Minister for Health and Aged Care

The Minister for Health and Aged Care is the position in the Australian cabinet responsible for national health and wellbeing and medical research. The incumbent Minister is Labor MP Mark Butler.

Minister for Health and Aged Care
Commonwealth Coat of Arms
Flag of Australia
Incumbent Mark Butler since 1 June 2022 (2022-06-01)
Department of Health and Aged Care
Style	The Honourable
Appointer	Governor-General on the recommendation of the Prime Minister of Australia
Inaugural holder	Walter Massy-Greene (as Minister for Health)
Formation	10 March 1921 (1921-03-10)
Website	www.health.gov.au/ministers/the-hon-mark-butler-mp

In the Government of Australia, the minister is responsible for national health and medical research policy, providing direction and oversight of the Department of Health and Aged Care.

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,^[1] 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 minister was named the "Minister for Helth [sic]" in some informal contexts due to Everingham's support of Spelling Reform.^[2][3][4]

List of ministers

Health

The following individuals have been appointed as Minister for Health, or any of its precedent titles:^[5]

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 (1921-03-10)	5 February 1923 (1923-02-05)	1 year, 332 days
2	Austin Chapman			Bruce		9 February 1923 (1923-02-09)	26 May 1924 (1924-05-26)	1 year, 107 days
3	Littleton Groom					26 May 1924 (1924-05-26)	13 June 1924 (1924-06-13)	18 days
4	Herbert Pratten					13 June 1924 (1924-06-13)	16 January 1925 (1925-01-16)	217 days
5	Sir Neville Howse					16 January 1925 (1925-01-16)	2 April 1927 (1927-04-02)	2 years, 76 days
6	Stanley Bruce					2 April 1927 (1927-04-02)	24 February 1928 (1928-02-24)	328 days
(5)	Sir Neville Howse					24 February 1928 (1928-02-24)	22 October 1929 (1929-10-22)	1 year, 240 days
7	Frank Anstey		Labor	Scullin		22 October 1929 (1929-10-22)	3 March 1931 (1931-03-03)	1 year, 132 days
8	John McNeill					3 March 1931 (1931-03-03)	6 January 1932 (1932-01-06)	309 days
9	Charles Marr		United Australia	Lyons		6 January 1932 (1932-01-06)	12 October 1934 (1934-10-12)	2 years, 279 days
10	Billy Hughes					12 October 1934 (1934-10-12)	6 November 1935 (1935-11-06)	1 year, 25 days
11	Joseph Lyons					6 November 1935 (1935-11-06)	26 February 1936 (1936-02-26)	112 days
(10)	Billy Hughes					26 February 1936 (1936-02-26)	29 November 1937 (1937-11-29)	1 year, 276 days
12	Sir Earle Page		Country			29 November 1937 (1937-11-29)	7 November 1938 (1938-11-07)	343 days
13	Harry Foll		United Australia			7 November 1938 (1938-11-07)	7 April 1939 (1939-04-07)	170 days
				Page		7 April 1939 (1939-04-07)	26 April 1939 (1939-04-26)
14	Sir Frederick Stewart			Menzies		26 April 1939 (1939-04-26)	14 March 1940 (1940-03-14)	323 days
15	Harold Thorby		Country			14 March 1940 (1940-03-14)	28 October 1940 (1940-10-28)	228 days
(14)	Sir Frederick Stewart		United Australia			28 October 1940 (1940-10-28)	29 August 1941 (1941-08-29)	344 days
				Fadden		29 August 1941 (1941-08-29)	7 October 1941 (1941-10-07)
16	Jack Holloway		Labor	Curtin		7 October 1941 (1941-10-07)	21 September 1943 (1943-09-21)	1 year, 349 days
17	James Fraser					21 September 1943 (1943-09-21)	6 July 1945 (1945-07-06)	1 year, 288 days
				Forde		6 July 1945 (1945-07-06)	13 July 1945 (1945-07-13)	7 days
				Chifley		13 July 1945 (1945-07-13)	18 June 1946 (1946-06-18)	340 days
18	Nick McKenna					18 June 1946 (1946-06-18)	19 December 1949 (1949-12-19)	3 years, 184 days
(12)	Sir Earle Page		Country	Menzies		19 December 1949 (1949-12-19)	11 January 1956 (1956-01-11)	6 years, 23 days
19	Donald Cameron		Liberal			11 January 1956 (1956-01-11)	22 December 1961 (1961-12-22)	5 years, 345 days
20	Harrie Wade		Country			22 December 1961 (1961-12-22)	18 November 1964 (1964-11-18)	2 years, 332 days
