The Minister for Foreign Affairs, also known as the Foreign Minister, is the minister of state of the Commonwealth of Australia charged with overseeing the creation and implementation of international diplomacy, relations and foreign affairs policy, as the head of the foreign affairs section of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The current Foreign Minister is Senator Penny Wong, who was appointed by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in May 2022 following the 2022 federal election.
| Minister for Foreign Affairs | |
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| Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade | |
| Style | The Honourable |
| Appointer | Governor-General on the recommendation of the Prime Minister of Australia |
| Inaugural holder | Edmund Barton (as Minister for External Affairs) |
| Formation | 1 January 1901 |
| Website | www |
Wong is the first female Foreign Minister from the Australian Labor Party (ALP) and the third female foreign minister in a row, following Julie Bishop and Marise Payne. The position is one of two cabinet-level portfolio ministers under the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the other being the Minister for Trade and Tourism. The Foreign Minister is vested with several subordinate positions, including the Minister for International Development and the Pacific, currently held by Pat Conroy, and the Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs, currently held by Tim Watts.
Scope
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The minister is usually one of the most senior members of Cabinet – the position is equivalent to that of Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs in Britain or Secretary of State in the United States – as shown by the fact that eleven Prime Ministers of Australia have also worked as the Minister for Foreign Affairs. The minister is seen as one of the people most responsible for formulating Australia's foreign policy, as they along with other relevant ministers advise the Prime Minister in developing and implementing foreign policy, and also acts as the government's main spokesperson on international affairs issues. In recent times, the minister also undertakes numerous international trips to meet with foreign representatives and Heads of State or Government.
List of ministers for foreign affairs
editThe portfolio has existed continuously since 1901, except for the period 14 November 1916 to 21 December 1921. Prior to 6 November 1970, the office was known as the Minister for External Affairs. Between 24 July 1987 and 24 March 1993 it was known as the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade. Starting with the Keating government, the Trade portfolio has been administered separately by the Minister for Trade.
The following individuals have been appointed as Minister for Foreign Affairs, or any of its precedent titles:[1]
| Order | Minister | Party | Prime Minister | Title | Term start | Term end | Term in office | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Edmund Barton1 2 | Protectionist | Barton | Minister for External Affairs | 1 January 1901 | 24 September 1903 | 2 years, 266 days | |
| 2 | Alfred Deakin1 | Deakin | 24 September 1903 | 27 April 1904 | 216 days | |||
| 3 | Billy Hughes | Labor | Watson | 27 April 1904 | 17 August 1904 | 112 days | ||
| 4 | George Reid1 | Free Trade | Reid | 18 August 1904 | 5 July 1905 | 321 days | ||
| n/a | Alfred Deakin1 | Protectionist | Deakin | 5 July 1905 | 13 November 1908 | 3 years, 131 days | ||
| 5 | Lee Batchelor | Labor | Fisher | 13 November 1908 | 2 June 1909 | 201 days | ||
| 6 | Littleton Groom | Liberal | Deakin | 2 June 1909 | 29 April 1910 | 331 days | ||
| n/a | Lee Batchelor | Labor | Fisher | 29 April 1910 | 8 October 1911 | 1 year, 162 days | ||
| 7 | Josiah Thomas | 14 October 1911 | 24 June 1913 | 1 year, 253 days | ||||
| 8 | Paddy Glynn | Liberal | Cook | 24 June 1913 | 17 September 1914 | 1 year, 85 days | ||
| 9 | John Arthur | Labor | Fisher | 17 September 1914 | 9 December 1914 | 83 days | ||
