Rachel Stephen-Smith

Rachel Stephen-Smith
MLA
14th Deputy Chief Minister of the Australian Capital Territory
Incumbent
Assumed office
23 July 2026
Chief MinisterAndrew Barr
Preceded byYvette Berry
Deputy Leader of the Australian Labor Party (ACT Branch)
Incumbent
Assumed office
23 July 2026
LeaderAndrew Barr
Preceded byYvette Berry
Minister for Education
Designate
Assuming office
30 July 2026
Chief MinisterAndrew Barr
SucceedingYvette Berry
Minister for Child Development and Wellbeing
Designate
Assuming office
30 July 2026
Chief MinisterAndrew Barr
SucceedingPosition established
Minister for Health Infrastructure
Designate
Assuming office
30 July 2026
Chief MinisterAndrew Barr
SucceedingPosition established
Minister for Finance
Minister for the Public Service
Incumbent
Assumed office
8 November 2024
Chief MinisterAndrew Barr
Preceded byChris Steel (as Special Minister of State)
Minister for Health
Minister for Mental Health
Incumbent
Assumed office
1 July 2019
Chief MinisterAndrew Barr
Preceded byMeegan Fitzharris
Member of the ACT Legislative Assembly for Kurrajong
Incumbent
Assumed office
15 October 2016
Personal details
Born1971 (age 54–55)
Canberra
PartyLabor Party
Alma materAustralian National University
Websitewww.rachelstephensmith.com.au

Rachel Stephen-Smith (born 1971) is an Australian politician. She has been a Labor member of the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly since 2016, representing the electorate of Kurrajong.

Early life and education

Stephen-Smith grew up in O'Connor in Canberra's inner-north[1] and attended local schools such as Lyneham High. Following school, Stephen-Smith attended the Australian National University and studied economics.[2]

Career

Stephen-Smith previously worked as a senior public servant in the Australian Capital Territory public service, the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet and as a Chief of Staff to Senator Kim Carr.[2] Stephen-Smith has also worked in Washington DC at the Australian Embassy.[3]

Following her election, Stephen-Smith was immediately appointed to cabinet, holding the following portfolios: Community Services and Social Inclusion; Disability, Children and Youth; Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs; Multicultural Affairs; and Workplace Safety and Industrial Relations.[4]

After a Cabinet reshuffle in August 2018, Stephen-Smith lost the Multicultural Affairs and Community Services portfolios to new Cabinet member Chris Steel, gaining the Government Services and Procurement and Urban Renewal portfolios.[5] In July 2019, Stephen-Smith gained the Health portfolio from Meegan Fitzharris who resigned from the Cabinet, but due to the increase of workload, she later relinquished the Disability and Workplace Safety portfolios to Suzanne Orr in August 2019.[6]

References

  1. ↑ Burgess, Katie (29 December 2016). "Meet your assembly: Rachel Stephen-Smith, the diplomat". Fairfax Media. Canberra Times.
  2. 1 2 Burgess, Katie (29 December 2016). "Meet your assembly: Rachel Stephen-Smith, the diplomat". Canberra Times.
  3. ↑ "Rachel Stephen-Smith - Candidate for Kurrajong". Australian Labor Party (Australian Capital Territory Branch). Archived from the original on 13 May 2016.
  4. ↑ "Rachel Stephen-Smith". Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly.
  5. ↑ Whyte, Sally (27 August 2018). "Fitzharris keeps Health, Steel gets City Services: Barr's new ministry". Canberra Times. Retrieved 17 February 2019.
  6. ↑ "ACT government ministerial reshuffle: Suzanne Orr takes on employment, disabilities". Canberra Times. 26 August 2019. Retrieved 5 November 2019.
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