Minister for Families and Social Services

The Australian Minister for Families and Social Services oversees Australian government social services, including mental health, families and children's policy, and support for carers and people with disabilities, and seniors.[1]

Minister for Families and Social Services
Incumbent
Anne Ruston
since 29 May 2019
Department of Social Services
StyleThe Honourable
AppointerGovernor-General on the recommendation of the Prime Minister of Australia
Formation1939
Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme
Incumbent
Stuart Robert
since 29 May 2019
Department of Social Services
StyleThe Honourable
AppointerGovernor-General on the recommendation of the Prime Minister of Australia
Inaugural holderJenny Macklin (as Minister for Disability Reform)
Formation14 December 2011
Minister for Housing
Incumbent
Michael Sukkar
since 29 May 2019
Department of Social Services
StyleThe Honourable
AppointerGovernor-General on the recommendation of the Prime Minister of Australia
Formation1963
Assistant Minister for Children and Families
Incumbent
Michelle Landry
since 28 August 2018
Department of Social Services
StyleThe Honourable
AppointerGovernor-General on the recommendation of the Prime Minister of Australia
Formation20 December 2017

Anne Ruston was appointed Minister for Families and Social Services in May 2019, following swearing in by the Governor-General. The Hon. Paul Fletcher served as Minister for Families and Social Services from 2018 to 2019.

The current Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme is Stuart Robert since 2019, replacing Assistant Minister for Social Services, Housing and Disability Services the Hon. Sarah Henderson, who served from 2018 to 2019.

The current Minister for Housing is Michael Sukkar since 2019.

The current Assistant Minister for Children and Families is the Hon. Michelle Landry MP, since 26 August 2018.

Portfolio

In the Government of Australia, the Ministers administer the portfolio through the Department of Social Services. Other portfolio bodies for which the Ministers are responsible include:

  • Aged Care Standards and Accreditation Agency
  • Australian Institute of Family Studies
  • Commonwealth Advisory Committee on Homelessness
  • Community and Disability Services Ministers' Conference
  • Community Services Ministers' Advisory Council
  • Emergency Relief State Advisory Committees
  • National Childcare Accreditation Council Inc.
  • National Disability Advisory Council
  • National Disability Insurance Agency
  • National Supported Accommodation Assistance Program (SAAP) Coordination and Development Committee (CAD) representatives and Information Sub-committee
  • Social Security Appeals Tribunal