21	Reginald Swartz		Liberal			21 November 1964 (1964-11-21)	26 January 1966 (1966-01-26)	1 year, 66 days
22	Jim Forbes			Holt		26 January 1966 (1966-01-26)	19 December 1967 (1967-12-19)	5 years, 55 days
				McEwen		19 December 1967 (1967-12-19)	10 January 1968 (1968-01-10)
				Gorton		10 January 1968 (1968-01-10)	10 March 1971 (1971-03-10)
				McMahon		10 March 1971 (1971-03-10)	22 March 1971 (1971-03-22)
23	Ivor Greenwood					22 March 1971 (1971-03-22)	2 August 1971 (1971-08-02)	133 days
24	Sir Ken Anderson					2 August 1971 (1971-08-02)	5 December 1972 (1972-12-05)	1 year, 125 days
25	Lance Barnard1		Labor	Whitlam		5 December 1972 (1972-12-05)	19 December 1972 (1972-12-19)	14 days
26	Doug Everingham				Minister for Health2	19 December 1972 (1972-12-19)	11 November 1975 (1975-11-11)	2 years, 327 days
27	Don Chipp		Liberal	Fraser	Minister for Health	11 November 1975 (1975-11-11)	22 December 1975 (1975-12-22)	41 days
28	Ralph Hunt		National Country			22 December 1975 (1975-12-22)	8 December 1979 (1979-12-08)	3 years, 351 days
29	Michael MacKellar		Liberal			8 December 1979 (1979-12-08)	20 April 1982 (1982-04-20)	2 years, 133 days
30	Peter Baume					20 April 1982 (1982-04-20)	7 May 1982 (1982-05-07)	17 days
31	Jim Carlton					7 May 1982 (1982-05-07)	11 March 1983 (1983-03-11)	308 days
32	Neal Blewett		Labor	Hawke		11 March 1983 (1983-03-11)	24 July 1987 (1987-07-24)	7 years, 24 days
					Minister for Community Services and Health	24 July 1987 (1987-07-24)	4 April 1990 (1990-04-04)
33	Brian Howe					4 April 1990 (1990-04-04)	7 June 1991 (1991-06-07)	2 years, 354 days
				Keating	Minister for Health, Housing and Community Services	7 June 1991 (1991-06-07)	24 March 1993 (1993-03-24)
34	Graham Richardson				Minister for Health	24 March 1993 (1993-03-24)	25 March 1994 (1994-03-25)	1 year, 1 day
35	Carmen Lawrence				Minister for Human Services and Health	25 March 1994 (1994-03-25)	11 March 1996 (1996-03-11)	1 year, 352 days
36	Michael Wooldridge		Liberal	Howard	Minister for Health and Family Services	11 March 1996 (1996-03-11)	21 October 1998 (1998-10-21)	5 years, 260 days
					Minister for Health and Aged Care	21 October 1998 (1998-10-21)	26 November 2001 (2001-11-26)
37	Kay Patterson				Minister for Health and Ageing	26 November 2001 (2001-11-26)	7 October 2003 (2003-10-07)	1 year, 315 days
38	Tony Abbott					7 October 2003 (2003-10-07)	3 December 2007 (2007-12-03)	4 years, 57 days
39	Nicola Roxon		Labor	Rudd		3 December 2007 (2007-12-03)	24 June 2010 (2010-06-24)	4 years, 8 days
				Gillard		24 June 2010 (2010-06-24)	11 December 2011 (2011-12-11)
40	Tanya Plibersek				Minister for Health	11 December 2011 (2011-12-11)	1 July 2013 (2013-07-01)	1 year, 281 days
				Rudd	Minister for Health and Medical Research	1 July 2013 (2013-07-01)	18 September 2013 (2013-09-18)
41	Peter Dutton		Liberal	Abbott	Minister for Health	18 September 2013 (2013-09-18)	23 December 2014 (2014-12-23)	1 year, 96 days
42	Sussan Ley					23 December 2014 (2014-12-23)	15 September 2015 (2015-09-15)	2 years, 21 days
				Turnbull		15 September 2015 (2015-09-15)	19 July 2016 (2016-07-19)
					Minister for Health and Ageing	19 July 2016 (2016-07-19)	13 January 2017 (2017-01-13)
(acting)	Arthur Sinodinos[6]					13 January 2017 (2017-01-13)	24 January 2017 (2017-01-24)	11 days
43	Greg Hunt3				Minister for Health	24 January 2017 (2017-01-24)	24 August 2018 (2018-08-24)	5 years, 119 days
				Morrison		24 August 2018 (2018-08-24)	22 December 2020 (2020-12-22)
					Minister for Health and Aged Care	22 December 2020 (2020-12-22)	23 May 2022 (2022-05-23)
	Scott Morrison3 [7]				Minister for Health	14 March 2020 (2020-03-14)		2 years, 70 days
(acting)	Katy Gallagher4 [8]		Labor	Albanese	Minister for Health and Aged Care	23 May 2022 (2022-05-23)	1 June 2022 (2022-06-01)	9 days
44	Mark Butler					1 June 2022 (2022-06-01)	Incumbent	2 years, 164 days

