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Chris Minns | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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 Official portrait, 2023 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| 47thPremier of New South Wales | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Assumed office 28 March 2023 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Monarch | Charles III | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Governor | Margaret Beazley | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Deputy | Prue Car | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Dominic Perrottet | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Leader of the Opposition in New South Wales | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| In office 4 June 2021 – 28 March 2023 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Premier | Gladys Berejiklian Dominic Perrottet | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Deputy | Prue Car | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Jodi McKay | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Succeeded by | Mark Speakman | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Leader of the New South Wales Labor Party | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Assumed office 4 June 2021 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Deputy | Prue Car | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Jodi McKay | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Member of the New South Wales Parliament forKogarah | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Assumed office 28 March 2015 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Preceded by | Cherie Burton | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Personal details | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Born | Christopher John Minns (1979-09-17)17 September 1979 (age 46) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Party | Labor | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spouse | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Children | 3 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Residences |
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| Education | Marist College Kogarah[1] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Alma mater | University of New England Princeton University | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Website | Government website Personal website Party website | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Christopher John Minns (born 17 September 1979) is an Australian politician who has served as the 47thpremier of New South Wales since 2023 and the leader of theNew South Wales Labor Party since 2021. He has been themember of parliament (MP) forKogarah since 2015.
Prior to state politics, Minns served as thedeputy mayor of Hurstville from 2007 to 2008. He was first elected to theLegislative Assembly at the2015 election, and waselected unopposed as leader of the Labor Party in the leadership election of June 2021, following the resignation ofJodi McKay. He led the party to victory at the2023 election.
Minns's actions have been viewed as moving the traditionally social democratic New South Wales Labor Party towards conservatism,[4][5][6][7][8] resulting in the party'sbig-tentification by expanding its supporter base to historically non-Labor voters.[9] Civil society organisations, such as theHuman Rights Law Centre,Amnesty International Australia, Australian Democracy Network andNSW Council for Civil Liberties, have raised allegations ofdemocratic backsliding from some of his government's actions.[10][11][12][13][14][15]
Christopher John Minns was born on 17 September 1979 inSt George, Sydney, the second of three children born to John Gerard Minns (1952–2024) and Cara Minns.[16][17] He was raised inPenshurst,[18] and attendedMarist College Kogarah,[19] an independent Catholic secondary school inBexley, a suburb of St George.
Minns attended theUniversity of New England inArmidale, where he graduated with aBachelor of Arts. In 2012, he enrolled atPrinceton University inNew Jersey, U.S., where he graduated with aMaster of Public Policy in 2013.[20][21]
Minns is married and has three sons with his wife Anna. Upon his return from Princeton, while his wife pursued her own business opportunities Minns became the carer of his sons before nominating for parliament.[22]
Minns has previously worked in the charity sector for a youth mental health charity, as a firefighter, as an advisor in the NSW government and as the assistant secretary of the NSW Labor Party.[citation needed]
He joined the Australian Labor Party in 1998 when he was 18 years old[18] and was elected as the member for Kogarah in 2015.[citation needed]
Minns is a supporter ofNRL club theCanterbury-Bankstown Bulldogs.[23]
Minns' father, John, died on 1 May 2024 after suffering a heart attack. In Minns's inaugural speech, he spoke about his love for his father, and thanked him for bringing Minns into the "Labor tribe".[24]
Minns was first elected to office in 2004 as a Penshurst Ward councillor of theHurstville City Council, and was elected for a term as deputy mayor in 2007–2008; he left council at the 2008 election after serving a single term. He also worked on the staff ofCarl Scully andJohn Robertson.[25]
In March 2016 a reshuffle of theshadow ministry following the resignation ofLinda Burney resulted in Minns being appointed Shadow Minister for Water, replacingMick Veitch.
