Andrew Barr has been Treasurer since July 2011, and Chief Minister since December 2014. But Independents for Canberra consider this imperium a danger to democracy, and promise that, if elected, their MLAs would seek to prevent the same person from being both Chief Minister and Treasurer concurrently.
The group’s leader, Thomas Emerson, said Mr Barr had not honoured his 2020 election promise to hand over the Treasury portfolio, and that the community was concerned about the concentration of power in the Chief Minister’s office.
In November 2020, local media reported then, Mr Barr said: “There will be a handover, and it’s just a case of whether that is in 2022 or 2023 will depend on where we are with the economic recovery.”
“That promise was not upheld,” Mr Emerson said. “The question is: why not?
“Allowing the leader to also hold the purse strings risks threatening the integrity of our democracy. The current Chief Minister surely knows that, which is why he promised to hand over the Treasury portfolio after the 2020 election.”
An ACT Labor spokesperson explained that every ACT Chief Minister since 1989 has concurrently held the Chief Minister and Treasury portfolios for some, or all, of their term in office.
For instance, Rosemary Follett (1989, 1992–95), Trevor Kaine (1989–91), Kate Carnell (1995–98) were both Chief Minister and Treasurer, former Liberals leader Bill Stefaniak pointed out. Ms Carnell appointed Gary Humphries Treasurer in 1999; he kept the rôle when he became Chief Minister in 2000. Although Ted Quinlan served as treasurer under Jon Stanhope, Mr Stanhope acted as both Chief Minister and Treasurer from 2006 to 2008. Katy Gallagher was Treasurer in the third Stanhope cabinet before becoming Chief Minister in 2011; she held both positions concurrently for a month in 2011.
Likewise, Northern Territory Chief Ministers Eva Lawler, Michael Gunner, Adam Giles, Clare Martin, Marshall Perron, and Ian Tuxworth; Tasmanian Premiers Peter Gutwein, Lara Giddings, Paul Lennon, Tony Rundle, Ray Groom, Michael Field, and Robin Gray; South Australian Premiers Jay Weatherill, John Bannon, Don Dunstan, and Thomas Playford; and Western Australian Premiers Mark McGowan, Colin Barnett, Richard Court, and Dr Carmen Lawrence all served concurrently as Treasurer.
“In small Parliaments, with small Cabinets, it is not uncommon for the Chief Minister/Premier to also be the Treasurer,” the Labor spokesperson said.
Nevertheless, Mr Emerson believes that Mr Barr holds too much power.
“Democracy thrives on dynamic tension,” Mr Emerson said. “It is well known that very little happens in the ACT without the say-so of our current Chief Minister, who is also the Treasurer.
“Other Labor-Greens ministers seem to have little capacity to challenge ‘the Chief’. We’ve recently heard from the Greens Environment Minister [Rebecca Vassarotti] that the Cabinet is unwilling to deliver a more ambitious environmental policy. When the minister responsible for the environment can’t actually deliver better environmental outcomes, Canberrans are rightly asking, ‘Who is the Cabinet, exactly?’”
Mr Emerson said that independent MLAs would be more accountable, transparent, and responsive.
“We need more checks and balances in the Legislative Assembly,” Mr Emerson said. “Lacking an upper house, the ACT’s unicameral parliamentary system is set up for minority government, where genuine negotiation and ongoing compromise are commonplace. That’s been thwarted by Labor and the Greens working as a coalition.
“Canberrans want to be participants in a living democracy, not spectators to a perpetual power-sharing arrangement. People want to see an open debate where a genuine contest of ideas is not only possible, but encouraged.”
The Strong Independents agree with Mr Emerson. “The concentration of power is dangerous,” Peter Strong AM said. “We’d also make sure that the chief minister and treasurer know what they are doing. They should be skilled and fit for the role, not people chosen by factions or by those who fund the parties. Factions and vested interests equal corruption and deceit.”
A Labor spokesperson stated that the full Cabinet makes budget decisions, not just Mr Barr alone. The Cabinet has nine members and an Expenditure Review Sub Committee (ERC) that consists of the three most senior members of the Government – the Chief Minister, the Deputy Chief Minister (Yvette Berry), and the Attorney-General (Shane Rattenbury). The Expenditure Review Committee make recommendations to the full Cabinet.
As Chief Minister, Mr Barr appoints Ministers for the Territory from among the members of the Assembly and determines Administrative Arrangements, consistent with the ACT Self-Government Act.
“Our focus is delivering a positive plan for Canberra’s future, and not on horse-trading future administrative Arrangements and Ministerial responsibilities,” the Labor spokesperson said.
Bill Stefaniak, co-convenor of the Belco Party, said that Mr Barr was not a competent treasurer, but his party did not support the Independents’ proposal to separate the positions of Treasurer and Chief Minister.
“I think it is logical for Barr to be Treasurer, as he does not exactly have a lot of talent in his ministry to draw on,” Mr Stefaniak said. “He himself seems to be struggling with the rôle; the ACT’s current debt is huge, and we will soon be paying nearly a billion dollars a year in interest. Helpful hint, Andrew – money does not grow on trees.
“At the end of the day, I don’t think it matters much who is Treasurer as long as he/she is competent – and you would have to say, at this point in time, poor old Andrew is not very good at it, and the rest of his colleagues would be even worse. It’s time for a change of government.”
Nevertheless, Mr Stefaniak said: “The Belco Party do not believe that it is the remit of a cross-bench to dictate who does or does not hold a portfolio. It is the decision of the Chief Minister as to who makes up their cabinet, and what portfolio they hold. By all means, criticise Mr Barr for yet another broken promise for failing to transition the Treasury Portfolio to somebody else, but it is not a vehicle to tell the electorate you will decide who can hold certain portfolios. That is not independent, it’s seeking to be a king maker, and is not a position we will support.”
