Minister for Health and Aged Care

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Minister for Health and Aged Care
Coat of Arms of Australia.svg
Commonwealth Coat of Arms
Flag of Australia (converted).svg
Flag of Australia
Mark Butler 2016.jpg
Incumbent
Mark Butler
since 1 June 2022 (2022-06-01)
Department of Health and Aged Care
Style The Honourable
Appointer Governor-General on the recommendation of the Prime Minister of Australia
Inaugural holder Walter Massy-Greene (as Minister for Health)
Formation10 March 1921 (1921-03-10)
Website www.health.gov.au/ministers/the-hon-mark-butler-mp

The Minister for Health and Aged Care is the position in the Australian cabinet responsible for national health and wellbeing and medical research. The incumbent Minister is Labor MP Mark Butler.

Contents

In the Government of Australia, the minister is responsible for national health and medical research policy, providing direction and oversight of the Department of Health and Aged Care.

History

Under Section 55(ix) of the Australian Constitution, the Commonwealth Parliament had the power to "make laws for the peace, order and good government of the Commonwealth with respect to Quarantine." This was the only area of public health in which the Commonwealth had authority at the time of Federation. The federal parliament did not use this power until the proclamation of the Quarantine Act 1908 , [1] on 30 March 1908. The control of the administration of quarantine was under the administration of the Minister for Trade and Customs from 1908 until 1921. This Minister's responsibilities in health matters increased as the Australian Government took a greater role in the provision of public health services during the early 20th century, in particular after the First World War.

A separate Department of Health was established on 10 March 1921, and the position of Minister for Health was then formally created in the fifth Hughes Ministry. The role of the Department of Health has continued to expand and further federal responsibility for health was authorised by the passage, at referendum, of a constitutional amendment in 1946. From 1987 until the establishment of the current department in 2013, the department controlled by the minister had various different names – Department of Community Services and Health (1987–1991), Department of Health, Housing and Community Services (1991–1993), Department of Health, Housing, Local Government and Community Services (1993), Department of Human Services and Health (1993–1996), Department of Health and Family Services (1996–1998), Department of Health and Aged Care (1998–2001), and Department of Health and Ageing (2001–2013).

Section 51 (xxiiiA) of the Constitution now states the Commonwealth (federal) Parliament has the power to

make laws for the peace, order and good government of the Commonwealth [of Australia] with respect to the provision of maternity allowances, widows' pensions, child endowment, unemployment, pharmaceutical, sickness and hospital benefits, medical and dental services (but not so as to authorise any form of civil conscription), benefits to students and family allowances.

As a result of this amendment the federal government now has a key role in financing and providing medical services through entities such as Medicare and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme.

From 1972 to 1975 under Doug Everingham, the minister was named the "Minister for Helth[ sic ]" in some informal contexts due to Everingham's support of Spelling Reform. [2] [3] [4]

List of ministers

Health

The following individuals have been appointed as Minister for Health, or any of its precedent titles: [5]

