Minister for Multicultural Affairs (Australia)

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Minister for Multicultural Affairs
Coat of Arms of Australia.svg
Commonwealth Coat of Arms
Flag of Australia (converted).svg
Flag of Australia
Anne Aly at Australia-ASEAN Youth Summit 2024 (cropped).jpg
Incumbent
Anne Aly
since 13 May 2025 (2025-05-13)
Department of Home Affairs
Style The Honourable
Appointer Governor-General
on the advice of the prime minister
Inaugural holder Michael MacKellar (as Minister for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs)
Formation22 December 1975 (1975-12-22)
Website minister.homeaffairs.gov.au/AnneAly/Pages/Welcome.aspx

The Minister for Multicultural Affairs is an Australian Government cabinet position which is currently held by Anne Aly following her swearing-in on 13 May 2025 as a result of Anthony Albanese's Labor government being re-elected at the 2025 Australian federal election.

Contents

The post was created in 1975 by being added to the Immigration portfolio with Michael MacKellar being the inaugural officeholder as the Minister for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs. It was a cabinet position throughout the Fraser, Hawke and Keating governments. In Howard's first ministry, the portfolio took its current name of multicultural affairs and was dropped to the outer ministry. It returned to cabinet in the second Howard ministry and remained there until the end of the Howard government. Philip Ruddock, became the longest serving minister during this time, serving in the role between 1996 and 2003. Multicultural affairs was managed at the parliamentary secretary level during the first Rudd and first Gillard ministries. Midway through the second Gillard ministry, Kate Lundy was promoted from parliamentary secretary to the outer ministry and during the short lived second Rudd ministry, the portfilio was both in cabinet managed by Tony Burke and the outer ministry with Lundy. The return of the Coalition to government in 2013, saw the portfolio dropped altogether until Turnbull's first ministry where an assistant minister was appointed. The role returned to the outer ministry halfway into to Turnbull's second and remained there until July 2024, when after a 11-year absence it was converted back into a cabinet post with Tony Burke returning to his former role as Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs. In the second Albanese ministry, immigration and multicultural affairs were split into two cabinets roles with Anne Aly currently serving as the minister.

List of cabinet ministers for multicultural affairs

The following individuals served as the Minister for Multicultural Affairs, or any precedent titles and sat in the Cabinet: [1]

OrderMinisterPartyMinistryTitleTerm startTerm endTerm in office
1 Michael MacKellar Liberal 2nd Fraser
3rd Fraser 		Minister for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs22 December 19758 December 19793 years, 351 days
2 Ian Macphee 3rd Fraser
4th Fraser 		8 December 19797 May 19822 years, 150 days
3 John Hodges 4th Fraser 7 May 198211 March 1983308 days
4 Stewart West Labor 1st Hawke 11 March 198313 December 19841 year, 277 days
5 Chris Hurford 2nd Hawke 13 December 198416 February 19872 years, 65 days
6 Mick Young 2nd Hawke
3rd Hawke 		Minister for Immigration, Local Government and Ethnic Affairs16 February 198712 February 1988361 days
7 Clyde Holding 3rd Hawke Minister for Immigration, Local Government and Ethnic Affairs
Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Multicultural Affairs		15 February 19882 September 1988203 days
8 Robert Ray 3rd Hawke Minister for Immigration, Local Government and Ethnic Affairs2 September 19884 April 19901 year, 214 days
9 Gerry Hand 4th Hawke
1st Keating 		4 April 199024 March 19932 years, 354 days
10 Nick Bolkus 2nd Keating Minister for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs24 March 199311 March 19962 years, 353 days
11 Philip Ruddock Liberal 2nd Howard Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs21 October 199826 November 20014 years, 351 days
3rd Howard Minister for Immigration, Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs26 November 20017 October 2003
12 Amanda Vanstone 3rd Howard
4th Howard 		7 October 20033 January 20073 years, 115 days
13 Tony Burke Labor 2nd Rudd Minister for Immigration, Multicultural Affairs and Citizenship1 July 201318 September 201379 days
(13) Tony Burke Labor 1st Albanese Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs29 July 202413 May 2025288 days
14 Anne Aly 2nd Albanese Minister for Multicultural Affairs13 May 2025Incumbent79 days

