Minister for Immigration and Citizenship

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Minister for Immigration and Citizenship
Coat of Arms of Australia.svg
Commonwealth Coat of Arms
Flag of Australia (converted).svg
Flag of Australia
Tony Burke.jpg
Incumbent
Tony Burke
since 29 July 2024 (2024-07-29)
Department of Home Affairs
Style The Honourable
Appointer Governor-General
on the advice of the prime minister
Inaugural holder Arthur Calwell (as Minister for Immigration)
Formation19 December 1949 (1949-12-19)
Website minister.homeaffairs.gov.au/ministers-for-home-affairs/the-hon-tony-burke-mp

The Minister for Immigration and Citizenship is a ministerial post of the Australian Government and is currently held by Tony Burke since July 2024 in the Albanese ministry.

Contents

The post was created in 1945 and its inaugural officeholder was Arthur Calwell as the Minister for Immigration. On 20 December 2017, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull introduced a new major portfolio responsible for national security: Home Affairs. [1] The Hon Peter Dutton MP retained the duties of Minister for Immigration and Border Protection, with additional responsibilities awarded as the Minister for Home Affairs. [2] Following the appointment of Prime Minister Scott Morrison in August 2018, Morrison re-appointed Peter Dutton to the Home Affairs Ministry, previously introduced to the 'super-Ministry' under the Turnbull government in December 2017, and appointed David Coleman as Immigration Minister.

Scope

The portfolio and department were created in July 1945, during the last months of World War II. Previously, immigration affairs were handled by the Minister for Home Affairs (1901–1932) and the Minister for the Interior (1932–1945), except that between January 1925 and January 1928 Victor Wilson and Thomas Paterson were Ministers for Markets and Migration. [3]

The Minister for Immigration, Multicultural Affairs and Citizenship was usually one of the senior members of Cabinet, although between the Tenth Menzies Ministry and the Third Fraser Ministry, the post was downgraded to that of a junior minister. The minister and department have on several occasions been responsible for another portfolio in addition to immigration, such as ethnic/multicultural affairs, local government [4] or border protection.

List of ministers for immigration

The following individuals have held responsibility for immigration: [5]

OrderMinisterPartyPrime MinisterTitleTerm startTerm endTerm in office
1 Arthur Calwell   Labor Chifley Minister for Immigration13 July 194519 December 19494 years, 159 days
2 Harold Holt Liberal Menzies 19 December 194924 October 19566 years, 310 days
3 Athol Townley 24 October 195619 March 19581 year, 146 days
4 Alick Downer 19 March 195818 December 19635 years, 274 days
5 Hubert Opperman 18 December 196326 January 19662 years, 361 days
Holt 26 January 196614 December 1966
6 Billy Snedden 14 December 196619 December 19672 years, 333 days
McEwen 19 December 196710 January 1968
Gorton 10 January 196812 November 1969
7 Phillip Lynch McMahon 12 November 196922 March 19711 year, 130 days
8 Jim Forbes 22 March 19715 December 19721 year, 258 days
9 Lance Barnard 1 Labor Whitlam 5 December 197219 December 197214 days
10 Al Grassby 19 December 197212 June 19741 year, 175 days
11 Clyde Cameron Minister for Labour and Immigration12 June 19746 June 1975359 days
12 Jim McClelland 6 June 197511 November 1975158 days
13 Tony Street Liberal Fraser 12 November 197522 December 197540 days
14 Michael MacKellar Minister for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs 22 December 19758 December 19793 years, 351 days
15 Ian Macphee 8 December 19797 May 19822 years, 150 days
16 John Hodges 7 May 198211 March 1983308 days
17 Stewart West Labor Hawke 11 March 198313 December 19841 year, 277 days
18 Chris Hurford 13 December 198416 February 19872 years, 65 days
19 Mick Young Minister for Immigration, Local Government and Ethnic Affairs 16 February 198712 February 1988361 days
20 Clyde Holding 12 February 19882 September 1988203 days
21 Robert Ray 2 September 19884 April 19901 year, 214 days
22 Gerry Hand 4 April 199020 December 19912 years, 354 days
Keating 20 December 199124 March 1993
23 Nick Bolkus Minister for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs 24 March 199311 March 19962 years, 353 days
24 Philip Ruddock Liberal Howard Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs 11 March 199626 November 20017 years, 210 days
Minister for Immigration, Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs 26 November 20017 October 2003
25 Amanda Vanstone 7 October 200327 January 20063 years, 115 days
Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs 27 January 200630 January 2007
26 Kevin Andrews Minister for Immigration and Citizenship30 January 20073 December 2007307 days
27 Chris Evans Labor Rudd 3 December 200724 June 20102 years, 285 days
Gillard 24 June 201014 September 2010
28 Chris Bowen 14 September 20104 February 20132 years, 143 days
29 Brendan O'Connor 4 February 20131 July 2013147 days
30 Tony Burke RuddMinister for Immigration, Multicultural Affairs and Citizenship1 July 201318 September 201379 days
31 Scott Morrison Liberal Abbott Minister for Immigration and Border Protection18 September 201323 December 20141 year, 96 days
32 Peter Dutton 23 December 201415 September 20153 years, 241 days
Turnbull 15 September 201521 August 2018
33 David Coleman Morrison Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs 28 August 201829 May 20191 year, 107 days
Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs 29 May 201913 December 2019
(acting) Alan Tudge 13 December 201922 December 20201 year, 9 days
34 Alex Hawke 22 December 202023 May 20221 year, 152 days
35 Andrew Giles Labor Albanese Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs 1 June 202229 July 20242 years, 58 days
(30) Tony Burke Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs 29 July 202413 May 20251 year, 31 days
Minister for Immigration and Citizenship13 May 2025Incumbent

Notes

1 Barnard was one of a two-man ministry consisting of himself and Gough Whitlam for two weeks until the full ministry was announced.

