Gary Humphries

Gary John Joseph Humphries AO (born 6 July 1958) is a Deputy President of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal. He was a member of the Australian Senate representing the Australian Capital Territory for the Liberal Party of Australia from 2003 to 2013. He was the Chief Minister of the Australian Capital Territory from 2000 to 2001; and was elected to the first parliament of the Australian Capital Territory, in 1989, later representing the Molonglo electorate until 2003.

As of 2025, He is the most recent Liberal Chief Minister of the Australian Capital Territory.

Humphries was born in Sydney in 1958 and was educated at St Patrick's College, Strathfield before graduating from the Australian National University in Canberra with a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Laws. In 1977 he was elected President of the ANU Students' Association. He worked as a solicitor, a legal office in the ACT Administration, prior to self-government, and political advisor to Senator Amanda Vanstone.

Humpries was elected to the unicameral ACT Legislative Assembly at the 1989 election. This election formed the first self-government of the Australian Capital Territory. Humphries represented the Liberal Party in a multi-member electorate covering the whole of the ACT. Humphries was re-elected at the 1992 (again in a single electorate), and at the 1995, 1998, and 2001 elections, in the multi-member electorate of Molonglo.

Humphries variously served in a range of shadow ministerial roles in the Kaine and Carnell oppositions. In late 1989, when Trevor Kaine became the Chief Minister in a hung parliament, Humphries was appointed Minister for Health, Education, and the Arts. He held this position until the Labor Party led by Rosemary Follett regained government in mid-1991. Humphries became the Leader of the Opposition for a short time in 1991, and again in 2001–02.

In 1995, when Carnell became the Chief Minister, Humphries was appointed to the following portfolios:

In 2000, Humphries succeeded Carnell as Chief Minister, retaining the portfolio of Treasurer. At the 2001 election, the Liberal government lost office. The Australian Labor Party, led by Jon Stanhope formed Government with the support of the ACT Greens and Democrats.

In December 2002, Humphries was elected by the party membership as nominee to fill a forthcoming casual vacancy in the Senate caused by the announced resignation of Margaret Reid. Reid formally resigned on 14 February 2003, and Humphries was elected by the ACT Legislative Assembly on 18 February to fill the casual vacancy. The appointment made him the 500th person to serve in the Senate.