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).

³ Morrison was appointed as Minister for Health by the Governor-General on Morrison's advice in March 2020, with both Morrison and Hunt holding the position of Minister for Health until May 2022. However, the appointment of Morrison was not made public until August 2022.

⁴ Senator Gallagher is part of an interim Albanese ministry that consisted of Anthony Albanese, Richard Marles, Penny Wong, Jim Chalmers and herself until the full ministry was sworn in on 1 June 2022.

Aged care

Order	Minister	Party		Prime Minister	Title	Term start	Term end	Term in office
1	Peter Morris		Labor	Hawke	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)	20 December 1991 (1991-12-20)
				Keating		20 December 1991 (1991-12-20)	24 March 1993 (1993-03-24)
3	Bronwyn Bishop		Liberal	Howard	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	Rudd		3 December 2007 (2007-12-03)	28 June 2010 (2010-06-28)	2 years, 207 days
9	Mark Butler			Gillard	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			Rudd		1 July 2013 (2013-07-01)	18 September 2013 (2013-09-18)	79 days
11	Sussan Ley		Liberal	Turnbull	Minister for Aged Care	30 September 2015 (2015-09-30)	19 July 2016 (2016-07-19)	1 year, 105 days
					Minister for Health and Ageing	19 July 2016 (2016-07-19)	13 January 2017 (2017-01-13)
(acting)	Arthur Sinodinos[11]					13 January 2017 (2017-01-13)	24 January 2017 (2017-01-24)	11 days
12	Ken Wyatt				Minister for Aged Care	24 January 2017 (2017-01-24)	28 August 2018 (2018-08-28)	2 years, 125 days
				Morrison	Minister for Senior Australians and Aged Care	28 August 2018 (2018-08-28)	29 May 2019 (2019-05-29)
13	Richard Colbeck				Minister for Aged Care and Senior Australians	29 May 2019 (2019-05-29)	22 December 2020 (2020-12-22)	2 years, 359 days
					Minister for Senior Australians and Aged Care Services	22 December 2020 (2020-12-22)	23 May 2022 (2022-05-23)
(9)	Mark Butler		Labor	Albanese	Minister for Health and Aged Care	1 June 2022 (2022-06-01)	Incumbent	2 years, 164 days
14	Anika Wells				Minister for Aged Care

This section is an excerpt from Minister for Aged Care § List of ministers for aged care.[edit]

The following individuals have been appointed as the Minister for Aged Care, or any of its precedent titles. 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:^[9] The Turnbull government transferred the aged care portfolio back to the Department of Health in October 2015. The position, since January 2017, is a separate outer ministry role that supplements the cabinet role of the Minister for Health and Aged Care.^[10]

List of assistant ministers

Health and aged care

The following individual has been appointed as Assistant Ministers of Health and Aged Care, or any of its precedent titles:^[5]

Order	Minister	Party		Prime Minister	Title	Term start	Term end	Term in office
1	Christopher Pyne		Liberal	Howard	Assistant Minister for Health and Ageing	30 January 2007 (2007-01-30)	21 March 2007 (2007-03-21)	50 days
2	Ken Wyatt		Liberal	Turnbull	Assistant Minister for Health	30 September 2015 (2015-09-30)	18 February 2016 (2016-02-18)	1 year, 110 days
					Assistant Minister for Health and Aged Care	18 February 2016 (2016-02-18)	18 January 2017 (2017-01-18)
3	David Gillespie		Nationals		Assistant Minister for Health	24 January 2017 (2017-01-24)	20 December 2017 (2017-12-20)	330 days
4	Ged Kearney		Labor	Albanese	Assistant Minister for Health and Aged Care	1 June 2022 (2022-06-01)	Incumbent	2 years, 164 days

