Minister for Defence (Australia)
Template:Short description Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use Australian English Script error: No such module "infobox".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". The minister for defence is the minister of state of the Commonwealth of Australia charged with overseeing the organisation, implementation, and formulation of strategic policy in defence and military matters as the head of the Department of Defence. The minister for defence is responsible for the Australian Defence Organisation, including the Australian Defence Force (ADF). The current defence minister is Richard Marles, who is also concurrently serving as deputy prime minister of Australia, having been selected by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in May 2022 following the 2022 Australian federal election.[1]
As the minister for defence is responsible for the management of Australia's defence and military forces and the portfolio's accountability to the Parliament, the secretary of defence is required under section 63(1) of the Public Service Act 1999 and the Requirements for Annual Reports from the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Public Accounts and Audit to submit a report to the responsible ministers on the activities of the Department of Defence after the end of each financial year for presentation to the Parliament.[2][3]
It is one of only four ministerial positions (along with the prime minister, attorney-general and treasurer) that have existed since Federation.[4]
Defence policy
The defence minister is primarily responsible for implementing government defence policy. The three main entities responsible for formulating defence policy within Defence are the Air Power Development Centre, Australian Strategic Policy Institute, and Sea Power Centre.[5] Additionally, the minister releases white papers, that assess Australia's current defence capabilities and set out areas of reform.[6]
The most recent white paper publication is the 2016 Defence White Paper that includes three elements: the 2016 Defence White Paper itself, 2016 Integrated Investment Program, and 2016 Defence Industry Policy Statement. It is the eighth defence white paper since 1976.
Composition of the defence portfolio
Over the years there have been a number of ministers with a variety of functions involved in the defence portfolio; in the period November 1939 to April 1942, there was no position named minister of defence. Instead, several ministers were responsible for the various tasks and duties that are presently under the purview of the minister for Defence.
Previous governments have included ministers with titles using one or more of the following terms:
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- Air
- Aircraft production
- Army
- Defence
- Defence Coordination
- Defence Industry
- Defence Materiel
- Defence Personnel
- Defence Production
- Defence Science
- Defence Support
- Development
- Munitions[7]
- Navy
- Repatriation
- Shipping
- Supply
- Veterans' Affairs
List of ministers for defence
There was a Minister for Defence from 1 January 1901 until 13 November 1939, with the exception of two small breaks. Robert Menzies, the Prime Minister, abolished the position on the outbreak of World War II and created separate Ministers for the Navy, the Army and the Air, with himself as Minister for Defence Coordination in his first ministry. He retained this position until the fall of his government, and then held the post in the brief government of Arthur Fadden. John Curtin initially followed the same arrangement as Menzies in his ministry until 14 April 1942, when he took the title of Minister for Defence. The separate titles of Ministers for the Navy, the Army and the Air were abolished in the second Whitlam Ministry on 30 November 1973, when the separate departments of Navy, Army and Air were also abolished. There had also been a separate Navy portfolio between 1915 and 1921.
The following have served as Minister for Defence:[8]
List of assistant ministers for defence
The following individuals have been appointed as Assistant Minister for Defence, or any of its precedent titles:[8]
| Order | Minister | Party | Prime Minister | Title | Term start | Term end | Term in office | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Granville Ryrie Template:Post-nominals[n 5] | Template:Australian party style| | Nationalist | Hughes | Assistant Minister for Defence | Script error: No such module "Date time".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | Script error: No such module "Date time".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | Template:Age in years and days |
| 2 | Josiah Francis | Template:Australian party style| | United Australia | Lyons | Assistant Minister for Defence | Script error: No such module "Date time".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | Script error: No such module "Date time".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | Template:Age in years and days |
| 3 | Reg Bishop | Template:Australian party style| | Labor | Whitlam | Minister assisting the Minister for Defence | 19 December 1972 | 12 June 1974 | Template:Age in years and days |
| 4 | John McLeay | rowspan="2" Template:Australian party style | | Liberal | Fraser | Minister assisting the Minister for Defence | 22 December 1975 | 3 November 1980 | Template:Age in years and days |
