Katy Gallagher
Katherine Ruth Gallagher (/'gæləhər/ GAL-ə-her; born 18 March 1970) is an Australian politician who has been serving as the Minister for Finance, Minister for Women, Minister for the Public Service and Vice-President of the Executive Council in the Albanese Government since 2022, and formerly served as the 6th Chief Minister of the Australian Capital Territory from 2011 to 2014. She has been a Senator for the Australian Capital Territory since the 2019 federal election, as a member of the Australian Labor Party (ALP). She previously served in the Senate from 2015 to 2018. Gallagher grew up in Canberra and was a social worker and union organiser with the Community and Public Sector Union (CPSU) before entering politics. She was elected to the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly in 2001, representing the electorate of Molonglo. She was made a minister under Jon Stanhope in 2002, and appointed Deputy Chief Minister in 2006. Gallagher became Chief Minister in 2011 after Stanhope's retirement, and led her party to a fourth consecutive term at the 2012 general election. She resigned in 2014 to seek preselection to the Senate. In March 2015, Gallagher was appointed to fill the casual vacancy caused by the retirement of