{{Short description|Australian politician (born 1986)}} {{Use Australian English|date=October 2016}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2016}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = | name = Tara Cheyne | honorific_suffix = MLA | image = 250px|Tara Cheyne in 2015 | alt = | caption = | office = Attorney-General of the Australian Capital Territory | term_start = 7 November 2024 | term_end = | predecessor = Shane Rattenbury | successor = | constituency_AM1 = Ginninderra | assembly1 = Australian Capital Territory Legislative | term_start1 = 26 October 2016 | term_end1 = | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1986|12|30|df=y}} | birth_place = Cairns, Queensland | birth_name = Tara Maree Cheyne | party = Labor Party | alma_mater = University of Queensland<br />University of Canberra | occupation = Politician | profession = | signature = | website = {{URL|https://www.taracheyne.com.au/}} | footnotes = }}

'''Tara Maree Cheyne''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|tʃ|eɪ|n|}} {{respell|CHAYN}}, born 30 December 1986) is an Australian politician, serving as a Member for the Ginninderra electorate in the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly as of 26 October 2016.

==Life, education and career prior to entering politics== Tara Cheyne was born in the northern Queensland city of Cairns and throughout her youth lived with her parents in a number of rural Queensland mining towns. She attended Rockhampton Grammar School<ref>[http://www.themorningbulletin.com.au/news/tara-follows-political-path-from-rocky-to-canberra/2886665/ Tara follows political path all the way to Canberra] accessed 23 October 2016</ref> as a boarder and completed high school studies in 2003, being awarded Academic Dux. She studied at the University of Queensland completing a dual program of Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Journalism. She moved to Canberra in 2008 and began her public service career in the Attorney-General's Department, rising to senior positions.

Cheyne completed a Master of Business Administration from the University of Canberra in September 2013.<ref>[http://www.actlabor.org.au/tara_cheyne Tara Cheyne - Candidate for Ginninderra] accessed 23 October 2016</ref>

In 2016, she began a position in the Department of Finance which she held until her election to the Legislative Assembly in October 2016.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Coombes |first=Jen |date=2024-08-01 |title=Cheyne, Tara Maree |url=https://www.womenaustralia.info/entries/cheyne-tara-maree/ |access-date=2026-05-21 |website=The Australian Women's Register |language=en-AU}}</ref>

Cheyne married her long-term partner, James McMenamin, in Grand Teton National Park in August, 2025.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/9041635/tara-cheynes-romantic-wyoming-wedding/|title=ACT minister Tara Cheyne marries in the beautiful wilderness of Wyoming|date=2025-08-15|work=The Canberra Times|access-date=2025-09-15|language=en-AU}}</ref>

==Community profile== Cheyne began a popular blog, ''In The Taratory'' in 2011. The name is a portmanteau of the words Tara and Territory (for ACT). The blog focused on reviewing and promoting activities and services from the Canberra region. It was originally co-written by Cheyne and another person called Tara, but was solely authored by Cheyne from August 2012.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://inthetaratory.wordpress.com/about/|title=About In The Taratory|date=2011-08-29|work=In The Taratory|access-date=2018-03-18|language=en-US}}</ref>

She held the position of President of the Belconnen Community Council 2014–15, sat on the board of the Belconnen Arts Centre,<ref>[http://www.belconnenartscentre.com.au/about/board.html Belconnen Arts Centre] accessed 23 October 2016</ref> and was a founding member of the Canberra Global Shapers Hub.<ref>[https://www.globalshapers.org/hubs/canberra?page=3 Canberra Global Shapers Hub] accessed 21 November 2016</ref>

==Political career== In November 2015, Cheyne was preselected by the ACT Branch of the Labor Party as a candidate in Ginninderra for the 2016 ACT election. Cheyne was declared elected on 22 October 2016.<ref>[http://www.elections.act.gov.au/news/2016/act-election-final-results-2016 ACT election final results - 2016] accessed 23 October 2016</ref>

Her inaugural speech in the ACT Legislative Assembly was given on 13 December 2016.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.hansard.act.gov.au/hansard/2017/week01/31.htm|title=Hansard of the Legislative Assembly for the ACT|last=ACT|first=Legislative Assembly for the|website=www.hansard.act.gov.au|language=en|access-date=2018-03-18}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://taracheyne.com.au/media/first-speech/|title=First Speech|website=taracheyne.com.au|language=en|access-date=2018-03-18}}</ref>

In the Ministry effective 17 February 2021, Cheyne was: *Assistant Minister for Economic Development *Minister for the Arts *Minister for Business and Better Regulation *Minister for Human Rights *Minister for Multicultural Affairs<ref name="ACT2021">[https://www.legislation.act.gov.au/View/ni/2021-85/current/PDF/2021-85.PDF Australian Capital Territory (Self - Government) Ministerial Appointment 2021 (No 1) Notifiable instrument NI2021–85], ACT Government, accessed 2021-06-11</ref>

As of the 2024 Fourth Barr ministry, Cheyne is the Manager of Government Business, the Attorney-General, the Minister for Human Rights, the Minister for City and Government Services and the Minister for the Night-Time Economy.<ref>{{Cite web |last= |first= |date= |title=Tara Cheyne MLA |url=https://www.parliament.act.gov.au/members/current/cheyne |access-date=2025-02-23 |website=ACT Legislative Assembly |language=en}}</ref>

==References== {{reflist|30em}}

== External links == * [https://web.archive.org/web/20180318183509/http://www.hansard.act.gov.au/hansard/2017/links/che.htm ACT Legislative Assembly Hansard: speech index, Tara Cheyne, 2017] * [https://www.parliament.act.gov.au/members/ninth-assembly-members/ginninderra/cheyne-tara ACT Legislative Assembly: profile] {{ACTCurrentMLAs}} {{Australian attorneys-general}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Cheyne, Tara}} Category:Living people Category:1986 births Category:Members of the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly Category:Australian Labor Party members of the Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly Category:21st-century Australian politicians Category:University of Queensland alumni Category:University of Canberra alumni Category:Australian public servants Category:People from Cairns Category:People educated at Rockhampton Grammar School Category:Attorneys-general of the Australian Capital Territory