Minister for Health and Aged Care

The Australian Minister for Health and Aged Care is responsible for national health and wellbeing and medical research. The Hon Greg Hunt MP has served as Minister for Health since 2017, and briefly left office in 2018 following criticism of the leadership of Malcolm Turnbull.[1]

Minister for Health and Aged Care
Incumbent Greg Hunt since 28 August 2018
Department of Health
Style	The Honourable
Appointer	Governor-General on the recommendation of the Prime Minister of Australia
Inaugural holder	Frank Tudor
Formation	13 November 1908

Minister for Senior Australians and Aged Care Services
Incumbent Richard Colbeck since 26 May 2019
Department of Health
Style	The Honourable
Appointer	Governor-General on the recommendation of the Prime Minister of Australia
Inaugural holder	Warren Snowdon
Formation	9 June 2009

The Minister for Senior Australians and Aged Care Services is Richard Colbeck since May 2019. Ken Wyatt AM, MP held the position from 2017 to 2018, having previously served as the Assistant Minister for Health and Aged Care since September 2015.[1][2][3]

In the Government of Australia, the ministers are responsible for national health and medical research policy. The minister provides direction and oversight of the Department of Health.

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,[4] 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 Ministry was named the "Ministry of Helth [sic]" in some informal contexts due to Everingham's support of Spelling Reform.[5][6][7]

List of health ministers

The following individuals have been appointed as Minister for Health, or any of its precedent titles:[8]

Order	Minister	Party		Prime Minister	Title	Term start	Term end	Term in office
1	Walter Massy-Greene		Nationalist	Hughes	Minister for Health	10 March 1921	5 February 1923	1 year, 332 days
2	Austin Chapman			Bruce		9 February 1923	26 May 1924	1 year, 107 days
3	Littleton Groom					26 May 1924	13 June 1924	18 days
4	Herbert Pratten					13 June 1924	16 January 1925	217 days
5	Sir Neville Howse					16 January 1925	2 April 1927	2 years, 76 days
6	Stanley Bruce					2 April 1927	24 February 1928	328 days
(5)	Sir Neville Howse					24 February 1928	22 October 1929	1 year, 240 days
7	Frank Anstey		Labor	Scullin		22 October 1929	3 March 1931	1 year, 132 days
8	John McNeill					3 March 1931	6 January 1932	309 days
9	Charles Marr		United Australia	Lyons		6 January 1932	12 October 1934	2 years, 279 days
10	Billy Hughes					12 October 1934	6 November 1935	1 year, 25 days
11	Joseph Lyons					6 November 1935	26 February 1936	112 days
(10)	Billy Hughes					26 February 1936	29 November 1937	1 year, 276 days
12	Sir Earle Page		Country			29 November 1937	7 November 1938	343 days
13	Harry Foll		United Australia			7 November 1938	7 April 1939	170 days
				Page		7 April 1939	26 April 1939
14	Sir Frederick Stewart			Menzies		26 April 1939	14 March 1940	323 days
15	Harold Thorby		Country			14 March 1940	28 October 1940	228 days
(14)	Sir Frederick Stewart		United Australia			28 October 1940	29 August 1941	344 days
				Fadden		29 August 1941	7 October 1941
16	Jack Holloway		Labor	Curtin		7 October 1941	21 September 1943	1 year, 349 days
17	James Fraser					21 September 1943	6 July 1945	1 year, 288 days
				Forde		6 July 1945	13 July 1945	7 days
				Chifley		13 July 1945	18 June 1946	340 days
18	Nick McKenna					18 June 1946	19 December 1949	3 years, 184 days
(12)	Sir Earle Page		Country	Menzies		19 December 1949	11 January 1956	6 years, 23 days
19	Donald Cameron		Liberal			11 January 1956	22 December 1961	5 years, 345 days
20	Harrie Wade		Country			22 December 1961	18 November 1964	2 years, 332 days
21	Reginald Swartz		Liberal			21 November 1964	26 January 1966	1 year, 66 days
22	Jim Forbes			Holt		26 January 1966	19 December 1967	5 years, 55 days
				McEwen		19 December 1967	10 January 1968
				Gorton		10 January 1968	10 March 1971
				McMahon		10 March 1971	22 March 1971
23	Ivor Greenwood					22 March 1971	2 August 1971	133 days
24	Sir Ken Anderson					2 August 1971	5 December 1972	1 year, 125 days
25	Lance Barnard^1		Labor	Whitlam		5 December 1972	19 December 1972	14 days
26	Doug Everingham				Minister for Health^2	19 December 1972	11 November 1975	2 years, 327 days
27	Don Chipp		Liberal	Fraser	Minister for Health	11 November 1975	22 December 1975	41 days
28	Ralph Hunt		National Country			22 December 1975	8 December 1979	3 years, 351 days
29	Michael MacKellar		Liberal			8 December 1979	20 April 1982	2 years, 133 days
30	Peter Baume					20 April 1982	7 May 1982	17 days
31	Jim Carlton					7 May 1982	11 March 1983	308 days
32	Neal Blewett		Labor	Hawke		11 March 1983	24 July 1987	7 years, 24 days
					Minister for Community Services and Health	24 July 1987	4 April 1990
33	Brian Howe					4 April 1990	7 June 1991	2 years, 354 days
				Keating	Minister for Health, Housing and Community Services	7 June 1991	24 March 1993
34	Graham Richardson				Minister for Health	24 March 1993	25 March 1994	1 year, 1 day
35	Carmen Lawrence				Minister for Human Services and Health	25 March 1994	11 March 1996	1 year, 352 days
36	Michael Wooldridge		Liberal	Howard	Minister for Health and Family Services	11 March 1996	21 October 1998	5 years, 260 days
					Minister for Health and Aged Care	21 October 1998	26 November 2001
37	Kay Patterson				Minister for Health and Ageing	26 November 2001	7 October 2003	1 year, 315 days
38	Tony Abbott					7 October 2003	3 December 2007	4 years, 57 days
39	Nicola Roxon		Labor	Rudd		3 December 2007	24 June 2010	4 years, 8 days
				Gillard		24 June 2010	11 December 2011
40	Tanya Plibersek				Minister for Health	11 December 2011	1 July 2013	1 year, 281 days
				Rudd	Minister for Health and Medical Research	1 July 2013	18 September 2013
41	Peter Dutton		Liberal	Abbott	Minister for Health	18 September 2013	23 December 2014	1 year, 96 days
42	Sussan Ley					23 December 2014	15 September 2015	2 years, 21 days
				Turnbull		15 September 2015	19 July 2016
					Minister for Health and Ageing	19 July 2016	13 January 2017
(acting)	Arthur Sinodinos[9]					13 January 2017	24 January 2017	11 days
43	Greg Hunt				Minister for Health	24 January 2017	24 August 2018	4 years, 9 days
				Morrison		24 August 2018	22 December 2020
					Minister for Heath and Aged Care	22 December 2020	Incumbent

