Minister for Aboriginal Affairs (Western Australia)

The Minister for Aboriginal Affairs is a position in the Cabinet of Western Australia, first created in 1947 during the McLarty–Watts Ministry.

Minister for Aboriginal Affairs
Incumbent Tony Buti since 21 December 2021 (2021-12-21)
Department of Aboriginal Affairs
Style	The Honourable
Nominator	Premier of Western Australia
Appointer	Governor of Western Australia
Inaugural holder	Ross McDonald (as Minister for Native Affairs)
Formation	1 April 1947
Website	Minister Ben Wyatt MP

The current Minister for Aboriginal Affairs is Tony Buti of the Labor Party. The minister is responsible for the state government's Department of Aboriginal Affairs (DAA), which exists "to facilitate the development of policy and programs which deliver sustainable economic, environmental and social benefits to Aboriginal communities".^[1]

List of ministers for Aboriginal affairs

Twenty one people have been appointed as Minister for Aboriginal Affairs in Western Australia, with Edgar Lewis's 8 years and 325 days during the Brand–Nalder Ministry the longest period in the position. The position and corresponding department have existed under several different names, including Native Affairs (4 years), Native Welfare (19 years), Aboriginal Affairs (23 years), and Indigenous Affairs (12 years).^[2] The current name was adopted after requests from representatives of Western Australia's Aboriginal communities.^[1]

In the table below, members of the Legislative Council are designated "MLC". All others were members of the Legislative Assembly at the time of their service. In Western Australia, serving ministers are entitled to be styled "The Honourable", and may retain the style after three years' service in the ministry.^[3]

Order	Minister	Party		Premier	Title	Term start	Term end	Term in office
1	Ross McDonald		Liberal	McLarty	Minister for Native Affairs	1 April 1947 (1947-04-01)	5 January 1948 (1948-01-05)	2 years, 189 days
					Minister for Native Welfare	5 January 1948 (1948-01-05)	7 October 1949 (1949-10-07)
2	Hubert Parker MLC				Minister for Native Affairs	7 October 1949 (1949-10-07)	6 April 1950 (1950-04-06)	181 days
3	Victor Doney		Country			6 April 1950 (1950-04-06)	23 February 1953 (1953-02-23)	2 years, 323 days
4	Bill Hegney		Labor	Hawke	Minister for Native Welfare	23 February 1953 (1953-02-23)	20 April 1956 (1956-04-20)	3 years, 57 days
5	John Brady					20 April 1956 (1956-04-20)	2 April 1959 (1959-04-02)	2 years, 347 days
6	Charles Perkins		Country	Brand		2 April 1959 (1959-04-02)	16 November 1961 (1961-11-16)	2 years, 228 days
7	George Cornell					16 November 1961 (1961-11-16)	11 April 1962 (1962-04-11)	146 days
8	Edgar Lewis					12 April 1962 (1962-04-12)	3 March 1971 (1971-03-03)	8 years, 325 days
No minister – portfolio transferred to Minister for Community Welfare (1971–1983).
9	Keith Wilson		Labor	Burke	Minister with special responsibility for Aboriginal Affairs	25 February 1983 (1983-02-25)	26 February 1986 (1986-02-26)	3 years, 150 days
					Minister for Aboriginal Affairs	26 February 1986 (1986-02-26)	25 July 1986 (1986-07-25)
10	Ernie Bridge					25 July 1986 (1986-07-25)	25 February 1988 (1988-02-25)	2 years, 218 days
				Dowding		25 February 1988 (1988-02-25)	28 February 1989 (1989-02-28)
11	Carmen Lawrence					28 February 1989 (1989-02-28)	12 February 1990 (1990-02-12)	1 year, 342 days
				Lawrence		12 February 1990 (1990-02-12)	5 February 1991 (1991-02-05)
12	Judyth Watson					5 February 1991 (1991-02-05)	16 February 1993 (1993-02-16)	2 years, 11 days
13	Kevin Minson		Liberal	Court		16 February 1993 (1993-02-16)	25 January 1994 (1994-01-25)	343 days
14	Kevin Prince					25 January 1994 (1994-01-25)	9 January 1997 (1997-01-09)	2 years, 350 days
15	Kim Hames					9 January 1997 (1997-01-09)	16 February 2001 (2001-02-16)	see below
16	Alan Carpenter		Labor	Gallop	Minister for Indigenous Affairs	16 February 2001 (2001-02-16)	27 June 2003 (2003-06-27)	2 years, 131 days
17	John Kobelke					27 June 2003 (2003-06-27)	25 January 2006 (2006-01-25)	2 years, 221 days
				Carpenter		25 January 2006 (2006-01-25)	3 February 2006 (2006-02-03)
18	Sheila McHale					3 February 2006 (2006-02-03)	2 March 2007 (2007-03-02)	1 year, 27 days
19	Michelle Roberts					2 March 2007 (2007-03-02)	23 September 2008 (2008-09-23)	1 year, 205 days
(15)	Kim Hames		Liberal	Barnett		23 September 2008 (2008-09-23)	14 December 2010 (2010-12-14)	6 years, 120 days
20	Peter Collier MLC					14 December 2010 (2010-12-14)	21 March 2013 (2013-03-21)	6 years, 93 days
					Minister for Aboriginal Affairs	21 March 2013 (2013-03-21)	17 March 2017 (2017-03-17)
21	Ben Wyatt		Labor	McGowan		17 March 2017 (2017-03-17)	13 March 2021 (2021-03-13)	3 years, 361 days
22	Stephen Dawson					19 March 2021 (2021-03-19)	21 December 2021 (2021-12-21)	277 days
23	Tony Buti					21 December 2021 (2021-12-21)	8 June 2023	2 years, 336 days
				Cook		8 June 2023	incumbent

See also

• Minister for Aboriginal Affairs (New South Wales)
• Minister for Aboriginal Affairs (Victoria)
• Minister for Indigenous Affairs (Australia)

References

1. Department of Aboriginal Affairs – Government of Western Australia. Retrieved 28 February 2015.
2. Aboriginal / Indigenous Affairs Ministers of Western Australia – Parliamentary Library of Western Australia. Last updated 29 June 2012. Retrieved 28 February 2015.
3. Addressing a Member of Parliament – Parliament of Western Australia. Retrieved 20 August 2014.