List of ministers for social services

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

Order Minister Party Prime Minister Title Term start Term end Term in office
1 Frederick Stewart   United Australia Menzies Minister for Social Services 26 April 1939 29 August 1941 2 years, 164 days
Fadden 29 August 1941 7 October 1941
2 Jack Holloway   Labor Curtin 7 October 1941 21 September 1943 1 year, 349 days
3 James Fraser 21 September 1943 6 July 1945 2 years, 270 days
Forde 6 July 1934 13 July 1945
Chifley 13 July 1945 18 June 1946
4 Nick McKenna 18 June 1946 19 December 1949 3 years, 184 days
5 Bill Spooner   Liberal Menzies 19 December 1949 11 May 1951 1 year, 143 days
6 Athol Townley 11 May 1951 9 July 1954 3 years, 59 days
7 William McMahon 9 July 1954 28 February 1956 1 year, 234 days
8 Hugh Roberton   Country 28 February 1956 21 January 1965 8 years, 328 days
9 Reginald Swartz   Liberal 21 January 1965 22 February 1965 32 days
10 Ian Sinclair   Country 22 February 1965 26 January 1966 3 years, 6 days
Holt 26 January 1966 19 December 1967
McEwen 19 December 1967 10 January 1968
Gorton 10 January 1968 28 February 1968
11 Bill Wentworth   Liberal 28 February 1968 10 March 1971 4 years, 281 days
McMahon 10 March 1971 5 December 1972
12 Lance Barnard   Labor Whitlam 5 December 1972 19 December 1972 14 days
13 Don Grimes   Labor Hawke Minister for Community Services 13 December 1984 (1984-12-13) 16 February 1987 (1987-02-16) 2 years, 65 days
14 Chris Hurford   16 February 1987 (1987-02-16) 24 July 1987 (1987-07-24) 158 days
15 Neal Blewett   Minister for Community Services and Health 24 July 1987 (1987-07-24) 4 April 1990 (1990-04-04) 2 years, 254 days
16 Brian Howe   4 April 1990 (1990-04-04) 7 June 1991 (1991-06-07) 3 years, 355 days
  Minister for Health, Housing and Community Services 7 June 1991 (1991-06-07) 20 December 1991 (1991-12-20)
  Keating 20 December 1991 (1991-12-20) 24 March 1993 (1993-03-24)
  Minister for Housing, Local Government and Community Services 24 March 1993 (1993-03-24) 23 December 1993 (1993-12-23)
  Minister for Housing, Local Government and Human Services 23 December 1993 (1993-12-23) 25 March 1994 (1994-03-25)
17 Carmen Lawrence   Minister for Human Services and Health 25 March 1994 (1994-03-25) 11 March 1996 (1996-03-11) 1 year, 352 days
18 Michael Wooldridge   Liberal Howard Minister for Health and Family Services 11 March 1996 (1996-03-11) 21 October 1998 (1998-10-21) 2 years, 224 days
19 Jocelyn Newman   Minister for Family and Community Services 21 October 1998 (1998-10-21) 30 January 2001 (2001-01-30) 2 years, 101 days
20 Amanda Vanstone   30 January 2001 (2001-01-30) 7 October 2003 (2003-10-07) 2 years, 250 days
21 Kay Patterson   7 October 2003 (2003-10-07) 27 January 2006 (2006-01-27) 2 years, 112 days
22 Mal Brough   Minister for Families and Community Services and Indigenous Affairs 27 January 2006 (2006-01-27) 3 December 2007 (2007-12-03) 1 year, 310 days
23 Jenny Macklin   Labor Rudd Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs 3 December 2007 (2007-12-03) 24 June 2010 (2010-06-24) 5 years, 289 days
  Gillard 24 June 2010 (2010-06-24) 14 December 2011 (2011-12-14)
  Minister for Families, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs 14 December 2011 (2011-12-14) 27 June 2013 (2013-06-27)
  Rudd 27 June 2013 (2013-06-27) 18 September 2013 (2013-09-18)
24 Kevin Andrews   Liberal Abbott Minister for Social Services 18 September 2013 (2013-09-18) 23 December 2014 (2014-12-23) 1 year, 96 days
25 Scott Morrison   23 December 2014 (2014-12-23) 15 September 2015 272 days
  Turnbull 15 September 2015 (2015-09-15) 21 September 2015
26 Christian Porter   21 September 2015 (2015-09-21) 20 December 2017 2 years, 90 days
27 Dan Tehan   20 December 2017 (2017-12-20) 28 August 2018 251 days
28 Paul Fletcher   Morrison Minister for Families and Social Services 28 August 2018 (2018-08-28) 29 May 2019 (2019-05-29) 274 days
29 Anne Ruston   29 May 2019 (2019-05-29) Incumbent 1 year, 249 days

List of Ministers for the National Disability Insurance Scheme

The following individuals have been appointed as Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme, or any of its precedent titles such as Assistant Minister for Social Services and Disability Services:[2]

Order Minister Party Prime Minister Title Term start Term end Term in office
1 Jenny Macklin Labor Gillard Minister for Disability Reform 14 December 2011 27 June 2013 4 years, 101 days
Rudd 27 June 2013 18 September 2013
2 Jane Prentice Liberal Turnbull Assistant Minister for Disability Services 18 February 2016 (2016-02-18) 20 December 2017 (2017-12-20) 4 years, 350 days
Assistant Minister for Social Services and Disability Services[3] 20 December 2017 (2017-12-20) 28 August 2018
3 Sarah Henderson Morrison Assistant Minister for Social Services, Housing and Disability Services 28 August 2018 (2018-08-28) 18 May 2019 (2019-05-18) 263 days
4 Stuart Robert Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme 29 May 2019 (2019-05-29) Incumbent 1 year, 249 days

List of housing ministers

The first Minister for Housing was Les Bury, appointed in 1963, although there were Ministers in charge of War Service Homes from 1932 to 1938 and 1941 to 1945. In 1945 Bert Lazzarini was appointed Minister for Works and Housing and this title continued until 1952, when Wilfrid Kent Hughes became Minister for Works. No minister included "works" or "construction" in his portfolio after Stewart West lost this title in 1987, partly reflecting the progressive outsourcing of the Commonwealth's construction activities and even ownership of assets. The John Howard government had no Minister of Housing, partly reflecting the decline of the significance of the commonwealth-state housing agreements as a means of providing new housing since the post-war years.

