Minister for Children and Families

The Northern Territory Minister for Territory Families is a Minister of the Crown in the Government of the Northern Territory. The minister administers their portfolio through Territory Families.

The Minister is responsible for child guardianship, child protection, children and families policy, children's services, family and parent support services, family responsibility agreements and orders, family violence services, men's and women's policy, multicultural affairs, pensioner and carer concessions, out of home care, the Seniors Card, seniors policy, youth affairs and services and youth detention.

The former minister is Dale Wakefield (Labor). She was sworn in on 12 September 2016 following the Labor victory at the 2016 election. The ministry and department were both created in a reorganisation by the incoming government, which was significant for having separated youth justice from adult correctional services for the first time following the Don Dale Youth Detention Centre scandal and subsequent Royal Commission into Juvenile Detention in the Northern Territory.

The enlarged Territory Families ministry replaced a number of separate ministries from the preceding Giles Ministry, including the ministers for children and families, women's policy, men's policy, multicultural affairs, Senior Territorians and Young Territorians. The Minister for Children in the Gunner Ministry is a new position concerned with "whole of government children's policy", while specific areas of child-related policy lie in Territory Families.

List of ministers Territory families

Minister Party Term Ministerial title  Dale Wakefield Labor 12 September 2016 – 7 September 2020 Minister for Territory Families  Kate Worden Labor 8 September 2020 – Present Minister for Territory Families and Urban Housing

Children and families / family and community services

Minister Party Term Ministerial title  Don Dale Country Liberal 19 March 1987 – 27 July 1989 Minister for Health and Community Services  Marshall Perron Country Liberal 31 July 1989 – 3 September 1989   Stephen Hatton Country Liberal 4 September 1989 – 12 November 1990   Daryl Manzie Country Liberal 13 November 1990 - 29 November 1992   Mike Reed Country Liberal 30 November 1992 – 30 June 1995 1 July 1995 – 14 September 1997: no minister – responsibilities held by other ministers  Denis Burke Country Liberal 15 September 1997 – 8 February 1999 Minister for Health, Family and Children's Services  Stephen Dunham Country Liberal 9 February 1999 – 26 August 2001  Jane Aagaard Labor 27 August 2001 – 12 November 2003   13 November 2001 – 14 December 2003 Minister for Health and Community Services  Marion Scrymgour Labor 15 December 2003 – 10 July 2005 Minister for Family and Community Services  Delia Lawrie Labor 11 July 2005 – 6 August 2007  Marion Scrymgour Labor 7 August 2007 – 30 June 2008  1 July 2008 – 17 August 2008 Minister for Children and Families  Malarndirri McCarthy Labor 18 August 2008 – 3 December 2009  Kon Vatskalis Labor 4 December 2009 – 28 August 2012  Robyn Lambley Country Liberal 4 September 2012 – 5 March 2013  Alison Anderson Country Liberal 6 March 2013 – 9 September 2013  John Elferink Country Liberal 14 March 2013 – 27 August 2016  Michael Gunner Labor 31 August 2016 – 11 September 2016  Nicole Manison Labor 12 September 2016 – 25 June 2018 Minister for Children  Michael Gunner Labor 26 June 2018 – 7 September 2020  Lauren Moss Labor 8 September 2020 – Present

Women

Minister Party Term Ministerial title  Shane Stone CLP 15 September 1997 – 8 February 1999 Minister for Women's Policy  Denis Burke CLP 9 February 1999 – 26 August 2001  Clare Martin Labor 27 August 2001 – 10 July 2005  Marion Scrymgour Labor 11 July 2005 – 17 August 2008  Malarndirri McCarthy Labor 18 August 2008 – 28 August 2012  Robyn Lambley CLP 4 September 2012 – 5 March 2013  Alison Anderson CLP 6 March 2013 – 9 September 2013  Bess Price CLP 15 September 2013 – 27 August 2016  Michael Gunner Labor 31 August 2016 – 11 September 2016 12 September 2016 – 7 September 2020: no minister – responsibilities held by other ministers  Lauren Moss Labor 8 September 2020 – Present

Multicultural affairs

Minister Party Term Ministerial title  Nick Dondas Country Liberal 1 December 1982 – 12 December 1983 Minister for Youth, Sport, Recreation and Ethnic Affairs  13 December 1983 – 20 December 1984 Minister for Health, Youth, Sport, Recreation and Ethnic Affairs  Jim Robertson Country Liberal 13 December 1983 – 19 August 1985 Minister for Youth, Sport, Recreation and Ethnic Affairs  Ray Hanrahan Country Liberal 20 August 1985 – 28 April 1986  Don Dale Country Liberal 29 April 1986 – 18 March 1987 19 March 1987 – 3 September 1989: no minister – responsibilities held by other ministers  Roger Vale Country Liberal 4 September 1989 – 12 November 1990 Minister for Youth, Sport, Recreation and Ethnic Affairs   13 November 1990 – 29 November 1992 Minister for Sport, Recreation, Ethnic Affairs and Local Government   Eric Poole Country Liberal 30 November 1992 – 15 September 1993 Minister for Sport, Recreation and Ethnic Affairs  Shane Stone Country Liberal 16 September 1993 – 20 June 1996 Minister for Ethnic Affairs  Stephen Hatton Country Liberal 21 June 1996 – 14 September 1997  Mick Palmer Country Liberal 15 September 1997 – 3 August 1999  Peter Adamson Country Liberal 4 August 1999 – 26 August 2001  Kon Vatskalis Labor 27 August 2001 – 9 December 2004  9 December 2004 – 31 August 2006 Minister for Multicultural Affairs  Delia Lawrie Labor 1 September 2006 – 6 August 2007  Paul Henderson Labor 7 August 2007 – 28 August 2012  Terry Mills Country Liberal 29 August 2012 – 13 March 2013  Peter Styles Country Liberal 14 March 2013 – 27 August 2016  Michael Gunner Labor 31 August 2016 – 11 September 2016 12 September 2016 – 20 December 2018: no minister – responsibilities held by other ministers  Nicole Manison Labor 21 December 2018 – 7 September 2020 Minister for Multicultural Affairs  Kate Worden Labor 8 September 2020 – Present