| 10 | Hugh Mahon | 9 December 1914 | 27 October 1915 | 322 days | ||||
| Hughes | 27 October 1915 | 14 November 1916 | 1 year, 18 days | |||||
| n/a | Billy Hughes1 | Nationalist | Hughes | Minister for External Affairs | 21 December 1921 | 9 February 1923 | 1 year, 50 days | |
| 11 | Stanley Bruce1 | Bruce | 9 February 1923 | 22 October 1929 | 6 years, 255 days | |||
| 12 | James Scullin1 | Labor | Scullin | 22 October 1929 | 6 January 1932 | 2 years, 76 days | ||
| 13 | John Latham | United Australia | Lyons | 6 January 1932 | 12 October 1934 | 2 years, 279 days | ||
| 14 | Sir George Pearce | 12 October 1934 | 29 November 1937 | 3 years, 48 days | ||||
| n/a | Billy Hughes | 29 November 1937 | 7 April 1939 | 1 year, 129 days | ||||
| Page | 7 April 1939 | 26 April 1939 | 19 days | |||||
| 15 | Sir Henry Somer Gullett | Menzies | 26 April 1939 | 14 March 1940 | 323 days | |||
| 16 | John McEwen | Country | 14 March 1940 | 28 October 1940 | 228 days | |||
| 17 | Frederick Stewart | United Australia | 28 October 1940 | 29 August 1941 | 305 days | |||
| Fadden | 29 August 1941 | 7 October 1941 | 39 days | |||||
| 18 | H. V. Evatt | Labor | Curtin | 7 October 1941 | 6 July 1945 | 8 years, 73 days | ||
| Forde | 6 July 1945 | 13 July 1945 | ||||||
| Chifley | 13 July 1945 | 19 December 1949 | ||||||
| 19 | Percy Spender | Liberal | Menzies | 19 December 1949 | 26 April 1951 | 1 year, 128 days | ||
| 20 | Richard Casey | 27 April 1951 | 4 February 1960 | 8 years, 283 days | ||||
| 21 | Robert Menzies1 | 4 February 1960 | 22 December 1961 | 1 year, 321 days | ||||
| 22 | Sir Garfield Barwick | 22 December 1961 | 24 April 1964 | 2 years, 124 days | ||||
| 23 | Paul Hasluck | 24 April 1964 | 26 January 1966 | 4 years, 293 days | ||||
| Holt | 26 January 1966 | 19 December 1967 | ||||||
| McEwen | 19 December 1967 | 10 January 1968 | ||||||
| Gorton | 10 January 1968 | 11 February 1969 | ||||||
| 24 | Gordon Freeth | 11 February 1969 | 12 November 1969 | 274 days | ||||
| 25 | William McMahon | 12 November 1969 | 6 November 1970 | 1 year, 130 days | ||||
| Minister for Foreign Affairs | 6 November 1970 | 10 March 1971 | ||||||
| McMahon | 10 March 1971 | 22 March 1971 | ||||||
| 26 | Leslie Bury | 22 March 1971 | 2 August 1971 | 133 days | ||||
| 27 | Nigel Bowen | 2 August 1971 | 5 December 1972 | 1 year, 125 days | ||||
| 28 | Gough Whitlam1 | Labor | Whitlam | 5 December 1972 | 6 November 1973 | 336 days | ||
| 29 | Don Willesee | 6 November 1973 | 11 November 1975 | 2 years, 5 days | ||||
| 30 | Andrew Peacock | Liberal | Fraser | 12 November 1975 | 3 November 1980 | 4 years, 358 days | ||
| 31 | Tony Street | 3 November 1980 | 11 March 1983 | 2 years, 128 days | ||||
| 32 | Bill Hayden | Labor | Hawke | 11 March 1983 | 24 July 1987 | 5 years, 159 days | ||
| Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade | 24 July 1987 | 17 August 1988 | ||||||
| 33 | Gareth Evans | 2 September 1988 | 20 December 1991 | 7 years, 191 days | ||||
| Keating | 20 December 1991 | 24 March 1993 | ||||||
| Minister for Foreign Affairs | 24 March 1993 | 11 March 1996 | ||||||
| 34 | Alexander Downer | Liberal | Howard | 11 March 1996 | 3 December 2007 | 11 years, 267 days | ||
| 35 | Stephen Smith | Labor | Rudd | 3 December 2007 | 24 June 2010 | 2 years, 285 days | ||
| Gillard | 24 June 2010 | 14 September 2010 | ||||||
| 36 | Kevin Rudd | 14 September 2010 | 22 February 2012 | 1 year, 161 days | ||||
| 37 | Bob Carr | 13 March 2012 | 27 June 2013 | 1 year, 189 days | ||||
| Rudd | 27 June 2013 | 18 September 2013 | ||||||
| 38 | Julie Bishop | Liberal | Abbott | 18 September 2013 | 15 September 2015 | 4 years, 344 days | ||
| Turnbull | 15 September 2015 | 24 August 2018 | ||||||
| Morrison | 24 August 2018 | 28 August 2018 | ||||||
| 39 | Marise Payne | 28 August 2018 | 23 May 2022 | 3 years, 268 days | ||||
| 40 | Penny Wong | Labor | Albanese | 23 May 2022 | Incumbent | 2 years, 174 days | ||
Notes
- 1 Also served as Prime Minister for some or all of their term.