The following individuals have been appointed as Minister for Housing and Homelessness, or any precedent titles:[2]

Order Minister Party Title Term start Term end Term in office
1 Bert Lazzarini   Labor Minister for Works and Housing 13 July 1945 (1945-07-13) 1 November 1946 (1946-11-01) 1 year, 111 days
2 Nelson Lemmon 1 November 1946 (1946-11-01) 19 December 1949 (1949-12-19) 3 years, 48 days
3 Richard Casey Liberal 19 December 1949 (1949-12-19) 11 May 1951 (1951-05-11) 1 year, 143 days
4 Wilfrid Kent Hughes 11 May 1951 (1951-05-11) 4 June 1952 (1952-06-04) 1 year, 24 days
5 Les Bury Liberal Minister for Housing 18 December 1963 (1963-12-18) 26 January 1966 (1966-01-26) 2 years, 39 days
6 Annabelle Rankin 26 January 1966 (1966-01-26) 22 March 1971 (1971-03-22) 5 years, 55 days
7 Kevin Cairns 22 March 1971 (1971-03-22) 5 December 1972 (1972-12-05) 1 year, 258 days
8 Gough Whitlam1 Labor 5 December 1972 (1972-12-05) 19 December 1972 (1972-12-19) 14 days
9 Les Johnson 19 December 1972 (1972-12-19) 30 November 1973 (1973-11-30) 2 years, 169 days
Minister for Housing and Construction 30 November 1973 (1973-11-30) 6 June 1975 (1975-06-06)
10 Joe Riordan 6 June 1975 (1975-06-06) 11 November 1975 (1975-11-11) 158 days
11 John Carrick Liberal 11 November 1975 (1975-11-11) 22 December 1975 (1975-12-22) 41 days
12 Ivor Greenwood Minister for Environment, Housing and Community Development 22 December 1975 (1975-12-22) 8 July 1976 (1976-07-08) 199 days
13 Kevin Newman 8 July 1976 (1976-07-08) 20 December 1977 (1977-12-20) 1 year, 165 days
14 Ray Groom 20 December 1977 (1977-12-20) 5 December 1978 (1978-12-05) 2 years, 319 days
Minister for Housing and Construction 5 December 1978 (1978-12-05) 3 November 1980 (1980-11-03)
15 Tom McVeigh National Country 3 November 1980 (1980-11-03) 7 May 1982 (1982-05-07) 1 year, 185 days
16 Chris Hurford Labor Minister for Housing and Construction 11 March 1983 (1983-03-11) 13 December 1984 (1984-12-13) 1 year, 277 days
17 Stewart West 13 December 1984 (1984-12-13) 24 July 1987 (1987-07-24) 2 years, 223 days
18 Peter Morris Labor Minister for Housing and Aged Care 19 January 1988 (1988-01-19) 15 February 1988 (1988-02-15) 27 days
19 Peter Staples 15 February 1988 (1988-02-15) 7 May 1990 (1990-05-07) 2 years, 81 days
20 Brian Howe Minister for Community Services and Health 7 May 1990 (1990-05-07) 7 June 1991 (1991-06-07) 5 years, 309 days
Minister for Health, Housing and Community Services 7 June 1991 (1991-06-07) 24 March 1993 (1993-03-24)
Minister for Housing, Local Government and Community Services 24 March 1993 (1993-03-24) 23 December 1993 (1993-12-23)
Minister for Housing, Local Government and Human Services 23 December 1993 (1993-12-23) 25 March 1994 (1994-03-25)
Minister for Housing and Regional Development 25 March 1994 (1994-03-25) 11 March 1996 (1996-03-11)
21 Tanya Plibersek Labor Minister for Housing 3 December 2007 (2007-12-03) 14 September 2010 (2010-09-14) 2 years, 285 days
22 Mark Arbib Minister for Social Housing and Homelessness 14 September 2010 (2010-09-14) 14 December 2011 (2011-12-14) 1 year, 91 days
23 Robert McClelland Minister for Housing and Minister for Homelessness 14 December 2011 (2011-12-14) 5 March 2012 (2012-03-05) 82 days
24 Brendan O'Connor 5 March 2012 (2012-03-05) 25 March 2013 (2013-03-25) 1 year, 20 days
25 Mark Butler Minister for Housing and Homelessness 25 March 2013 (2013-03-25) 1 July 2013 (2013-07-01) 98 days
26 Julie Collins 1 July 2013 (2013-07-01) 18 September 2013 (2013-09-18) 79 days
27 Michael Sukkar Liberal Minister for Housing 29 May 2019 (2019-05-29) Incumbent 1 year, 249 days