OrderMinisterPartyPrime MinisterTitleTerm startTerm endTerm in office
1 Walter Massy-Greene Nationalist Hughes Minister for Health10 March 19215 February 19231 year, 332 days
2 Austin Chapman Bruce 9 February 192326 May 19241 year, 107 days
3 Littleton Groom 26 May 192413 June 192418 days
4 Herbert Pratten 13 June 192416 January 1925217 days
5Sir Neville Howse 16 January 19252 April 19272 years, 76 days
6 Stanley Bruce 2 April 192724 February 1928328 days
(5)Sir Neville Howse24 February 192822 October 19291 year, 240 days
7 Frank Anstey Labor Scullin 22 October 19293 March 19311 year, 132 days
8 John McNeill 3 March 19316 January 1932309 days
9 Charles Marr United Australia Lyons 6 January 193212 October 19342 years, 279 days
10 Billy Hughes 12 October 19346 November 19351 year, 25 days
11 Joseph Lyons 6 November 193526 February 1936112 days
(10)Billy Hughes26 February 193629 November 19371 year, 276 days
12Sir Earle Page Country 29 November 19377 November 1938343 days
13 Harry Foll United Australia7 November 19387 April 1939170 days
Page 7 April 193926 April 1939
14Sir Frederick Stewart Menzies 26 April 193914 March 1940323 days
15 Harold Thorby Country14 March 194028 October 1940228 days
(14)Sir Frederick StewartUnited Australia28 October 194029 August 1941344 days
Fadden 29 August 19417 October 1941
16 Jack Holloway Labor Curtin 7 October 194121 September 19431 year, 349 days
17 James Fraser 21 September 19436 July 19451 year, 288 days
Forde 6 July 194513 July 19457 days
Chifley 13 July 194518 June 1946340 days
18 Nick McKenna 18 June 194619 December 19493 years, 184 days
(12)Sir Earle PageCountryMenzies19 December 194911 January 19566 years, 23 days
19 Donald Cameron Liberal 11 January 195622 December 19615 years, 345 days
20 Harrie Wade Country22 December 196118 November 19642 years, 332 days
21 Reginald Swartz Liberal21 November 196426 January 19661 year, 66 days
22 Jim Forbes Holt 26 January 196619 December 19675 years, 55 days
McEwen 19 December 196710 January 1968
Gorton 10 January 196810 March 1971
McMahon 10 March 197122 March 1971
23 Ivor Greenwood 22 March 19712 August 1971133 days
24Sir Ken Anderson 2 August 19715 December 19721 year, 125 days
25 Lance Barnard 1 Labor Whitlam 5 December 197219 December 197214 days
26 Doug Everingham Minister for Health 2 19 December 197211 November 19752 years, 327 days
27 Don Chipp Liberal Fraser Minister for Health11 November 197522 December 197541 days
28 Ralph Hunt National Country 22 December 19758 December 19793 years, 351 days
29 Michael MacKellar Liberal8 December 197920 April 19822 years, 133 days
30 Peter Baume 20 April 19827 May 198217 days
31 Jim Carlton 7 May 198211 March 1983308 days
32 Neal Blewett Labor Hawke 11 March 198324 July 19877 years, 24 days
Minister for Community Services and Health24 July 19874 April 1990
33 Brian Howe 4 April 19907 June 19912 years, 354 days
Keating Minister for Health, Housing and Community Services7 June 199124 March 1993
34 Graham Richardson Minister for Health24 March 199325 March 19941 year, 1 day
35 Carmen Lawrence Minister for Human Services and Health25 March 199411 March 19961 year, 352 days
36 Michael Wooldridge Liberal Howard Minister for Health and Family Services11 March 199621 October 19985 years, 260 days
Minister for Health and Aged Care21 October 199826 November 2001
37 Kay Patterson Minister for Health and Ageing26 November 20017 October 20031 year, 315 days
38 Tony Abbott 7 October 20033 December 20074 years, 57 days
39 Nicola Roxon Labor Rudd 3 December 200724 June 20104 years, 8 days
Gillard 24 June 201011 December 2011
40 Tanya Plibersek Minister for Health11 December 20111 July 20131 year, 281 days
RuddMinister for Health and Medical Research1 July 201318 September 2013
41 Peter Dutton Liberal Abbott Minister for Health18 September 201323 December 20141 year, 96 days
42 Sussan Ley 23 December 201415 September 20152 years, 21 days
Turnbull 15 September 201519 July 2016
Minister for Health and Ageing19 July 201613 January 2017
(acting) Arthur Sinodinos [6] 13 January 201724 January 201711 days
43 Greg Hunt 3 Minister for Health24 January 201724 August 20185 years, 119 days
Morrison 24 August 201822 December 2020
Minister for Health and Aged Care22 December 202023 May 2022
Scott Morrison 3 [7] Minister for Health14 March 20202 years, 70 days
(acting) Katy Gallagher 4 [8] Labor Albanese Minister for Health and Aged Care23 May 20221 June 20229 days
44 Mark Butler 1 June 2022Incumbent2 years, 58 days

Notes

1 Barnard was part of a two-man ministry that comprised just Gough Whitlam and Barnard for fourteen days until the full ministry was announced.
2 Doug Everingham was a supporter of Spelling Reform and he preferred to spell it "Helth", but this was not the formal spelling of the portfolio's name (see above).
3 Morrison was appointed as Minister for Health by the Governor-General on Morrison's advice in March 2020, with both Morrison and Hunt holding the position of Minister for Health until May 2022. However, the appointment of Morrison was not made public until August 2022.
4 Senator Gallagher is part of an interim Albanese ministry that consisted of Anthony Albanese, Richard Marles, Penny Wong, Jim Chalmers and herself until the full ministry was sworn in on 1 June 2022.