- 2 Barton was knighted in 1902, while serving as Minister.
List of ministers for international development and the Pacific
editThe Minister for International Development was responsible, in the Rudd Cabinet, for the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) and the international development and humanitarian aid policies of the Commonwealth of Australia, administered through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).[2][3][4] AusAID was abolished by the incoming prime minister, Tony Abbott, in September 2013 and under the operations of the Abbott Cabinet its functions were absorbed into DFAT.
The following individuals have been appointed as Minister for International Development and the Pacific, or any precedent title:
| Order | Minister | Party | Prime Minister | Ministerial title | Term start | Term end | Term in office | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bill Morrison | Labor | Whitlam | Minister assisting the Minister for Foreign Affairs in matters relating to Papua New Guinea | 30 November 1973 | 6 June 1975 | 1 year, 346 days | |
| Minister assisting the Minister for Foreign Affairs in matters relating to the Islands of the Pacific | 6 June 1975 | 11 November 1975 | ||||||
| 2 | Neal Blewett | Labor | Hawke | Minister for Trade and Overseas Development | 1 February 1991 | 20 December 1991 | 329 days | |
| Keating | 20 December 1991 | 27 December 1991 | ||||||
| 3 | John Kerin | 27 December 1991 | 24 March 1993 | 1 year, 87 days | ||||
| 4 | Gordon Bilney | Minister for Development Cooperation and Pacific Island Affairs | 24 March 1993 | 11 March 1996 | 2 years, 353 days | |||
| 5 | Melissa Parke | Labor | Rudd | Minister for International Development | 1 July 2013 | 18 September 2013 | 79 days | |
| 6 | Steven Ciobo | Liberal | Turnbull | Minister for International Development and the Pacific | 21 September 2015 | 18 February 2016 | 150 days | |
| 7 | Concetta Fierravanti-Wells | 18 February 2016 | 21 August 2018 | 2 years, 184 days | ||||
| 8 | Alex Hawke | Liberal | Morrison | Minister for International Development and the Pacific | 29 May 2019 | 22 December 2020 | 1 year, 207 days | |
| 9 | Zed Seselja | 22 December 2020 | 23 May 2022 | 1 year, 152 days | ||||
| 10 | Pat Conroy | Labor | Albanese | 1 June 2022 | Incumbent | 2 years, 165 days | ||
List of ministers assisting the minister for foreign affairs
editThe following individuals have been appointed as Minister assisting the Minister for Foreign Affairs or any of its precedent titles:
| Order | Minister | Party | Prime Minister | Ministerial title | Term start | Term end | Term in office | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | John Gorton | Liberal | Menzies | Minister Assisting the Minister for External Affairs | 23 March 1960 | 18 December 1963 | 3 years, 270 days | |
| 2 | Don Willesee | Labor | Whitlam | Minister assisting the Minister for Foreign Affairs | 19 December 1972 | 6 November 1973 | 322 days | |
| 3 | Bill Morrison | Minister assisting the Minister for Foreign Affairs in matters relating to Papua New Guinea | 30 November 1973 | 6 June 1975 | 1 year, 346 days | |||
| Minister assisting the Minister for Foreign Affairs in matters relating to the Islands of the Pacific | 6 June 1975 | 11 November 1975 | ||||||
| 4 | Gareth Evans | Labor | Hawke | Minister assisting the Minister for Foreign Affairs | 13 December 1984 | 24 July 1987 | 2 years, 223 days | |