Notes

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

Assistant ministers

List of Assistant Ministers for Children and Families

The following individuals have been appointed as Assistant Minister for Children and Families, or any precedent titles:

Order Minister Party Prime Minister Title Term start Term end Term in office
1 David Gillespie   The Nationals Turnbull Assistant Minister for Children and Families 20 December 2017 (2017-12-20) 28 August 2018 (2018-08-28) 251 days
2 Michelle Landry   Morrison 28 August 2018 (2018-08-28) Incumbent 2 years, 158 days

Former portfolio ministers

List of ministers for major projects
Further information: Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development (Australia) § List of ministers for major projects

List of ministers for urban development
Further information: Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development (Australia) § List of ministers for urban development

List of ministers for aged care

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:[2] The Turnbull Government transferred the aged care portfolio back to the Department of Health in October 2015.

Order Minister Party Title Term start Term end Term in office
1 Peter Morris   Labor Minister for Housing and Aged Care 19 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 Services 7 May 1990 (1990-05-07) 24 March 1993 (1993-03-24)
3 Bronwyn Bishop Liberal Minister for Aged Care 21 October 1998 (1998-10-21) 26 November 2001 (2001-11-26) 3 years, 36 days
4 Kevin Andrews Minister for Ageing 26 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 3 December 2007 (2007-12-03) 28 June 2010 (2010-06-28) 2 years, 207 days
9 Mark Butler Minister for Mental Health and Ageing 28 June 2010 (2010-06-28) 1 July 2013 (2013-07-01) 3 years, 3 days
10 Jacinta Collins 1 July 2013 (2013-07-01) 18 September 2013 (2013-09-18) 79 days
For subsequent appointments, see the List of Australian ministers for aged care

List of assistant ministers for social services and for multicultural affairs

The following individuals have been appointed as Assistant Minister for Social Services and Multicultural Affairs, or any precedent titles:[2]

Order Minister Party Prime Minister Title Term start Term end Term in office
1 Mitch Fifield   Liberal Abbott Assistant Minister for Social Services 18 September 2013 (2013-09-18) 15 September 2015 2 years, 3 days
  Turnbull 15 September 2015 (2015-09-15) 21 September 2015
2 Craig Laundy   Liberal Turnbull Assistant Minister for Multicultural Affairs 18 February 2016 (2016-02-18) 18 July 2016 (2016-07-18) 151 days
3 Zed Seselja   Assistant Minister for Social Services and Multicultural Affairs 18 July 2016 (2016-07-18) 20 December 2017 (2017-12-20) 1 year, 155 days
For subsequent appointments, see the Minister for Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs

References
  1. "Ministers". Department of Social Services. Government of Australia.
  2. "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. Turnbull, Malcolm (20 December 2017). "Ministerial Arrangements" (Press release). Government of Australia. Archived from the original on 13 March 2018. Retrieved 3 February 2018. Dan Tehan will join Cabinet in the critical role of Minister for Social Services. He will work closely with the newly created role of Assistant Minister for Children and Families, which will be filled by David Gillespie, as well as with Jane Prentice, who has been doing an outstanding job as Assistant Minister for Social Services and Disability Services.
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