List of ministers for citizenship

The following individuals have held responsibility for citizenship or any precedent titles: [5]

OrderMinisterParty affiliationPrime MinisterMinisterial titleTerm startTerm endTerm in office
1 Gary Hardgrave   Liberal Howard Minister for Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs26 November 200126 October 20042 years, 335 days
2 Peter McGauran   National 26 October 20046 July 2005253 days
3 John Cobb 6 July 200527 January 2006205 days
4 Kevin Andrews   Liberal Howard Minister for Immigration and Citizenship30 January 20073 December 2007307 days
5 Chris Evans Labor Rudd 3 December 200724 June 20102 years, 285 days
Gillard 24 June 201014 September 2010
6 Chris Bowen 14 September 20104 February 20132 years, 143 days
7 Brendan O'Connor 4 February 20131 July 2013147 days
8 Alan Tudge   Liberal Turnbull Minister for Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs20 December 201723 August 2018246 days
9 David Coleman Morrison Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs28 August 201829 May 20191 year, 107 days
Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs29 May 201913 December 2019
(acting) Alan Tudge 13 December 201922 December 20201 year, 9 days
10 Alex Hawke 22 December 202023 May 20221 year, 152 days
11 Andrew Giles Labor Albanese Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs1 June 202229 July 20242 years, 58 days
12 Tony Burke Labor Albanese Minister for Immigration and Citizenship13 May 2025Incumbent108 days

Assistant ministers

Assistant ministers for immigration

The following individuals served as the Assistant Minister for Immigration, or any precedent titles: [5]

OrderMinisterParty affiliationPrime MinisterMinisterial titleTerm startTerm endTerm in office
1 Teresa Gambaro Liberal Howard Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship30 January 200721 March 2007307 days
Assistant Minister for Immigration and Citizenship21 March 20073 December 2007
2 Laurie Ferguson Labor Rudd Parliamentary Secretary for Multicultural Affairs and Settlement Services3 December 200714 September 20102 years, 285 days
Gillard
3 Kate Lundy Parliamentary Secretary for Immigration and Citizenship14 September 201016 February 20111 year, 173 days
Parliamentary Secretary for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs16 February 20115 March 2012
4 Michaelia Cash Liberal Abbott Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection18 September 201315 September 20152 years, 3 days
Turnbull 15 September 201521 September 2015
5 James McGrath Liberal Turnbull Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection18 February 201618 July 2016151 days
6 Alex Hawke 19 July 201620 December 20171 year, 154 days
7 Matt Thistlethwaite Labor Albanese Assistant Minister for Immigration29 July 2024incumbent1 year, 31 days

Assistant ministers for citizenship and multicultural affairs

The following individuals served as the Assistant Minister for Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs, or any precedent titles: [5]

OrderMinisterParty affiliationPrime MinisterMinisterial titleTerm startTerm endTerm in office
1 Teresa Gambaro Liberal Howard Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship30 January 200721 March 2007307 days
Assistant Minister for Immigration and Citizenship21 March 20073 December 2007
2 Laurie Ferguson Labor Rudd Parliamentary Secretary for Multicultural Affairs and Settlement Services3 December 200714 September 20102 years, 285 days
Gillard
3 Kate Lundy Parliamentary Secretary for Immigration and Citizenship14 September 201016 February 20111 year, 173 days
Parliamentary Secretary for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs16 February 20115 March 2012
4 Matt Thistlethwaite Labor Gillard Parliamentary Secretary for Multicultural Affairs25 March 201318 September 2013177 days
Rudd
5 Concetta Fierravanti-Wells Liberal Turnbull Assistant Minister for Multicultural Affairs21 September 201518 February 2016150 days
6 Craig Laundy  18 February 201618 July 2016151 days
7 Zed Seselja  Assistant Minister for Social Services and Multicultural Affairs18 July 201620 December 20171 year, 155 days
8 Jason Wood Liberal Morrison Assistant Minister for Customs, Community Safety and Multicultural Affairs29 May 201922 May 20222 years, 358 days
9 Julian Hill Labor Albanese Assistant Minister for Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs29 July 202413 May 2025288 days
Assistant Minister for Citizenship, Customs and Multicultural Affairs13 May 2025Incumbent108 days

References

  1. ↑ Turnbull, Malcolm (20 December 2017). "Ministerial Arrangements" (Press release). Government of Australia. Archived from the original on 13 March 2018. Retrieved 3 February 2018. Peter Dutton will become Minister for Home Affairs, for the first time bringing together the nation's security, border and intelligence agencies under one department. As Minister for Home Affairs, Peter Dutton will be supported by two Ministers: Angus Taylor as Minister for Law Enforcement and Cybersecurity and Alan Tudge as Minister for Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs. He will also continue to have the assistance of Alex Hawke as Assistant Minister for Home Affairs. The Department of Home Affairs will keep Australians safer by ensuring full coordination between ASIO, the AFP, Australian Border Force, the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission and AUSTRAC. It will also contribute enormously to nation building through its focus on our immigration program.
  2. ↑ "Australian Government Ministry List as at 20 December 2017" (PDF). Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, Australia. 20 December 2017. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 December 2017. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
  3. ↑ "From Calwell Onward: Immigration Ministers in the Library's Oral History Collection". National Library of Australia. June 2005.
  4. ↑ "Immigration Ministers in Manuscripts". National Library of Australia. August 2005.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "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.
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