Senior territorians

Minister Party Term Ministerial title  Denis Burke Country Liberal 15 September 1997 – 8 February 1999 Minister for Senior Territorians  Stephen Dunham Country Liberal 9 February 1999 – 26 August 2001   Clare Martin Labor 27 August 2001 – 10 July 2005  Marion Scrymgour Labor 11 July 2005 – 29 November 2007  Matthew Bonson Labor 30 November 2007 – 17 August 2008  Malarndirri McCarthy Labor 18 August 2008 – 5 August 2009  Gerry McCarthy Labor 6 August 2009 – 3 December 2009  Rob Knight Labor 4 December 2009 – 28 August 2012  Terry Mills Country Liberal 29 August 2012 – 6 March 2013  Lia Finocchiaro Country Liberal 7 March 2013 – 13 March 2013  Peter Styles Country Liberal 14 March 2013 – 11 December 2014  Gary Higgins Country Liberal 12 December 2014 – 10 February 2015  Peter Styles Country Liberal 11 February 2015 – 27 August 2016  Michael Gunner Labor 31 August 2016 – 11 September 2016 12 September 2016 – 7 September 2020: no minister – responsibilities held by other ministers  Lauren Moss Labor 8 September 2020 – Present Minister for Seniors

Young territorians

Minister Party Term Ministerial title  Nick Dondas Country Liberal 2 January 1979 - 30 June 1980 Minister for Youth, Sport and Recreation 1 July 1980 – 31 December 1980: no minister – responsibilities held by other ministers  Nick Dondas Country Liberal 1 January 1981 – 25 January 1982 Minister for Youth, Sport and Recreation 26 January 1982 – 30 November 1982: no minister – responsibilities held by other ministers  Nick Dondas Country Liberal 1 December 1982 – 12 December 1983 Minister for Youth, Sport, Recreation and Ethnic Affairs  13 December 1983 – 20 December 1984 Minister for Health, Youth, Sport, Recreation and Ethnic Affairs  Jim Robertson Country Liberal 13 December 1983 – 19 August 1985 Minister for Youth, Sport, Recreation and Ethnic Affairs  Ray Hanrahan Country Liberal 20 August 1985 – 28 April 1986  Don Dale Country Liberal 29 April 1986 – 18 March 1987 19 March 1987 – 3 September 1989: no minister – responsibilities held by other ministers  Roger Vale Country Liberal 4 September 1989 – 12 November 1990 Minister for Youth, Sport, Recreation and Ethnic Affairs 13 November 1990 – 14 September 1997: no minister – responsibilities held by other ministers  Shane Stone Country Liberal 15 September 1997 – 8 February 1999 Minister for Young Territorians  Denis Burke Country Liberal 9 February 1999 – 26 August 2001   Clare Martin Labor 27 August 2001 – 10 July 2005  Marion Scrymgour Labor 11 July 2005 – 29 November 2007  Matthew Bonson Labor 30 November 2007 – 17 August 2008  Malarndirri McCarthy Labor 18 August 2008 – 5 August 2009  Gerry McCarthy Labor 6 August 2009 – 3 December 2009  Rob Knight Labor 4 December 2009 – 28 August 2012  Terry Mills Country Liberal 29 August 2012 – 6 March 2013  Lia Finocchiaro Country Liberal 7 March 2013 – 13 March 2013  Peter Styles Country Liberal 14 March 2013 – 14 February 2016  Nathan Barrett Country Liberal 15 February 2016 – 18 July 2016  Gary Higgins Country Liberal 19 July 2016 – 7 August 2016  Michael Gunner Labor 31 August 2016 – 11 September 2016 12 September 2016 – 7 September 2020: no minister – responsibilities held by other ministers  Lauren Moss Labor 8 September 2020 – Present Minister for Youth

Former posts

Child protection

Minister Party Term Ministerial title  Marion Scrymgour Labor 7 August 2007 – 17 August 2008 Minister for Child Protection  Malarndirri McCarthy Labor 18 August 2008 – 3 December 2009  Kon Vatskalis Labor 4 December 2009 – 28 August 2012  Terry Mills Country Liberal 29 August 2012 – 3 September 2012

Men's policy

Minister Party Term Ministerial title  Bess Price CLP 12 December 2014 – 27 August 2016 Minister for Men's Policy  Michael Gunner Labor 31 August 2016 – 11 September 2016

References