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).

List of ministers for aged care

The following individuals have been appointed as the Minister for Senior Australians and Aged Care Services, or any of its precedent titles:[8]

Order	Minister	Party		Prime Minister	Title	Term start	Term end	Term in office
For earlier appointments, see the List of Australian ministers for aged care
1	Christopher Pyne		Liberal	Howard	Assistant Minister for Health and Ageing	30 January 2007	21 March 2007	50 days
2	Fiona Nash		Nationals	Abbott	Assistant Minister for Health	18 September 2013	15 September 2015	2 years, 3 days
				Turnbull		15 September 2015	21 September 2015
3	Ken Wyatt		Liberal	Turnbull	Assistant Minister for Health	30 September 2015	18 February 2016	3 years, 241 days
					Assistant Minister for Health and Aged Care	18 February 2016	18 January 2017
					Minister for Aged Care	24 January 2017	28 August 2018
				Morrison	Minister for Senior Australians and Aged Care	28 August 2018	29 May 2019
4	Richard Colbeck				Minister for Aged Care and Senior Australians	29 May 2019	22 December 2020	1 year, 249 days
					Minister for Senior Australians and Aged Care Services	22 December 2020	Incumbent

Former ministerial posts

List of assistant health ministers

The following individual has been appointed as the Assistant Health Minister, or any of its precedent titles:[8]

Order	Minister	Party		Prime Minister	Title	Term start	Term end	Term in office
1	David Gillespie		Nationals	Turnbull	Assistant Minister for Rural Health	19 July 2016	24 January 2017	1 year, 154 days
					Assistant Minister for Health	24 January 2017	20 December 2017

List of ministers for indigenous health

The following individuals have been appointed as Minister for Indigenous Health, or any of its precedent titles:[8]

Order	Minister	Party		Prime Minister	Title	Term start	Term end	Term in office
1	Warren Snowdon		Labor	Rudd	Minister for Indigenous Health, Rural and Regional Health and Regional Services Delivery	9 June 2009	24 June 2010	4 years, 101 days
				Gillard		24 June 2010	14 September 2010
					Minister for Indigenous Health	14 September 2010	27 June 2013
				Rudd		27 June 2013	18 September 2013
2	Ken Wyatt		Liberal	Turnbull Morrison	Minister for Indigenous Health	24 January 2017	29 May 2019	2 years, 125 days

List of ministers for rural health

The following individuals have been appointed as Minister for Rural Health, or any of its precedent titles:[8]

Order	Minister	Party		Prime Minister	Title	Term start	Term end	Term in office
1	Fiona Nash		Nationals	Turnbull	Minister for Rural Health	21 September 2015	19 July 2016	302 days
2	Bridget McKenzie		Nationals	Turnbull	Minister for Rural Health	20 December 2017	28 August 2018	251 days

See also

• Minister for Social Services
• Minister for Sport

References

1. "New federal ministers officially sworn in". Australia: Sky News. AAP. 24 January 2017. Retrieved 24 January 2017.
2. Karp, Paul (18 January 2017). "Malcolm Turnbull names Greg Hunt to become health and sport minister". The Guardian. Retrieved 18 January 2017.
3. Massola, James (13 February 2016). "Cabinet reshuffle: Malcolm Turnbull announces new frontbench as Mal Brough resigns". The Age. Retrieved 13 February 2016.
4. "Communicable Diseases Surveillance: Surveillance Systems". Department of Health and Ageing. Commonwealth of Australia. 12 February 2009. Retrieved 13 July 2013.
5. Sampson, Geoffrey (1990). Writing Systems. Stanford University Press. p. 197.
6. Fairbairn, David (12 September 1973). "Second Reading (Budget Debate) Appropriation Bill (No. 1) 1973–1974" (PDF). Australian House of Representatives Hansard. Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 3 July 2013.
7. "The Case for SR1 and Nothing Else". Archived from the original on 31 December 2010. Retrieved 11 April 2011.
8. "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.
9. Anderson, Stephanie (18 January 2017). "Greg Hunt announced as Sussan Ley's replacement as Health Minister". ABC News. Retrieved 2 June 2019.

External links

• Minister's website