Indigenous health

The following individuals have been appointed as Assistant Minister for Indigenous Health, or any of its precedent titles:^[5]

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 (2017-01-24)	29 May 2019 (2019-05-29)	2 years, 125 days
3	Malarndirri McCarthy		Labor	Albanese	Assistant Minister for Indigenous Health	1 June 2022 (2022-06-01)	29 July 2024 (2024-07-29)	2 years, 58 days
4	Ged Kearney					29 July 2024 (2024-07-29)	Incumbent	106 days

Rural and regional health

The following individuals have been appointed as Assistant Minister for Rural and Regional Health, or any of its precedent titles:^[5]

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	1 year, 97 days
				Gillard		24 June 2010	14 September 2010
2	Fiona Nash		Nationals	Turnbull	Minister for Rural Health	21 September 2015 (2015-09-21)	19 July 2016 (2016-07-19)	302 days
3	David Gillespie				Assistant Minister for Rural Health	19 July 2016 (2016-07-19)	24 January 2017 (2017-01-24)	1 year, 154 days
					Assistant Minister for Health	24 January 2017 (2017-01-24)	20 December 2017 (2017-12-20)
4	Bridget McKenzie				Minister for Rural Health	20 December 2017 (2017-12-20)	28 August 2018 (2018-08-28)	251 days
5	Mark Coulton		Nationals	Morrison	Minister for Regional Health, Regional Communications and Local Government	6 February 2020 (2020-02-06)	2 July 2021 (2021-07-02)	1 year, 146 days
(3)	David Gillespie				Minister for Regional Health	2 July 2021 (2021-07-02)	22 May 2022 (2022-05-22)	324 days
6	Emma McBride		Labor	Albanese	Assistant Minister for Rural and Regional Health	1 June 2022 (2022-06-01)	Incumbent	2 years, 164 days

Mental health and suicide prevention

The following individuals have been appointed as Assistant Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, or any of its precedent titles:^[5]

Order	Minister	Party		Prime Minister	Title	Term start	Term end	Term in office
1	Melissa Parke		Labor	Gillard	Parliamentary Secretary for Mental Health	4 February 2013 (2013-02-04)	1 July 2013 (2013-07-01)	147 days
2	David Coleman		Liberal	Morrison	Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention	22 December 2020 (2020-12-22)	23 May 2022 (2022-05-23)	1 year, 152 days
3	Emma McBride		Labor	Albanese	Assistant Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention	1 June 2022 (2022-06-01)	Incumbent	2 years, 164 days

References

1. "Communicable Diseases Surveillance: Surveillance Systems". Department of Health and Ageing. Commonwealth of Australia. 12 February 2009. Retrieved 13 July 2013.
2. Sampson, Geoffrey (1990). Writing Systems. Stanford University Press. p. 197.
3. Landry, Michelle (5 September 2017). "Everingham, Hon. Douglas Nixon 'Doug'" (PDF). Australian House of Representatives Hansard. Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 18 July 2023.
4. "The Case for SR1 and Nothing Else". Archived from the original on 31 December 2010. Retrieved 11 April 2011.
5. "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.
6. Anderson, Stephanie (18 January 2017). "Greg Hunt announced as Sussan Ley's replacement as Health Minister". ABC News. Retrieved 2 June 2019.
7. "Anthony Albanese reveals former prime minister Scott Morrison secretly appointed himself to five ministries in power grab". ABC News. 16 August 2022.
8. "ATAGI expands COVID-19 booster access to allow more people to get a fourth dose". ABC News. 25 May 2022.
9. "The 45th Parliament: Parliamentary Handbook of the Commonwealth of Australia 2017". Parliament of Australia. 2017. Archived from the original on 11 July 2017. Retrieved 18 July 2017.
10. "Ministerial Arrangements - House of Representatives Hansard". Parliament of Australia. 7 February 2017.
11. Anderson, Stephanie (18 January 2017). "Greg Hunt announced as Sussan Ley's replacement as Health Minister". ABC News. Retrieved 2 June 2019.

External links

• Official website