List of ministers for multicultural affairs outside of cabinet

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 governments; although there has not always been a junior minister in the multicultural affairs portfolio. The following individuals served as the Minister for Multicultural Affairs, or any precedent titles but did not sit in the Cabinet: [1]

OrderMinisterParty affiliationMinistryMinisterial titleTerm startTerm endTerm in office
1 Clyde Holding   Labor 3rd Hawke Minister Assisting the Minister for Immigration, Local Government and Ethnic Affairs2 September 19884 April 19901 year, 214 days
2 Philip Ruddock Liberal 1st Howard Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs11 March 199621 October 19982 years, 224 days
3 Gary Hardgrave Liberal 3rd Howard Minister for Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs26 November 200126 October 20042 years, 335 days
4 Peter McGauran National 4th Howard 26 October 20046 July 2005253 days
5 John Cobb 6 July 200527 January 2006205 days
6 Kate Lundy Labor 2nd Gillard Minister for Multicultural Affairs5 March 201218 September 20131 year, 197 days
2nd Rudd
7 Alan Tudge Liberal 2nd Turnbull Minister for Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs20 December 201723 August 2018246 days
8 David Coleman 1st Morrison Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs28 August 201829 May 20191 year, 107 days
2nd Morrison Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs29 May 201913 December 2019
(acting) Alan Tudge 13 December 201922 December 20201 year, 9 days
9 Alex Hawke 22 December 202023 May 20221 year, 152 days
10 Andrew Giles Labor 1st Albanese Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs1 June 202229 July 20242 years, 58 days

Assistant ministers

Assistant ministers for multicultural affairs

The following individuals served as the Parliamentary Secretary or Assistant Minister for Citizenship, Customs and Multicultural Affairs, or any precedent titles: [1]

OrderMinisterParty affiliationMinistryMinisterial titleTerm startTerm endTerm in office
1 Mick Young Labor 3rd Hawke Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Multicultural Affairs24 July 198712 February 1988203 days
2 Clyde Holding 15 February 19882 September 1988200 days
3 Robert Ray 2 September 19884 April 19901 year, 214 days
Clyde Holding Minister Assisting the Minister for Immigration, Local Government and Ethnic Affairs
4 Gerry Hand 4th Hawke Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Multicultural Affairs4 April 199024 March 19932 years, 354 days
1st Keating
5 Nick Bolkus 2nd Keating 24 March 199311 March 19962 years, 353 days
6 Kay Patterson Liberal 2nd Howard Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs21 October 199826 November 20013 years, 36 days
7 Bruce Billson Liberal 4th Howard Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Immigration and Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs6 July 200527 January 2006205 days
8 Andrew Robb Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs27 January 200630 January 20071 year, 3 days
9 Laurie Ferguson Labor 1st Rudd Parliamentary Secretary for Multicultural Affairs and Settlement Services3 December 200714 September 20102 years, 285 days
1st Gillard
10 Kate Lundy Labor 2nd Gillard Parliamentary Secretary for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs16 February 20115 March 20121 year, 18 days
11 Matt Thistlethwaite Labor 2nd Gillard Parliamentary Secretary for Multicultural Affairs25 March 201318 September 2013177 days
2nd Rudd
12 Concetta Fierravanti-Wells Liberal 1st Turnbull Assistant Minister for Multicultural Affairs21 September 201518 February 2016150 days
13 Craig Laundy 18 February 201619 July 2016152 days
14 Zed Seselja 2nd Turnbull Assistant Minister for Social Services and Multicultural Affairs19 July 201620 December 20171 year, 155 days
15 Jason Wood Liberal 2nd Morrison Assistant Minister for Customs, Community Safety and Multicultural Affairs29 May 201923 May 20222 years, 359 days
16 Julian Hill Labor 1st Albanese Assistant Minister for Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs29 July 2024Incumbent1 year, 2 days
2nd Albanese Assistant Minister for Citizenship, Customs and Multicultural Affairs

References

  1. 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.
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