FollowingLuke Foley's resignation as NSW Labor leader and leader of the NSW opposition, Minns nominated for the roles. On 10 November 2018 Minns lost theleadership spill toMichael Daley, 33 votes to 12.[26] After the2019 state election Minns lost theleadership election toJodi McKay on a combined caucus and party membership vote of 60.5% to 39.5%.[27] He was appointed to the portfolios of transport and corrections in theshadow cabinet.[28]
Following Labor's defeat at theUpper Hunter by-election in May 2021 and a possible leadership challenge to McKay, a file titledWhy Chris Minns and Jamie Clements can never run the NSW Labor Party was circulated from the office of deputy Labor leaderYasmin Catley. Minns was disappointed with the lack of explanation or communication from McKay and Catley over the file circulation, and resigned from shadow cabinet on 26 May.[29] He was the second MP to resign from shadow cabinet in two days after shadow treasurerWalt Secord, a close supporter of Minns.[30] On 31 May 2021, after McKay resigned as party leader, Minns announced he would run for party leadership.[31] IfMichael Daley and Minns had contested for party leadership, it would have been Minns's thirdleadership contest and his second one versus Daley. Minns’s leadership bid was publicly supported by more than a dozen senior Labor MPs including Penny Sharpe, Ryan Park, Jihad Dib, and Prue Car.[32] On 4 June 2021, Daley pulled out of the leadership contest, allowing Minns to be elected to the position of leader unopposed.[33]
In the 2023 NSW election campaign, Minns made election promises to invest further into public services.[34] He had been criticised for being reluctant to promise reform onmoney laundering in gambling,[35] however on 16 January Minns released a plan to reform gambling, which would ban donations from clubs (gambling organisations) to political parties and promises a cashless gaming card trial, which would last for 12 months and cover 500 of the approximately 86,480 (0.58%)pokies machines (slots).[36][37]
Minns led the Labor Party to victory at the2023 New South Wales state election on 25 March, defeating the incumbentLiberal–National Coalition, returning Labor to power at the state level for the first time since 2011.[38] Despite winning the election, Labor did not win enough seats to govern inmajority, but were able to form government with the support of threeindependentsAlex Greenwich,Greg Piper andJoe McGirr.[39]
In 2024, Minns supported thefederal Labor government'sage verification system that would bar users under the age of 16 from using certain forms of social media.[40]
Between May and July 2025, Minns's government amended tenancy legislation, first increasing protections for renters then partially rolling the changes back. In May, amendments to theResidential Tenancies Act 2010 came into force. Described by the government as "ending no grounds evictions", the most publicised of the changes was a provision requiring landlords to provide a compliant reason for evictions, along with a piece of supporting evidence.[41] The Tenants' Union of NSW described the changes as "a significant improvement for NSW renters".[42] Other changes included restricting the authority of landlords to restrict pets, prohibiting rent increases within one year of the previous increase, and prohibiting fees for background checks.[41][non-primary source needed]
After five weeks, the evidence requirement was abolished by an amendment to the Residential Tenancies Regulation 2019, rendering it sufficient for landlords to merely submit a written statement. According to the Tenants' Union, the government "quietly removed key safeguards".[43] Dr Chris Martin of the UNSW City Futures Research Centre characterised this as the introduction of a "renovictions" loophole.[44]
In 2024, the government announced a 3% per annum pay rise for teachers in public schools over three years. The Minister for Industrial Relations said that it "reaffirms the Minns Labor Government’s new industrial relations framework is working".[45]
The culling ofbrumbies (wild, introduced horses) inKosciuszko National Park was implemented to reduce their numbers and protect native flora and fauna.[46] A bill passed parliament on 27 November 2025 to repeal theKosciuszko Wild Horse Heritage Act 2018.[47]
