Deputy Premier of New South Wales
| Deputy Premier of New South Wales | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Style | The Honourable |
| Nominator | Premier of New South Wales |
| Appointer | Governor of New South Wales |
| Inaugural holder | Sir Michael Bruxner |
| Formation | 16 May 1932 |
The Deputy Premier of New South Wales is the second-most senior officer in the Government of New South Wales. The Deputy Premiership has been a ministerial portfolio since 1932, and the Deputy Premier is appointed by the Governor on the advice of the Premier.
The current Deputy Premier is the National Party's John Barilaro, who was sworn in on 15 November 2016.
History
The office of Deputy Premier was created in May 1932 for Michael Bruxner, the leader of the Country Party (later renamed the National Party). Prior to that time the term was sometimes used unofficially (without capital letters) for the second-highest ranking minister in the government.
In Labor governments, the Deputy Premier is the party's deputy leader. Generally speaking, this person has come from the left faction of the party whereas the Premier has come from the right faction. In Liberal-National Coalition governments, the position has been held by the Leader of the National Party or its predecessors.
Three Deputy Premiers have subsequently become Premier in their own right: Joseph Cahill, Robert Heffron, and Jack Renshaw. However, this has not occurred since 1964.
Duties
The duties of the Deputy Premier are to act on behalf of the Premier in his or her absence overseas or on leave. The Deputy Premier has always been a member of the Cabinet, and has always held at least one substantive portfolio (It would be technically possible for a minister to hold only the portfolio of Deputy Premier, but this has never happened).
If the Premier were to die, become incapacitated or resign, the Governor would normally appoint the Deputy Premier as Premier. If the governing or majority party had not yet elected a new leader, that appointment would be on an interim basis. Should a different leader emerge, that person would then be appointed Premier.
List of Deputy Premiers of New South Wales
| # | Name | Portrait | Took Office | Left Office | Party |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sir Michael Bruxner |  | 16 May 1932 | 16 May 1941 | Country |
| 2 | Jack Baddeley |  | 16 May 1941 | 8 September 1949 | Labor |
| 3 | Joseph Cahill | 21 September 1949 | 2 April 1952 | Labor | |
| 4 | Robert Heffron | 23 February 1953 | 28 October 1959 | Labor | |
| 5 | Jack Renshaw |  | 28 October 1959 | 14 March 1964 | Labor |
| 6 | Pat Hills |  | 30 April 1964 | 13 May 1965 | Labor |
| 7 | Sir Charles Cutler | 13 May 1965 | 16 December 1975 | Country | |
| 8 | Leon Punch | 17 December 1975 | 14 May 1976 | Country | |
| 9 | Jack Ferguson | 14 May 1976 | 10 February 1984 | Labor | |
| 10 | Ron Mulock | 10 February 1984 | 25 March 1988 | Labor | |
| 11 | Wal Murray | 25 March 1988 | 26 May 1993 | National | |
| 12 | Ian Armstrong | 26 May 1993 | 4 April 1995 | National | |
| 13 | Andrew Refshauge | 4 April 1995 | 3 August 2005 | Labor | |
| 14 | John Watkins | 10 August 2005 | 3 September 2008 | Labor | |
| 15 | Carmel Tebbutt | 5 September 2008 | 26 March 2011 | Labor | |
| 16 | Andrew Stoner |  | 28 March 2011 | 16 October 2014 | National |
| 17 | Troy Grant |  | 16 October 2014 | 15 November 2016 | National |
| 18 | John Barilaro | 15 November 2016 | present | National |
Living former Deputy Premiers
There are five living former Deputy Premiers. The most recent death of a Deputy Premier was that of Ron Mulock (1984–1988), who died on 5 September 2014.
| Name | Term of office | Date of birth |
|---|---|---|
| Ian Armstrong | 1993–1995 | 17 July 1937 |
| Andrew Refshauge | 1995–2005 | 16 January 1949 |
| John Watkins | 2005–2008 | 7 December 1955 |
| Carmel Tebbutt | 2008–2011 | 22 January 1964 |
| Andrew Stoner | 2011–2014 | 14 January 1960 |
| Troy Grant | 2014–2016 | 11 February 1970 |