Minister for Tourism (Western Australia)

The Minister for Tourism is a position in the Cabinet of Western Australia, first created in 1959 during the Brand–Watts Ministry under the title Minister for Tourists. The current title was adopted in 1971.

The current Minister for Tourism is Rita Saffioti of the Labor Party. The minister, who has generally held other portfolios in addition to tourism, is responsible for Tourism Western Australia (previously the Western Australian Tourism Commission), the state government agency responsible for promoting Western Australia as a holiday destination and as an events venue.

List of ministers for tourism

Twenty four people have been appointed as Minister for Tourism or equivalent. The inaugural minister, Sir David Brand, was also the longest-serving minister, serving for 11 years and 335 days. He was also premier during his time as tourism minister, which has since also occurred with Brian Burke, Richard Court, and Colin Barnett. Barnett was briefly minister during the Court–Cowan government, from 1993 to 1994, and then served twice as minister during his own government (briefly in 2013 and then from 2016), a gap of almost 20 years. Pam Beggs and Kim Hames also served non-consecutive terms as minister.^[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.^[2]

Order	Minister	Party		Premier	Title	Term start	Term end	Term in office
1	Sir David Brand		Liberal	Brand	Minister for Tourists	2 April 1959 (1959-04-02)	3 March 1971 (1971-03-03)	11 years, 335 days
2	Tom Evans		Labor	Tonkin		3 March 1971 (1971-03-03)	12 October 1971 (1971-10-12)	223 days
3	Don Taylor				Minister for Tourism	12 October 1971 (1971-10-12)	30 May 1973 (1973-05-30)	1 year, 230 days
4	Ronald Thompson MLC					30 May 1973 (1973-05-30)	8 April 1974 (1974-04-08)	313 days
5	Bill Grayden		Liberal	C. Court		8 April 1974 (1974-04-08)	5 June 1975 (1975-06-05)	1 year, 58 days
6	Alan Ridge					5 June 1975 (1975-06-05)	10 March 1977 (1977-03-10)	1 year, 278 days
7	Graham MacKinnon MLC					10 March 1977 (1977-03-10)	5 March 1980 (1980-03-05)	2 years, 361 days
8	Ray O'Connor					5 March 1980 (1980-03-05)	12 February 1981 (1981-02-12)	344 days
9	Peter Jones					12 February 1981 (1981-02-12)	25 January 1982 (1982-01-25)	347 days
10	Barry MacKinnon			O'Connor		25 January 1982 (1982-01-25)	25 February 1983 (1983-02-25)	1 year, 31 days
11	Brian Burke		Labor	Burke		25 February 1983 (1983-02-25)	20 December 1984 (1984-12-20)	1 year, 299 days
12	Des Dans MLC					20 December 1984 (1984-12-20)	26 February 1986 (1986-02-26)	1 year, 68 days
11	Pam Beggs					26 February 1986 (1986-02-26)	25 February 1988 (1988-02-25)	see below
				Dowding		25 February 1988 (1988-02-25)	28 February 1989 (1989-02-28)
12	Julian Grill					28 February 1989 (1989-02-28)	12 February 1990 (1990-02-12)	349 days
(11)	Pam Beggs			Lawrence		12 February 1990 (1990-02-12)	16 February 1993 (1993-02-16)	6 years, 6 days
13	Doug Shave		Liberal	R. Court		16 February 1993 (1993-02-16)	24 August 1993 (1993-08-24)	189 days
14	Colin Barnett					25 August 1993 (1993-08-25)	25 January 1994 (1994-01-25)	see below
15	Richard Court					25 January 1994 (1994-01-25)	21 December 1995 (1995-12-21)	1 year, 330 days
16	Norman Moore MLC					21 December 1995 (1995-12-21)	16 February 2001 (2001-02-16)	5 years, 57 days
17	Clive Brown		Labor	Gallop		6 March 2001 (2001-03-06)	27 June 2003 (2003-06-27)	2 years, 113 days
18	Bob Kucera					27 June 2003 (2003-06-27)	10 March 2005 (2005-03-10)	1 year, 256 days
19	Mark McGowan					10 March 2005 (2005-03-10)	25 January 2006 (2006-01-25)	330 days
				Carpenter		25 January 2006 (2006-01-25)	3 February 2006 (2006-02-03)
20	Sheila McHale					3 February 2006 (2006-02-03)	23 September 2008 (2008-09-23)	2 years, 233 days
21	Liz Constable		Independent	Barnett		23 September 2008 (2008-09-23)	14 December 2010 (2010-12-14)	2 years, 82 days
22	Kim Hames		Liberal			14 December 2010 (2010-12-14)	22 July 2013 (2013-07-22)	see below
(14)	Colin Barnett					22 July 2013 (2013-07-22)	5 August 2013 (2013-08-05)	167 days
23	Liza Harvey					5 August 2013 (2013-08-05)	8 December 2014 (2014-12-08)	1 year, 125 days
(22)	Kim Hames					8 December 2014 (2014-12-08)	31 March 2016 (2016-03-31)	1 year, 114 days
(14)	Colin Barnett					31 March 2016 (2016-03-31)	17 March 2017 (2017-03-17)	351 days
24	Paul Papalia		Labor	McGowan		17 March 2017	19 March 2021	4 years, 2 days
25	David Templeman					19 March 2021	21 December 2021	277 days
26	Roger Cook					21 December 2021	8 June 2023	1 year, 164 days
27	Rita Saffioti			Cook		8 June 2023	incumbent	1 year, 166 days

List of assistant ministers for tourism

Ian Laurance was assistant minister to Ray O'Connor and Peter Jones during the last years of the Court government, led by Sir Charles Court. O'Connor and Jones both held multiple other portfolios.^[1]

Order	Minister	Party		Premier	Title	Term start	Term end	Term in office
1	Ian Laurance		Liberal	C. Court	Honorary Minister assisting the Minister for Tourism	5 March 1980 (1980-03-05)	25 January 1982 (1982-01-25)	1 year, 326 days

See also

• Minister for Citizenship and Multicultural Interests (previously the Minister for Immigration)

References

1. Tourism Ministers of Western Australia – Parliamentary Library of Western Australia. Last updated 29 June 2012. Retrieved 10 March 2015.
2. Addressing a Member of Parliament – Parliament of Western Australia. Retrieved 10 March 2015.