The role of Premier

The Premier is the head of the New South Wales Government and is ultimately responsible for the policy and decisions of government.

The Hon. Nathan Rees, MP became  Premier on 5 September 2008.

By definition, the Premier is a member of the Legislative Assembly and must have enough support among other assembly members in order to form a government.

The Premier and Ministers are given portfolios like the environment, policing, health or education.

A portfolio includes government departments and agencies which are responsible to a Minister for funding and decisions that will affect the State.

The Ministry is the group of Ministers, including the Premier, who make up the Cabinet, which is the Executive Government of New South Wales.

Each Minister has one or more government departments or agencies to which they are responsible to parliament. They also have a number of laws which they and their departments administer.

The decisions made by Ministers, either individually or together (in Cabinet) provide policy and direction for government. Under their direction, the various agencies and departments carry out the administration of government in the State.

The head of a department is called a Director-General, also known as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO). A number of Directors-General could report to the one Minister.

There are currently over 130 public sector agencies. Together, these agencies and the many public servants and other employees – such as doctors and engineers – working in them, serve the people of NSW.

All of these agencies are answerable to their CEO's, their Minister, the Cabinet, and eventually, through your elected representatives in parliament, to you.