| 5 | Kevin Newman | 3 November 1980 | 7 May 1982 | Template:Age in years and days | ||||
| 6 | Bruce Scott | Template:Australian party style| | National | Howard | Minister assisting the Minister for Defence | 21 October 1998 | 26 November 2001 | Template:Age in years and days |
| 7 | Danna Vale | rowspan="3" Template:Australian party style | | Liberal | 26 November 2001 | 7 October 2003 | Template:Age in years and days | ||
| 8 | Mal Brough | 7 October 2003 | 18 July 2004 | Script error: No such module "age". days | ||||
| 9 | Fran Bailey | 18 July 2004 | 22 October 2004 | Script error: No such module "age". days | ||||
| 10 | De-Anne Kelly | Template:Australian party style| | National | 22 October 2004 | 27 January 2006 | Template:Age in years and days | ||
| 11 | Bruce Billson | Template:Australian party style| | Liberal | 27 January 2006 | 3 December 2007 | Template:Age in years and days | ||
| 12 | Stuart Robert | rowspan="2" Template:Australian party style| | Liberal | Abbott | Assistant Minister for Defence | Script error: No such module "Date time".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | Script error: No such module "Date time".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | Template:Age in years and days |
| Turnbull | Script error: No such module "Date time".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | Script error: No such module "Date time".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | ||||||
| 13 | Darren Chester | rowspan="2" Template:Australian party style | | National | Script error: No such module "Date time".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | Script error: No such module "Date time".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | Template:Age in years and days | ||
| 14 | Michael McCormack | Script error: No such module "Date time".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | Script error: No such module "Date time".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | Template:Age in years and days | ||||
| 15 | David Fawcett | rowspan="3" Template:Australian party style | | Liberal | Morrison | Assistant Minister for Defence | Script error: No such module "Date time".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | Script error: No such module "Date time".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | Template:Age in years and days |
| 16 | Alex Hawke | Script error: No such module "Date time".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | Script error: No such module "Date time".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | Template:Age in years and days | ||||
| 17 | Andrew Hastie | Script error: No such module "Date time".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | Script error: No such module "Date time".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | Template:Age in years and days | ||||
| 18 | Matt Thistlethwaite | rowspan=2 Template:Australian party style| | Labor | Albanese | Script error: No such module "Date time".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | Script error: No such module "Date time".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | Template:Age in years and days | |
| 19 | Peter Khalil | Script error: No such module "Date time".Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters". | Incumbent | Template:Age in years and days | ||||
Individual service branch ministers
The following served as Minister for the Navy:[8]
Ministers for the Army
The following served as Minister for the Army:[8]
| Order | Minister | Party | Prime Minister | Term start | Term end | Term in office | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Geoffrey Street Template:Post-nominals | rowspan=3 Template:Australian party style | | United Australia |
Menzies | 13 November 1939 | 28 October 1940 | Script error: No such module "age". days |
| 2 | Senator Percy Spender | 28 October 1940 | 29 August 1941 | Script error: No such module "age". days | |||
| Fadden | 29 August 1941 | 7 October 1941 | |||||
| 3 | Frank Forde Template:Post-nominals | rowspan=4 Template:Australian party style | | Labor | Curtin | 7 October 1941 | 6 July 1945 | Template:Age in years and days |
| Forde | 6 July 1945 | 13 July 1945 | |||||
| Chifley | 13 July 1945 | 1 November 1946 | |||||
| 4 | Cyril Chambers Template:Post-nominals | 1 November 1946 | 19 December 1949 | Template:Age in years and days | |||
| 5 | Josiah Francis Template:Post-nominals | rowspan=10 Template:Australian party style | | Liberal | Menzies | 19 December 1949 | 7 November 1955 | Template:Age in years and days |
| 6 | Eric Harrison Template:Post-nominals | 7 November 1955 | 28 February 1956 | Script error: No such module "age". days | |||
| 7 | John Cramer Template:Post-nominals | 28 February 1956 | 18 December 1963 | Template:Age in years and days | |||
| 8 | Jim Forbes Template:Post-nominals | 18 December 1963 | 26 January 1966 | Template:Age in years and days | |||
| 9 | Malcolm Fraser Template:Post-nominals | Holt | 26 January 1966 | 19 December 1967 | Template:Age in years and days | ||
| McEwen | 19 December 1967 | 10 January 1968 | |||||
| Gorton | 10 January 1968 | 28 February 1968 | |||||
| 10 | Phillip Lynch Template:Post-nominals | 28 February 1968 | 12 November 1969 | Template:Age in years and days | |||
| 11 | Andrew Peacock Template:Post-nominals | 12 November 1969 | 10 March 1971 | Template:Age in years and days | |||
| McMahon | 10 March 1971 | 2 February 1972 | |||||