Aged care

This section is an excerpt from Minister for Aged Care § List of ministers for aged care.[ edit ]

The following individuals have been appointed as the Minister for Aged Care, or any of its precedent titles. Ministers for aged care or ageing were appointed from 1988 to 1993 and again from 1998 to 2013. The portfolio gained a mental health component in 2010. The latter returned to the health portfolio in 2013, with ageing moving to social services. The following individuals have been appointed as Minister for Mental Health and Ageing, or any of its precedent titles: [9] The Turnbull government transferred the aged care portfolio back to the Department of Health in October 2015. The position, since January 2017, is a separate outer ministry role that supplements the cabinet role of the Minister for Health and Aged Care. [10]

OrderMinisterPartyPrime MinisterTitleTerm startTerm endTerm in office
1 Peter Morris   Labor Hawke Minister for Housing and Aged Care19 January 1988 (1988-01-19)15 February 1988 (1988-02-15)27 days
2 Peter Staples 15 February 1988 (1988-02-15)7 May 1990 (1990-05-07)5 years, 64 days
Minister for Aged, Family and Health Services7 May 1990 (1990-05-07)20 December 1991 (1991-12-20)
Keating 20 December 1991 (1991-12-20)24 March 1993 (1993-03-24)
3 Bronwyn Bishop Liberal Howard Minister for Aged Care21 October 1998 (1998-10-21)26 November 2001 (2001-11-26)3 years, 36 days
4 Kevin Andrews Minister for Ageing26 November 2001 (2001-11-26)7 October 2003 (2003-10-07)1 year, 315 days
5 Julie Bishop 7 October 2003 (2003-10-07)27 January 2006 (2006-01-27)2 years, 112 days
6 Santo Santoro 27 January 2006 (2006-01-27)21 March 2007 (2007-03-21)1 year, 53 days
7 Christopher Pyne 21 March 2007 (2007-03-21)3 December 2007 (2007-12-03)257 days
8 Justine Elliot Labor Rudd 3 December 2007 (2007-12-03)28 June 2010 (2010-06-28)2 years, 207 days
9 Mark Butler Gillard Minister for Mental Health and Ageing28 June 2010 (2010-06-28)1 July 2013 (2013-07-01)3 years, 3 days
10 Jacinta Collins Rudd 1 July 2013 (2013-07-01)18 September 2013 (2013-09-18)79 days
11 Sussan Ley  Liberal Turnbull Minister for Aged Care30 September 2015 (2015-09-30)19 July 2016 (2016-07-19)1 year, 105 days
Minister for Health and Ageing19 July 2016 (2016-07-19)13 January 2017 (2017-01-13)
(acting) Arthur Sinodinos [11] 13 January 2017 (2017-01-13)24 January 2017 (2017-01-24)11 days
12 Ken Wyatt Minister for Aged Care24 January 2017 (2017-01-24)28 August 2018 (2018-08-28)2 years, 125 days
Morrison Minister for Senior Australians and Aged Care28 August 2018 (2018-08-28)29 May 2019 (2019-05-29)
13 Richard Colbeck Minister for Aged Care and Senior Australians29 May 2019 (2019-05-29)22 December 2020 (2020-12-22)2 years, 359 days
Minister for Senior Australians and Aged Care Services22 December 2020 (2020-12-22)23 May 2022 (2022-05-23)
(9)Mark Butler  Labor Albanese Minister for Health and Aged Care1 June 2022 (2022-06-01)Incumbent2 years, 58 days
14 Anika Wells Minister for Aged Care

List of assistant ministers

Health and aged care

The following individual has been appointed as Assistant Ministers of Health and Aged Care, or any of its precedent titles: [5]