List of parliamentary secretaries and assistant ministers for foreign affairs
editThe following individuals have been appointed as parliamentary secretaries and assistant ministers for Foreign Affairs or any of its precedent titles:
| Order | Minister | Party | Prime Minister | Ministerial title | Term start | Term end | Term in office | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Stephen Martin | Labor | Keating | Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade | 27 December 1991 | 24 March 1993 | 1 year, 87 days | |
| 2 | Andrew Thomson | Liberal | Howard | Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Foreign Affairs | 11 March 1996 | 9 October 1997 | 1 year, 212 days | |
| 3 | Kathy Sullivan | 9 October 1997 | 16 February 2000 | 2 years, 130 days | ||||
| 4 | Kay Patterson | 16 February 2000 | 26 November 2001 | 1 year, 283 days | ||||
| 5 | Chris Gallus | 26 November 2001 | 18 July 2004 | 2 years, 235 days | ||||
| 6 | Bruce Billson | 18 July 2004 | 26 October 2004 | 1 year, 193 days | ||||
| Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs and Trade | 26 October 2004 | 6 July 2005 | ||||||
| Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Foreign Affairs | 6 July 2005 | 27 January 2006 | ||||||
| 7 | Teresa Gambaro | 27 January 2006 | 30 January 2007 | 1 year, 3 days | ||||
| 8 | Greg Hunt | 30 January 2007 | 3 December 2007 | 307 days | ||||
| 9 | Richard Marles | Labor | Gillard | Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs | 5 March 2012 | 22 March 2013 | 362 days | |
| 10 | Brett Mason | Liberal | Abbott | Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Foreign Affairs | 18 September 2013 | 23 December 2014 | 1 year, 96 days | |
| 11 | Steven Ciobo | 23 December 2014 | 21 September 2015 | 272 days | ||||
| 12 | Tim Watts | Labor | Albanese | Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs | 1 June 2022 | Incumbent | 2 years, 165 days | |
List of parliamentary secretaries and assistant ministers for international development and the pacific
editThe following individuals have been appointed as parliamentary secretaries and assistant ministers for Foreign Affairs or any of its precedent titles:
| Order | Minister | Party | Prime Minister | Ministerial title | Term start | Term end | Term in office | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Richard Marles | Labor | Gillard | Parliamentary Secretary for Pacific Island Affairs | 27 September 2009 | 22 March 2013 | 3 years, 176 days | |
| 2 | Matt Thistlethwaite | 22 March 2013 | 27 June 2013 | 180 days | ||||
| Rudd | 22 June 2013 | 18 September 2013 | ||||||
| 3 | Anne Ruston | Liberal | Morrison | Assistant Minister for International Development and the Pacific | 28 August 2018 | 29 May 2019 | 273 days | |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "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.
- ^ "Melissa Parke appointed Minister for International Development". Australian Agency for International Development (Press release). Australian Government. 1 July 2013. Archived from the original on 5 July 2013. Retrieved 28 July 2013.
- ^ "Oxfam welcomes new Minister for International Development" (Press release). Oxfam Australia. 1 July 2013. Retrieved 28 July 2013.
- ^ Betteridge, Ashlee (1 July 2013). "Rudd appoints Minister for International Development". DevPolicy Blog. Australia: Development Policy Centre. Retrieved 28 July 2013.
External links
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