Leader of the Government in the Legislative Council (New South Wales)

The Leader of the Government in the Legislative Council, known before 1 July 1966 as Representative of the Government in the Legislative Council, is an office held in New South Wales by the most senior minister in the New South Wales Legislative Council, elected to lead the governing party (or parties) in the council. Though the leader in the Council does not have the power of the office of Premier, there are some parallels between the latter's status in the Legislative Assembly and the former's in the Council. This means that the leader has responsibility for all policy areas, acts as the government's principal spokesperson in the upper house and has priority in gaining recognition from the President of the Council to speak in debate.

Leader of the Government in the Legislative Council
Incumbent
Don Harwin
since 3 July 2020
StyleThe Honourable
AppointerGovernor of New South Wales
Inaugural holderWilliam Mayne
(as the Representative of the Government in the Legislative Council)
Formation6 June 1856
Deputyvacant

Traditionally, but not always, the office has been held with the sinecure office of Vice-President of the Executive Council. The current leader is Don Harwin, since 3 July 2020. The leader is assisted by a Deputy Leader of the Government in the Legislative Council, currently vacant.

List of leaders

Leaders
Representatives of the Government 1856–1966[1]
Leader Party affiliation Term start Term end Time in office
William Mayne No party 6 June 1856 25 August 1856
Alfred Lutwyche 26 August 1856 2 October 1856
Edward Deas Thomson 3 October 1856 7 September 1857
John Dickson 7 September 1857 26 October 1859
Geoffrey Eagar 27 October 1859 8 March 1860
John Hargrave 9 March 1860 15 October 1863
John Plunkett 16 October 1863 2 February 1865
John Hargrave 3 February 1865 21 January 1866
Joseph Docker 22 January 1866 26 October 1868
Robert Owen 27 October 1868 1 August 1870
Joseph Docker 16 December 1870 13 May 1872
Saul Samuel 14 May 1872 8 February 1875
Joseph Docker 9 February 1875 21 March 1877
George Lloyd 22 March 1877 16 August 1877
Joseph Docker 17 August 1877 17 December 1877
John Marks 18 December 1877 20 December 1878
Sir John Robertson 21 December 1878 10 November 1881
Frederick Darley 14 November 1881 4 January 1883
William Bede Dalley 5 January 1883 6 October 1885
James Farnell 7 October 1885 9 October 1885
George Thornton 13 November 1885 21 December 1885
George Bowen Simpson 22 December 1885 25 February 1886
Charles Mackellar 26 February 1886 19 January 1887
Julian Salomons Free Trade 20 January 1887 16 January 1889
Edmund Barton Protectionist 17 January 1889 7 March 1889
William Suttor, Jr. Free Trade 8 March 1889 22 October 1891
Sir Julian Salomons Protectionist 23 October 1891 26 January 1893
Normand MacLaurin 5 April 1893 2 August 1894
William Suttor, Jr. Free Trade 3 August 1894 15 March 1895
Andrew Garran 19 March 1895 18 November 1898
John Hughes 22 November 1898 13 September 1899
James Mackay Protectionist 14 September 1899 24 April 1900
Francis Suttor 12 June 1900 9 April 1901 2 years, 345 days
Progressive 28 March 1901 23 May 1903
James Mackay 6 June 1903 29 August 1904
John Hughes Liberal Reform 29 August 1904 20 October 1910
Fred Flowers Labor 21 October 1910 27 April 1915
John Daniel FitzGerald 27 April 1915 15 November 1916 4 years, 351 days
Nationalist 15 November 1916 12 April 1920
Edward Kavanagh Labor 12 April 1920 20 December 1921
Sir Joseph Carruthers Nationalist 20 December 1921 20 December 1921
Edward Kavanagh Labor 20 December 1921 13 April 1922
Sir Joseph Carruthers Nationalist 13 April 1922 17 June 1925
Albert Willis Labor 17 June 1925 18 October 1927
Francis Boyce Nationalist 18 October 1927 3 November 1930
Albert Willis Labor 4 November 1930 2 April 1931
James Concannon 3 April 1931 15 October 1931 1 year, 40 days
Labor (NSW) 15 October 1931 13 May 1932
James Ryan United Australia 16 May 1932 17 June 1932
Henry Manning 18 June 1932 16 May 1941
Reg Downing Labor 16 May 1941 13 May 1965
Arthur Bridges Liberal 13 May 1965 30 June 1966 1 year, 48 days
Leaders of the Government 1966–present[1]
Arthur Bridges Liberal 1 July 1966 22 May 1968 1 year, 326 days
Sir John Fuller Country 10 July 1968 14 May 1976 7 years, 309 days
Paul Landa Labor 14 May 1976 5 April 1984 7 years, 327 days
Barrie Unsworth 5 April 1984 4 July 1986 2 years, 90 days
Jack Hallam 4 July 1986 25 March 1988 1 year, 265 days
Ted Pickering Liberal 25 March 1988 22 October 1992 4 years, 214 days
John Hannaford 22 October 1992 4 April 1995 2 years, 161 days
Michael Egan Labor 4 April 1995 21 January 2005 9 years, 292 days
John Della Bosca 3 August 2005 13 June 2008 3 years, 144 days
Michael Costa (acting) 17 June 2008 8 September 2008 83 days
John Della Bosca 8 September 2008 1 September 2009 358 days
Tony Kelly (acting) 1 September 2009 22 September 2009 21 days
John Hatzistergos 22 September 2009 28 March 2011 1 year, 187 days
Michael Gallacher Liberal 3 April 2011 2 May 2014 3 years, 29 days
Duncan Gay Nationals 6 May 2014 30 January 2017 2 years, 269 days
Don Harwin Liberal 30 January 2017 15 April 2020 3 years, 76 days
Damien Tudehope 15 April 2020 3 July 2020 79 days
Don Harwin 3 July 2020 incumbent 36 days

Deputy Leaders
Deputy Leader Party affiliation Term start Term end Time in office
John Fuller Country 1 July 1966 10 July 1968 9 days
Frederick Hewitt Liberal 3 September 1968 14 May 1976 7 years, 254 days
Edna Roper Labor 14 May 1976 17 October 1978 2 years, 156 days
Jack Hallam 18 October 1978 4 July 1986 7 years, 260 days
Deirdre Grusovin 4 July 1986 25 March 1988 1 year, 265 days
Bob Rowland Smith National 25 March 1988 11 June 1991 3 years, 78 days
Robert Webster 12 June 1991 4 April 1995 3 years, 296 days
Ron Dyer Labor 4 April 1995 28 February 2003 7 years, 330 days
John Della Bosca 28 February 2003 3 August 2005 2 years, 156 days
Michael Costa 1 February 2005 5 September 2008 3 years, 33 days
Tony Kelly 7 September 2008 28 March 2011 2 years, 202 days
Duncan Gay Nationals 3 May 2011 6 May 2014 3 years, 3 days
John Ajaka Liberal 6 May 2014 30 January 2017 2 years, 269 days
Niall Blair Nationals 30 January 2017 2 April 2019 2 years, 62 days

References
  1. "Leaders of the Government in the NSW Legislative Council". Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 21 September 2015.
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