Minister for Defence Industry
Incumbent
Pat Conroy
since 1 June 2022 (2022-06-01)
Department of Defence
StyleThe Honourable
AppointerGovernor-General on the recommendation of the Prime Minister of Australia
Inaugural holderRichard Casey (as Minister for Supply and Development)
Formation26 April 1939 (1939-04-26)
Websitewww.minister.defence.gov.au/current-ministers/2022-06/pat-conroy

In the Government of Australia, the Minister for Defence Industry is currently the Hon Pat Conroy MP since 1 June 2022, following the Australian federal election in 2022.[1]

The Minister for Defence Industry, or previously the Minister of Supply, is a ministerial portfolio that has existed variously since 1939. The Minister appointed is responsible for oversight of defence procurement, financial management, project and sustainment management, materiel engineering, and materiel logistics. The minister aims to ensure that the Australian Defence Force is equipped and supplied with the requirements as identified and approved by Government. The minister administers the portfolio through the Capability Acquisition and Sustainment Group of the Department of Defence.[2]

While ultimately responsible to the Commonwealth of Australia and the Parliament, in practical terms, the minister reports to the Minister for Defence.

List of ministers for defence industry

A minister is appointed with responsibility for oversight of defence procurement, financial management, project and sustainment management, materiel engineering, and materiel logistics to ensure the Australian Defence Force is equipped and supplied with the requirements as identified and approved by Government.

The following individuals have been appointed Minister for Defence Industry, or any of its precedent titles:[3]

Order Minister Party Prime Minister Title Term start Term end Term in office
1 Richard Casey, DSO, MC   United Australia Menzies Minister for Supply and Development 26 April 1939 (1939-04-26) 26 January 1940 (1940-01-26) 275 days
2 Sir Frederick Stewart 26 January 1940 (1940-01-26) 28 October 1940 (1940-10-28) 276 days
3 Sir Philip McBride, KCMG 28 October 1940 (1940-10-28) 26 June 1941 (1941-06-26) 241 days
4 George McLeay 26 June 1941 (1941-06-26) 29 August 1941 (1941-08-29) 103 days
Fadden 29 August 1941 (1941-08-29) 7 October 1941 (1941-10-07)
5 Jack Beasley Labor Curtin 7 October 1941 (1941-10-07) 17 October 1942 (1942-10-17) 3 years, 118 days
Minister for Supply and Shipping 17 October 1942 (1942-10-17) 2 February 1945 (1945-02-02)
6 Bill Ashley 2 February 1945 (1945-02-02) 6 July 1945 (1945-07-06) 3 years, 64 days
Forde 6 July 1945 (1945-07-06) 13 July 1945 (1945-07-13)
Chifley 13 July 1945 (1945-07-13) 6 April 1948 (1948-04-06)
7 John Armstrong Minister for Supply and Development 6 April 1948 (1948-04-06) 19 December 1949 (1949-12-19) 1 year, 257 days
(1) Richard Casey, CH, DSO, MC Liberal Menzies 19 December 1949 (1949-12-19) 17 March 1950 (1950-03-17) 88 days
8 Howard Beale Minister for Supply 17 March 1950 (1950-03-17) 10 February 1958 (1958-02-10) 7 years, 330 days
9 Athol Townley 11 February 1958 (1958-02-11) 10 December 1958 (1958-12-10) 302 days
10 Alan Hulme 10 December 1958 (1958-12-10) 22 December 1961 (1961-12-22) 3 years, 12 days
11 Allen Fairhall 22 December 1961 (1961-12-22) 26 January 1966 (1966-01-26) 4 years, 35 days
12 Denham Henty Holt 26 January 1966 (1966-01-26) 19 December 1967 (1967-12-19) 2 years, 33 days
McEwen 19 December 1967 (1967-12-19) 10 January 1968 (1968-01-10)
Gorton 10 January 1968 (1968-01-10) 28 February 1968 (1968-02-28)
13 Sir Ken Anderson 28 February 1968 (1968-02-28) 10 March 1971 (1971-03-10) 3 years, 155 days
McMahon 10 March 1971 (1971-03-10) 2 August 1971 (1971-08-02)
14 Victor Garland 2 August 1971 (1971-08-02) 5 December 1972 (1972-12-05) 1 year, 125 days
15 Lance Barnard Labor Whitlam 5 December 1972 (1972-12-05) 9 October 1973 (1973-10-09) 308 days
16 Kep Enderby, QC 9 October 1973 (1973-10-09) 12 June 1974 (1974-06-12) 246 days
17 Ian Viner, QC Liberal Fraser Minister for Defence Support 7 May 1982 (1982-05-07) 11 March 1983 (1983-03-11) 308 days
18 Brian Howe Labor Hawke 11 March 1983 (1983-03-11) 13 December 1984 (1984-12-13) 1 year, 277 days
19 Ros Kelly Labor Hawke Minister for Defence Science and Personnel 18 September 1987 (1987-09-18) 6 April 1989 (1989-04-06) 1 year, 200 days
20 David Simmons 6 April 1989 (1989-04-06) 4 April 1990 (1990-04-04) 363 days
21 Gordon Bilney 4 April 1990 (1990-04-04) 20 December 1991 (1991-12-20) 2 years, 354 days
Keating 20 December 1991 (1991-12-20) 24 March 1993 (1993-03-24)
22 John Faulkner 24 March 1993 (1993-03-24) 25 March 1994 (1994-03-25) 1 year, 1 day
23 Gary Punch 25 March 1994 (1994-03-25) 11 March 1996 (1996-03-11) 1 year, 352 days
24 Bronwyn Bishop Liberal Howard Minister for Defence Industry, Science and Personnel 11 March 1996 (1996-03-11) 21 October 1998 (1998-10-21) 2 years, 224 days
25 Warren Snowdon Labor Rudd Minister for Defence Science and Personnel 3 December 2007 (2007-12-03) 9 June 2009 (2009-06-09) 1 year, 188 days
26 Greg Combet, AM Minister for Defence Personnel, Materiel and Science 9 June 2009 (2009-06-09) 1 April 2010 (2010-04-01) 1 year, 97 days
Minister for Defence Materiel and Science 1 April 2010 (2010-04-01) 24 June 2010 (2010-06-24)
Gillard 24 June 2010 (2010-06-24) 14 September 2010 (2010-09-14)
27 Jason Clare Minister for Defence Materiel 14 September 2010 (2010-09-14) 2 April 2013 (2013-04-02) 2 years, 200 days
28 Mike Kelly, AM 2 April 2013 (2013-04-02) 27 June 2013 (2013-06-27) 169 days
Rudd 27 June 2013 (2013-06-27) 18 September 2013 (2013-09-18)
29 Mal Brough[a]   Liberal Turnbull Minister for Defence Materiel and Science 21 September 2015 (2015-09-21) 29 December 2015 (2015-12-29) 99 days
acting Marise Payne[a]   Acting Minister for Defence Materiel and Science 29 December 2015 (2015-12-29) 18 February 2016 (2016-02-18) 51 days
30 Dan Tehan   Minister for Defence Materiel 18 February 2016 (2016-02-18) 19 July 2016 (2016-07-19) 152 days
31 Christopher Pyne   Minister for Defence Industry 19 July 2016 (2016-07-19) 24 August 2018 (2018-08-24) 2 years, 39 days
  Morrison 24 August 2018 (2018-08-24) 27 August 2018 (2018-08-27)
32 Steven Ciobo   28 August 2018 (2018-08-28) 2 March 2019 (2019-03-02) 186 days
33 Linda Reynolds, CSC   2 March 2019 (2019-03-02) 29 May 2019 (2019-05-29) 88 days
34 Melissa Price   29 May 2019 (2019-05-29) 23 May 2022 (2022-05-23) 2 years, 359 days
35 Pat Conroy Labor Albanese 1 June 2022 (2022-06-01) incumbent 1 year, 309 days

