Minister for Communications (Australia)

Last updated

Minister for Communications
Coat of Arms of Australia.svg
Commonwealth Coat of Arms
Flag of Australia (converted).svg
Flag of Australia
Michelle Rowland.jpg
Incumbent
Michelle Rowland
since 1 June 2022 (2022-06-01)
Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts
Style The Honourable
Appointer Governor-General on the recommendation of the Prime Minister of Australia
Inaugural holder John Forrest (as Postmaster-General)
Formation1 January 1901 (1901-01-01)
Website minister.infrastructure.gov.au/rowland

The Australian Minister for Communications has the overall responsibility for broadcasting, the information and communications technology industry, the information economy, and telecommunications within Australia. The portfolio is currently held by Michelle Rowland in the Albanese ministry since 1 June 2022, following the Australian federal election in 2022. [1]

Contents

In the Government of Australia, the ministers administer the portfolio through the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts.

Scope

Portfolio agencies and bodies include:

List of ministers

The minister responsible for telecommunications policy has had various titles. From 1901 until December 1975 it was the Postmaster-General, who administered the portfolio through the Postmaster-General's Department.

The following individuals have been appointed as Minister for Communications, or any of its precedent titles: [2] [3]

OrderMinisterPartyPrime MinisterTitleTerm startTerm endTerm in office
1 John Forrest   Protectionist Barton Postmaster-General1 January 190117 January 190116 days
2 James Drake 5 February 190110 August 19032 years, 186 days
3 Philip Fysh 10 August 190324 September 1903261 days
Deakin 24 September 190327 April 1904
4 Hugh Mahon Labor Watson 27 April 190417 August 1904112 days
5 Sydney Smith Free Trade George Reid 17 August 19045 July 1905322 days
6 Austin Chapman ProtectionistDeakin5 July 190530 July 19072 years, 25 days
7 Samuel Mauger 30 July 190713 November 19081 year, 106 days
8 Josiah Thomas Labor Fisher 13 November 19082 June 1909201 days
9 John Quick ProtectionistDeakin2 June 190929 April 1910331 days
10 Josiah Thomas LaborFisher29 April 191014 October 19111 year, 168 days
11 Charlie Frazer 14 October 191124 June 19131 year, 253 days
12 Agar Wynne Liberal Cook 24 June 191317 September 19141 year, 85 days
13 William Spence LaborFisher17 September 191427 October 19151 year, 40 days
14 William Webster Hughes 27 October 191514 November 19164 years, 99 days
National Labor 14 November 191617 February 1917
Nationalist 17 February 19173 February 1920
15 George Wise 3 February 192021 December 19211 year, 321 days
16 Alexander Poynton 21 December 19215 February 19231 year, 46 days
17 William Gibson Country Bruce 5 February 192322 October 19296 years, 259 days
18 Joseph Lyons Labor Scullin 22 October 19294 February 19311 year, 105 days
19 Albert Green 4 February 19316 January 1932336 days
20 James Fenton United Australia Lyons 6 January 193213 October 1932281 days
21 Archdale Parkhill 13 October 193212 October 19341 year, 364 days
22 Alexander McLachlan 12 October 19347 November 19386 years, 25 days
23 Archie Cameron Country 7 November 19387 April 1939170 days
Page 7 April 193926 April 1939
24 Eric Harrison United Australia Menzies 26 April 193914 March 1940323 days
25 Harold Thorby Country14 March 194028 October 1940228 days
26 George McLeay United Australia28 October 194026 June 1941241 days
27 Thomas Collins Country26 June 194129 August 1941103 days
Fadden 29 August 19417 October 1941
28 Bill Ashley Labor Curtin 7 October 19412 February 19453 years, 118 days
29 Don Cameron 2 February 19456 July 19454 years, 320 days
Forde 6 July 194513 July 1945
Chifley 13 July 194519 December 1949
30 Larry Anthony CountryMenzies19 December 194911 January 19566 years, 23 days
31 Charles Davidson 11 January 195618 December 19637 years, 341 days
32 Alan Hulme Liberal 18 December 196326 January 19668 years, 353 days
Holt 26 January 196619 December 1967
McEwen 19 December 196710 January 1968
Gorton 10 January 196810 March 1971
McMahon 10 March 19715 December 1972
33 Lance Barnard 1 Labor Whitlam 5 December 197219 December 197214 days
34 Lionel Bowen 19 December 197212 June 19741 year, 175 days
35 Reg Bishop 12 June 197411 November 19751 year, 152 days
36 Peter Nixon National Country Fraser 11 November 197522 December 197541 days
37 Victor Garland LiberalMinister for Post and Telecommunications22 December 19756 December 1976350 days
38 Eric Robinson 6 December 197620 December 19771 year, 14 days
39 Tony Staley 20 December 19773 November 19802 years, 319 days
40 Ian Sinclair National CountryMinister for Communications3 November 19807 May 19821 year, 185 days
41 Neil Brown Liberal7 May 198211 March 1983308 days
42 Michael Duffy Labor Hawke 11 March 198324 July 19874 years, 135 days
43 Gareth Evans Minister for Transport and Communications 2 24 July 19872 September 19881 year, 40 days
44 Ralph Willis 2 September 19884 April 19901 year, 214 days
45 Kim Beazley 4 April 19909 December 19911 year, 249 days
46 John Kerin 9 December 199120 December 199118 days
Keating 20 December 199127 December 1991
47 Graham Richardson 27 December 199118 May 1992143 days
48 Bob Collins 18 May 199223 December 19931 year, 219 days
49 Michael Lee Minister for Communications23 December 199330 January 19942 years, 79 days
Minister for Communications and the Arts 30 January 199411 March 1996
50 Richard Alston Liberal Howard 11 March 19969 October 19977 years, 210 days
Minister for Communications, the Information Economy and the Arts 9 October 199721 October 1998
Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts 21 October 19987 October 2003
51 Daryl Williams 7 October 200318 July 2004285 days
52 Helen Coonan 18 July 20043 December 20073 years, 138 days
53 Stephen Conroy Labor Rudd Minister for Broadband, Communications
and the Digital Economy		3 December 200724 June 20105 years, 210 days
Gillard 24 June 20101 July 2013
54 Anthony Albanese Rudd1 July 201318 September 201379 days
55 Malcolm Turnbull Liberal Abbott Minister for Communications18 September 201314 September 20152 years, 3 days
Turnbull 15 September 201521 September 2015
56 Mitch Fifield 21 September 201523 August 20183 years, 250 days
Morrison Minister for Communications and the Arts 28 August 201829 May 2019
57 Paul Fletcher Minister for Communications, Cyber Safety and the Arts 29 May 201922 December 20202 years, 359 days
Minister for Communications, Urban Infrastructure, Cities and the Arts 22 December 202023 May 2022
58 Michelle Rowland Labor Albanese Minister for Communications1 June 2022Incumbent2 years, 81 days