OrderMinisterPartyPrime MinisterTitleTerm startTerm endTerm in office
1 Christopher Pyne   Liberal Howard Assistant Minister for Health and Ageing30 January 200721 March 200750 days
2 Ken Wyatt Liberal Turnbull Assistant Minister for Health30 September 201518 February 20161 year, 110 days
Assistant Minister for Health and Aged Care18 February 201618 January 2017
3 David Gillespie Nationals Assistant Minister for Health24 January 201720 December 2017330 days
4 Ged Kearney   Labor Albanese Assistant Minister for Health and Aged Care1 June 2022Incumbent2 years, 58 days

Indigenous health

The following individuals have been appointed as Assistant Minister for Indigenous Health, or any of its precedent titles: [5]

OrderMinisterPartyPrime MinisterTitleTerm startTerm endTerm in office
1 Warren Snowdon Labor Rudd Minister for Indigenous Health, Rural and Regional Health and Regional Services Delivery9 June 200924 June 20104 years, 101 days
Gillard 24 June 201014 September 2010
Minister for Indigenous Health14 September 201027 June 2013
Rudd 27 June 201318 September 2013
2 Ken Wyatt   Liberal Turnbull
Morrison 		Minister for Indigenous Health24 January 201729 May 20192 years, 125 days
3 Malarndirri McCarthy Labor Albanese Assistant Minister for Indigenous Health1 June 202229 July 20242 years, 58 days
4 Ged Kearney 29 July 2024Incumbent0 days

Rural and regional health

The following individuals have been appointed as Assistant Minister for Rural and Regional Health, or any of its precedent titles: [5]

OrderMinisterPartyPrime MinisterTitleTerm startTerm endTerm in office
1 Warren Snowdon Labor Rudd Minister for Indigenous Health, Rural and Regional Health and Regional Services Delivery9 June 200924 June 20101 year, 97 days
Gillard 24 June 201014 September 2010
2 Fiona Nash Nationals Turnbull Minister for Rural Health21 September 201519 July 2016302 days
3 David Gillespie Assistant Minister for Rural Health19 July 201624 January 20171 year, 154 days
Assistant Minister for Health24 January 201720 December 2017
4 Bridget McKenzie Minister for Rural Health20 December 201728 August 2018251 days
5 Mark Coulton   Nationals Morrison Minister for Regional Health, Regional Communications and Local Government6 February 20202 July 20211 year, 146 days
(3)David GillespieMinister for Regional Health2 July 202122 May 2022324 days
6 Emma McBride  Labor Albanese Assistant Minister for Rural and Regional Health1 June 2022Incumbent2 years, 58 days

Mental health and suicide prevention

The following individuals have been appointed as Assistant Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, or any of its precedent titles: [5]

OrderMinisterPartyPrime MinisterTitleTerm startTerm endTerm in office
1 Melissa Parke Labor Gillard Parliamentary Secretary for Mental Health4 February 20131 July 2013147 days
2 David Coleman Liberal Morrison Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention22 December 202023 May 20221 year, 152 days
3 Emma McBride Labor Albanese Assistant Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention1 June 2022Incumbent2 years, 58 days

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References

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  2. ↑ Sampson, Geoffrey (1990). Writing Systems. Stanford University Press. p. 197.
  3. ↑ Landry, Michelle (5 September 2017). "Everingham, Hon. Douglas Nixon 'Doug'" (PDF). Australian House of Representatives Hansard . Parliament of Australia . Retrieved 18 July 2023.
  4. ↑ "The Case for SR1 and Nothing Else". Archived from the original on 31 December 2010. Retrieved 11 April 2011.
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 "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.
  6. ↑ Anderson, Stephanie (18 January 2017). "Greg Hunt announced as Sussan Ley's replacement as Health Minister". ABC News . Retrieved 2 June 2019.
  7. ↑ "Anthony Albanese reveals former prime minister Scott Morrison secretly appointed himself to five ministries in power grab". ABC News. 16 August 2022.
  8. ↑ "ATAGI expands COVID-19 booster access to allow more people to get a fourth dose". ABC News. 25 May 2022.
  9. ↑ "The 45th Parliament: Parliamentary Handbook of the Commonwealth of Australia 2017". Parliament of Australia. 2017. Archived from the original on 11 July 2017. Retrieved 18 July 2017.
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  11. ↑ Anderson, Stephanie (18 January 2017). "Greg Hunt announced as Sussan Ley's replacement as Health Minister". ABC News . Retrieved 2 June 2019.
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