Notes

  1. ^ a b Minister Mal Brough temporarily stood aside on 29 December 2015. Subsequently, Senator Marise Payne served as Acting Minister for Defence Materiel and Science. Brough later resigned from the Ministry on 13 February 2016 and Payne remained acting in the role until the rearranged ministry was sworn on 18 February 2016.

Ministers for Munitions

The following individuals have been appointed Minister for Munitions:[3]

Order Minister Party Prime Minister Title Term start Term end Term in office
1 Robert Menzies   United Australia Menzies Minister for Munitions 11 June 1940 (1940-06-11) 28 October 1940 (1940-10-28) 139 days
2 Philip McBride 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)
3 Norman Makin Labor Curtin 7 October 1941 (1941-10-07) 6 July 1945 (1945-07-06) 4 years, 312 days
Forde 6 July 1945 (1945-07-06) 13 July 1945 (1945-07-13)
Chifley 13 July 1945 (1945-07-13) 15 August 1946 (1946-08-15)
4 John Dedman 15 August 1946 (1946-08-15) 1 November 1946 (1946-11-01) 78 days
5 John Armstrong 1 November 1946 (1946-11-01) 6 April 1948 (1948-04-06) 1 year, 157 days

Ministers for Defence Production

The following individuals have been appointed Minister for Defence Production, or any of its precedent titles:[3]

Order Minister Party Prime Minister Title Term start Term end Term in office
1 John Leckie   United Australia Menzies Minister for Aircraft Production 26 June 1941 (1941-06-26) 29 August 1941 (1941-08-29) 103 days
Fadden 29 August 1941 (1941-08-29) 7 October 1941 (1941-10-07)
2 Don Cameron Labor Curtin 7 October 1941 (1941-10-07) 2 February 1945 (1945-02-02) 3 years, 221 days
3 Norman Makin 2 February 1945 (1945-02-02) 6 July 1945 (1945-07-06) 1 year, 194 days
Forde 6 July 1945 (1945-07-06) 13 July 1945 (1945-07-13)
Chifley 13 July 1945 (1945-07-13) 15 August 1946 (1946-08-15)
4 John Dedman 15 August 1946 (1946-08-15) 1 November 1946 (1946-11-01) 78 days
5 Sir Eric Harrison, KCVO Liberal Menzies Minister for Defence Production 11 May 1951 (1951-05-11) 24 October 1956 (1956-10-24) 5 years, 166 days
6 Howard Beale 24 October 1956 (1956-10-24) 10 February 1958 (1958-02-10) 1 year, 109 days
7 Athol Townley 11 February 1958 (1958-02-11) 23 April 1958 (1958-04-23) 71 days

See also

References

  1. ^ "Press Conference - Parliament House, Canberra | Prime Minister of Australia". www.pm.gov.au. 23 May 2022. Retrieved 27 May 2022.
  2. ^ "About CASG". Capability Acquisition and Sustainment Group. Commonwealth of Australia. Retrieved 5 December 2016.
  3. ^ a b c "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.

External links

Ministerial portfolios of the Commonwealth of Australia
Category