Capital Territory since 2014.

During the 1990s Barr became a leading influence within the right faction of ACT Labor (Centre Coalition) and was involved in the successful election of the first non-left faction ACT party secretary, Michael Kerrisk.

After graduating in 1995, Barr worked for the Federal parliamentarian Annette Ellis and later the then ACT Opposition Leader Jon Stanhope, before embarking on a career change to the private sector in 1999 as a media analyst and account manager.

Barr returned to political life in 2002 as a senior adviser to John Hargreaves, the Government Whip.

Following Hargreaves' election to the ministry in November 2004, Barr was appointed his chief of staffa position he held until his election to the Assembly in April 2006.

In early 2004, Barr won pre-selection for the Labor ticket in the seven-member Molonglo electorate, which included Barr's suburb of Dickson and that of his previous residence in Braddon.

He campaigned largely on financial management, housing affordability and urban infrastructure issues, such as balanced territory budgets, tax concessions for first home buyers, inner city parking permits and footpath and street lighting upgrades, while also expressing support for gay law reform, the reproductive rights of women, multiculturalism and refugees.

Barr polled strongly in inner city booths and ultimately found himself in contention for the seventh and final Molonglo seat, along with Liberals Jacqui Burke, Zed Seselja and fellow Labor candidate Mike Hettinger, but narrowly missed out, coming in tenth.

He has been a Labor Party member in the ACT Legislative Assembly since 2006, after being elected on a countback to replace former Treasurer Ted Quinlan, who resigned mid-term.

Barr was immediately promoted to Cabinet upon his election.

In 2006, Barr said, "When I came out in the late '90s I had already been in the party for some eight years, so people were already used to me.... But it was at this time though that I decided to step back from front-line politics. It was a big change in my life and it was at this time that I met my partner Anthony, so I just needed time to adjust."

Barr continued working for Hargreaves after the election, but received a second chance at entering the Assembly when the Treasurer, Ted Quinlan, resigned in March 2006.

The resulting countback saw the redistribution of Quinlan's primary vote and Barr's election to the ACT Legislative Assembly.

Quinlan's resignation from the Assembly sparked a ministerial reshuffle, with Barr immediately entering the ministry upon taking his seat.

He was assigned the Education, Training, Industrial Relations, Sport and Tourism portfolios.

Barr dedicated most of his maiden speech to economic management, housing affordability and progressive social reform

Barr was re-elected to the seat of Molonglo for the 2008 and 2012 ACT elections.

Following the resignation of Jon Stanhope in May 2011, Barr was appointed Deputy Chief Minister in the cabinet of new Chief Minister Katy Gallagher.

In 2012, following a review by former Treasurer Ted Quinlan, Barr announced a 20-year program to transform the ACT taxation system, with the intention of making the system fairer, simpler and more efficient.

This program includes the abolition of stamp duty on property transfers and insurance premiums, with the foregone revenue replaced through the general rates system—an approach supported by most economists.

New South Wales and Victoria have expressed support for similar reforms.

As Treasurer and Chief Minister, Barr has focused on the ACT's economic development, particularly encouraging private sector investment in higher education, trade, tourism, major events, arts and sport.

Consequently, the ACT economy and employment has diversified away from its traditional public sector base.

On 11 December 2014 he was elected as Chief Minister after his predecessor, Katy Gallagher, resigned and announced her intention to run for the Senate.

In addition to being Chief Minister, he holds the portfolios of Treasurer; Climate Action; Trade, Investment and Economic Development; and Tourism.

Barr is the first openly LGBTI head of government in Australia (from 2014), and was the first openly LGBTI member as well as government cabinet minister in the ACT Legislative Assembly from 2006.

Barr was born in Lismore, New South Wales, and was raised in Canberra, attending Holt Pre-School, the AME School, Turner Primary School, Lyneham High School and Lake Ginninderra College.

He studied political science, economics and economic history at the Australian National University, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts (Policy Studies).

Barr became involved in student politics, serving as Treasurer of the Australian National University Students' Association and as a director on the board of the Australian National University Union.

Following Gallagher's resignation to run for the Senate, Barr was elected as Chief Minister on 11 December 2014.

Following a major redistribution, he was elected to the seat of Kurrajong at the 2016 election and re-elected in 2020.

As leader, Barr led ACT Labor to a fifth consecutive general election win in October 2016.

In 2016, the ACT Government secured international flights for Canberra, with Singapore Airlines operating a 'Capital Express' route linking Singapore, Canberra and Wellington, and Qatar Airways operating flights via Sydney.

In the same year, he established the Office of the Commissioner for International Engagement, with responsibility for building and cultivating international relationships for the economic, social and cultural benefit of the ACT.

Stage 1 of the Canberra light rail launched in April 2019, connecting Canberra's northern suburbs in Gungahlin with the city's centre via the Northbourne Avenue corridor.

In October 2019, Barr launched the ACT Government's Infrastructure Plan outlining key health, transport, education and environmental infrastructure priorities including a new hospital and stadium, Canberra Institute of Technology (CIT) campus upgrades and stage 2 of light rail.

Subject to Commonwealth approvals, construction of stage 2 to Woden will start in early 2021.

, Barr is the longest serving incumbent state or territory leader in Australia, and the last remaining state or territory leader since the commencement of the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia in March 2020.

In 2020, Barr announced a major expansion of UNSW Canberra, with the establishment of a new campus in Canberra's centre on the existing CIT site.

Barr's government has continued its predecessors' environment and climate change policies, including reducing carbon emissions and increasing the use of renewable energy.