| 12 | Bob Katter, Sr. Template:Post-nominals | Template:Australian party style | | Country | 2 February 1972 | 5 December 1972 | Script error: No such module "age". days | |
| 13 | Lance Barnard Template:Post-nominals | Template:Australian party style | | Labor | Whitlam | 5 December 1972 | 30 November 1973 | Script error: No such module "age". days |
Ministers for Air
The following served as Minister for Air:[8]
| Order | Minister | Party | Prime Minister | Term start | Term end | Term in office | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | James Fairbairn Template:Post-nominals | Template:Australian party style | | United Australia |
Menzies | 13 November 1939 | 13 August 1940 | Script error: No such module "age". days |
| 2 | Arthur Fadden Template:Post-nominals | rowspan=3 Template:Australian party style | | Country | 14 August 1940 | 28 October 1940 | Script error: No such module "age". days | |
| 3 | John McEwen Template:Post-nominals | 28 October 1940 | 29 August 1941 | Script error: No such module "age". days | |||
| Fadden | 29 August 1941 | 7 October 1941 | |||||
| 4 | Arthur Drakeford Template:Post-nominals | rowspan=3 Template:Australian party style | | Labor | Curtin | 7 October 1941 | 6 July 1945 | Template:Age in years and days |
| Forde | 6 July 1945 | 13 July 1945 | |||||
| Chifley | 13 July 1945 | 19 December 1949 | |||||
| 5 | Thomas White Template:Post-nominals | rowspan=14 Template:Australian party style | | Liberal | Menzies | 19 December 1949 | 11 May 1951 | Template:Age in years and days |
| 6 | Philip McBride Template:Post-nominals | 11 May 1951 | 17 July 1951 | Script error: No such module "age". days | |||
| 7 | William McMahon Template:Post-nominals | 17 July 1951 | 9 July 1954 | Template:Age in years and days | |||
| 8 | Athol Townley Template:Post-nominals | 9 July 1954 | 24 October 1956 | Template:Age in years and days | |||
| 9 | Frederick Osborne Template:Post-nominals | 24 October 1956 | 29 December 1960 | Template:Age in years and days | |||
| 10 | Senator Harrie Wade | 29 December 1960 | 22 December 1961 | Script error: No such module "age". days | |||
| 11 | Les Bury Template:Post-nominals | 22 December 1961 | 27 July 1962 | Script error: No such module "age". days | |||
| 12 | David Fairbairn Template:Post-nominals | 27 July 1962 | 10 June 1964 | Template:Age in years and days | |||
| 13 | Peter Howson Template:Post-nominals | 10 June 1964 | 26 January 1966 | Template:Age in years and days | |||
| Holt | 26 January 1966 | 19 December 1967 | |||||
| McEwen | 19 December 1967 | 10 January 1968 | |||||
| Gorton | 10 January 1968 | 28 February 1968 | |||||
| 14 | Gordon Freeth Template:Post-nominals | 28 February 1968 | 13 February 1969 | Script error: No such module "age". days | |||
| 15 | Dudley Erwin Template:Post-nominals | 13 February 1969 | 12 November 1969 | Script error: No such module "age". days | |||
| 16 | Senator Tom Drake-Brockman | rowspan=2 Template:Australian party style | | Country | 12 November 1969 | 10 March 1971 | Template:Age in years and days | |
| McMahon | 10 March 1971 | 5 December 1972 | |||||
| 17 | Lance Barnard Template:Post-nominals | Template:Australian party style | | Labor | Whitlam | 5 December 1972 | 30 November 1973 | Script error: No such module "age". days |
See also
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- Department of Defence (Australia)
- Department of Munitions (11 June 1940 — April 1948)
- Minister for Defence Industry
- Minister for Defence Personnel
- Minister for Veterans' Affairs (Australia)
- Defence Estate and Infrastructure Group
Notes
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- ↑ a b c d Although McBride served the longest continuously, Pearce had the longest combined service at more than 13 years, and as a member of four parties (Labor, National Labor, Nationalist, and UAP).
- ↑ a b The Liberal and National Labor parties approved a coalition agreement on 13 February 1917,[9] and the new ministry was sworn on 17 February 1917.[10] The parties co-ordinated their campaign against Labor at the 1917 election,[11] and while there was some discussion of the two parties remaining separate,[12] they formally merged on 13 June 1917.[13]
- ↑ The Parliamentary Handbook erroneously records Massy-Greene as Assistant Minister for Defence from 1921 to 1923. He was in fact the Minister for Defence.[14] He retained responsibility for Health, which he had held as Minister for Trade and Customs,[15] and was consequently titled Minister for Defence and Health.[16]
- ↑ a b On 13 November 1939, early in the Second World War, Menzies divided the Defence portfolio into separate Army, Navy and Air portfolios and appointed himself Minister for Defence Coordination to oversee them.[8] Curtin retained this arrangement, but he reverted to the title Minister for Defence on 21 September 1943.[8]
- ↑ The Parliamentary Handbook erroneously records that Ryrie ceased to be Assistant Minister for Defence, being replaced by Massy-Greene. In fact, Massy-Greene was appointed Minister for Defence, and Ryrie remained in post.[16][17]
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References
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- ↑ The Department of Munitions was created during World War II, and existed between 11 June 1940 and April 1948.
- ↑ a b c d e f g Script error: No such module "citation/CS1".
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External links
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