Minns's government passed a law in early 2025 which restricted protests near places of worship.[48] TheNSW Council for Civil Liberties and legal scholars criticised this action as authoritarian and undermining freedom of assembly.[49][50] Opposition legislators, such asSue Higginson of theGreens, raised concerns overdemocratic backsliding.[51][52] On 19 June 2025, a legal challenge was brought before theSupreme Court of New South Wales against the legislation.[53][54][55] The judge overseeing the case, Justice Anna MitchelmoreSC, ruled on 16 October that the law was unconstitutional, due to its impermissible burden on the Australian Constitution'simplied freedom of political communication.[56][57]
Concerns from opposition legislators about the circumstances surrounding the passage of the places of worship law (and other legislation from the same time-frame), have led to the establishment of a parliamentary inquiry.[58][59]
In August 2025, Minns's government announced that they will completeWoollahra station in an attempt to devise a solution to the housing crisis.[60]
In September 2025, Minns's government signalled its intention to significantly amend theEnvironmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979, with the legislation now including the government's existingHousing Delivery Authority and a new Development Coordination Authority.[61]
In October 2025, Minns announced that the government would take back control ofNorthern Beaches Hospital fromHealthscope, its private operator, at a cost of $190 million. Controversy had arisen surrounding the hospital following the death of a two-year-old child at the hospital. Legislation has banned futurepublic-private partnerships in the hospital system.[62]
Following the2025 Bondi Beach shooting on 15 December 2025, Minns announced that the New South Wales Parliament would reconvene on 22 December to introduce new firearms laws and a ban on protests following a "terror designation."[63] On 24 December, the NSW Parliament passed an omnibus bill, which tightened access to firearms and restricted mass protests following terrorism incidents.[64] The bill passed despite some controversies, with theShooters, Fishers and Farmers Party andthe Nationals opposing the gun-law reforms. Meanwhile,the Greens and some Labor members voiced concerns about allegedauthoritarianism in the restrictions onfreedom of assembly.[65][66]
Minns is a member ofLabor Right,[67] and was assistant secretary of the NSW Labor Party. He has been described as acentrist.[68]
In 2003, while adviser to NSW Minister for Roads and Housing Carl Scully, Chris Minns attended the Australia Israel Jewish Affairs Council (AIJAC) inaugural Rambam trip to Israel. Attending alongside Minns were former Prime MinisterScott Morrison,Bill Shorten and the Federal Opposition leader Simon Crean's foreign policy adviser Carl Ungerer.[69]
In his inaugural speech in the Legislative Assembly, Minns criticised the state government's sale of NSW's electricity assets and called for mandatoryMandarin Chinese lessons in New South Wales schools.[70]
In 2019, Minns argued in favour for thelegalisation of cannabis during a party meeting but has since walked back this position since becoming premier.[71]
Minns opposed legislation that would enablevoluntary euthanasia.[72]
Additionally, Minns called for a reduction in union influence in the Labor Party in favour of "increasing representation of ordinary members of our party who have more diverse voices", stating that while trade unions were integral to the success and heritage of the Labor Party, the party also needs to represent those who are not in a trade union, and that will mean taking steps to reduce union control on Labor's conference floor.[73]
Bob Nanva, national secretary of theRail, Tram and Bus Union, while acknowledging that Minns had been "an extraordinarily effective Assistant General Secretary of the ALP", rebuked him for being "seriously mistaken" on his views about unions.[74] Additionally, bothMark Buttigieg and NSW Labor Party secretary Jamie Clements disagreed with Minns's contention regarding unions.[75] By 2019, Minns reportedly no longer held those views, according to HSU NSW state secretary Gerard Hayes.[76]
Media related toChris Minns at Wikimedia Commons| Civic offices | ||
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| Preceded by Sandy Grekas | Deputy Mayor of Hurstville 2007–2008 | Succeeded by Philip Sansom |
| New South Wales Legislative Assembly | ||
| Preceded by | Member forKogarah 2015–present | Incumbent |
| Political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Leader of the Opposition of New South Wales 2021–2023 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Premier of New South Wales 2023–present | Incumbent |
| Party political offices | ||
| Preceded by | Leader of the Australian Labor Party (NSW Branch) 2021–present | Incumbent |
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