politics

Three kids and a year of sobriety: everything we know about new NSW Premier Chris Minns.

NSW officially has a new premier. 

Three days after winning the state election, Labor leader Chris Minns was sworn in as the 47th premier of NSW on Tuesday.

"We know there's a huge responsibility on our shoulders and work starts today," Minns told reporters after the ceremony at Government House. 

The 43 year old claimed election victory on Saturday night, telling crowds that the Labor party, which has spent the last 12 years in opposition, "will not let the people of this state down".

ADVERTISEMENT

"I want to say to the people who voted for Labor or voted for the Liberals and Nationals, or voted for independents or minor party candidates today, we've been elected by the people of this state but we will govern for everyone in NSW," he said. 

Watch: Chris Minns' victory speech. Post continues below. 


Video via 10 News First.

While votes continue to be counted and Labor wait to see if they will form a majority government, we decided to take a look at the new leader of the state. 

From his family life to his decision to go sober, here's everything we know about Chris Minns.

Growing up in Sydney and his beginnings in politics.

Before he became the premier, Minns grew up in a Catholic household in Penshurst in Sydney's south, with his older sister and younger brother. 

His mother was a lawyer and his father was a school principal, who were both "passionate" members of the Labor party.

"I love my dad for introducing me to the Labor tribe," Minns said during his maiden speech in NSW Parliament.  

"I still remember the 1993 Federal election when all had given up on Labor except Paul Keating and my dad."

ADVERTISEMENT

Minns himself says he "was never interested in politics".

"I was only ever interested in the Labor Party."

He joined the party in 1998 at the ripe old age of 18 and was elected as the member for Kogarah 17 years later in 2015.

His maiden speech made headlines when he called for the role of unions to reduced within the Labor party. 

"Labor also needs to represent those who are not in a trade union. That will mean taking steps to reduce union control on the floor of our conference and increasing the representation of ordinary members of our party to have more diverse voice," he said. 

ADVERTISEMENT

As for his political views, Minns voted against the voluntary assisted dying bill in 2019 alongside former Liberal Premier Dominic Perrottet.

"I’ve made my view clear I don’t support voluntary assisted dying," Minns said at a media conference at the time. 

"The reasons I don’t personally [support it] is, I don’t think you can codify the risks for a vulnerable person who’s in the latter stage of their life – who may feel they’re a burden on their family or on their loved ones."

During the election, Minns' Labor party made a range of promise from housing reforms, rebuilding the health workforce, and tackling the cost-of-living.

"Labor will deliver much-needed and urgent cost of living relief, with a cap on tolls, and an energy rebate for 1.6 million households. We will also protect our state assets from privatisation," Minns previously told Mamamia.

You can read about Labor's policies here. 

Meeting his wife Anna. 

For Minns, joining the Labor party didn't just kick-start his political career, it also helped him meet his wife, Anna. 

The pair were introduced by Labor MP Tony Burke back when Anna was a volunteer for the party in 1999. 

"From the moment I set eyes on [Anna] at Beverly Hills Pizza Hut in 1999, I knew she was the one," Minns wrote on Twitter last year.

Speaking to The Sunday Telegraph last year, Anna said her future husband was "very cute" and "confident" when they first met. 

ADVERTISEMENT

"Chris is the most determined person I've ever known," she told the publication. 

"I convinced him to join Young Labor, where he quickly became the president. He went to work for the party office and got really involved. His ambition has always been politics."

The pair have been together for just over 21 years now, and have had three sons, Joe, Nick and George.

ADVERTISEMENT

During the time, Anna has forged her own highly successful career. 

She's worked as a criminal prosecutor for the Department of Public Prosecutions and brought TerraCycle "a recycling company that recycles the unrecyclable" from America to Australia and New Zealand.

She is also the CEO and co-founder of Boomerang Labs, a company that helps "support entrepreneurs to commercialise businesses", according to her Linkedin. 

Listen to The Quicky, Mamamia's daily news podcast. Post continues below. 



His family life and decision to go sober.

These days, Minns and his family live in Kogarah, in southern Sydney.

When COVID lockdown ended, the 38-year-old decided to make a change and give up drinking alcohol.

"I stopped drinking just after COVID. And haven’t had anything to drink in the last 12 months," he told Hughesy, Ed and Erin last month, adding that he felt "fantastic" after making the change. 

"You're in charge of your moods, you get your mornings back, you’ve got a bit more energy to get through the day."

When it comes to his family, Minns said his middle child, Nick, has been "an absolute stirrer" about his friendly political rivalry with former premier Dominic Perrottet.

"Dominic Perrottet comes on the TV, he pauses it, he goes, 'This bloke’s making a lot of sense…,'" Minns said during an interview with 2GB host Deborah Knight.

ADVERTISEMENT

When Minns later told Perrottet his son was a "secret fan", he ended up receiving a Dominic Perrottet t-shirt in the mail. 

"So I have to wake up every second morning, with my middle boy wearing a Dominic Perrottet T-shirt around my own house."

Of course, Nick and his brothers were there to support their dad when he won the election on Saturday night. 

ADVERTISEMENT

Outside of work, Minns spends times outdoors and surfs with his sons. 

They also "jam a bit together".

The premier brought his guitar along to an interview with The Kyle & Jackie O Show last month, where he played AC/DC's 'Thunderstruck'.

Feature Image: AAP/Instagram@chrisminnsmp 

As one of our readers we want to hear from you! Complete this survey now to go in the running to win one of five $100 gift vouchers.