Notes

1 Barnard served as part of a two-man ministry together with Gough Whitlam for fourteen days, until the full ministry was commissioned.
2 On 24 July 1987, the third Hawke ministry implemented a two-level ministerial structure, with distinctions drawn between senior and junior ministers. This arrangement has been continued by subsequent ministries. [2] Junior ministers are shown in the table below.

Former ministerial portfolios

List of ministers for regional communications

The following individuals have been appointed as Minister for Regional Communications, or any of its precedent titles: [4]

OrderMinisterParty affiliationPrime MinisterMinisterial titleTerm startTerm endTerm in office
1 Sharon Bird LaborRuddMinister for Regional Communications1 July 201318 September 201379 days
2 Fiona Nash National Turnbull Minister for Regional Communications18 February 201626 October 20171 year, 250 days
3 Bridget McKenzie National TurnbullMinister for Regional Communications20 December 201728 August 2018251 days
4 Mark Coulton National Morrison Minister for Regional Services, Decentralisation and Local Government 29 May 20196 February 20202 years, 34 days
Minister for Regional Health, Regional Communications and Local Government 6 February 20202 July 2021
(3)Bridget McKenzieMinister for Regionalisation, Regional Communications and Regional Education2 July 202123 May 2022325 days

List of ministers for digital transformation

On 24 July 1987, the third Hawke Ministry implemented a two-level ministerial structure, with distinctions drawn between senior and junior ministers. This arrangement has been continued by subsequent ministries; however, junior ministers have been appointed in the telecommunications portfolio on only five occasions. Senior ministers are shown in the table above.

The following individuals have been appointed as the Minister for Digital Transformation, or any of its precedent titles: [2] [3]

OrderMinisterParty affiliationPrime MinisterMinisterial titleTerm startTerm endTerm in office
1 Gary Punch LaborHawkeMinister for Telecommunications and Aviation Support 24 July 198728 March 19891 year, 247 days
2 Ros Kelly 6 April 19894 April 1990363 days
3 David Beddall LaborKeatingMinister for Communications24 March 199323 December 1993274 days
4 Michael Keenan LiberalTurnbullMinister Assisting the Prime Minister for Digital Transformation20 December 201728 August 20181 year, 160 days
MorrisonMinister for Digital Transformation28 August 201829 May 2019

Parliamentary Secretaries

The following individuals have been appointed as the Assistant Minister or Parliamentary Secretary for Communications, or any of its precedent titles:

OrderSecretaryParty affiliationPrime MinisterMinisterial titleTerm startTerm endTerm in office
1 Ed Husic Labor Rudd Parliamentary Secretary for Broadband1 July 201318 September 201379 days
2 Paul Fletcher Liberal Abbott Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Communications18 September 201321 September 20152 years, 3 days
3 Angus Taylor LiberalTurnbullAssistant Minister to the Prime Minister for Digital Transformation18 February 201620 December 20171 year, 305 days

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References

  1. ↑ "Press Conference - Parliament House, Canberra | Prime Minister of Australia". www.pm.gov.au. 23 May 2022. Retrieved 27 May 2022.
  2. 1 2 3 "Ministries and Cabinets". 43rd Parliamentary Handbook: Historical information on the Australian Parliament. Parliament of Australia. 2010. Archived from the original on 13 August 2014. Retrieved 9 July 2013.
  3. 1 2 "Second Rudd Ministry" (PDF). Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet. Commonwealth of Australia. 3 July 2013. Retrieved 6 July 2013.[ permanent dead link ]
  4. ↑ Karp, Paul (27 October 2017). "High court citizenship case: Barnaby Joyce and four others ruled ineligible". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 9 November 2017.
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