Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs

The Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs is a ministerial post of the Australian Government and is currently held by Andrew Giles, since the swearing in of the full Albanese ministry on 1 June 2022, following the Australian federal election in 2022.[1]

Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs
Incumbent
Andrew Giles
since 1 June 2022 (2022-06-01)
Department of Home Affairs
StyleThe Honourable
AppointerGovernor-General on the recommendation of the Prime Minister of Australia
Inaugural holderArthur Calwell (as Minister for Immigration)
Formation19 December 1949 (1949-12-19)
Websiteminister.homeaffairs.gov.au/AndrewGiles

The post was created in 1945 and its inaugural officeholder was Arthur Calwell as the Minister for Immigration. On 20 December 2017, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull introduced a new major portfolio responsible for national security: Home Affairs.[2] The Hon Peter Dutton MP retained the duties of Minister for Immigration and Border Protection, with additional responsibilities awarded as the Minister for Home Affairs.[3] Following the appointment of Prime Minister Scott Morrison in August 2018, Morrison re-appointed Peter Dutton to the Home Affairs Ministry, previously introduced to the 'super-Ministry' under the Turnbull government in December 2017, and appointed David Coleman as Immigration Minister.

Scope edit

The portfolio and department were created in July 1945, during the last months of World War II. Previously, immigration affairs were handled by the Minister for Home Affairs (1901–1932) and the Minister for the Interior (1932–1945), except that between January 1925 and January 1928 Victor Wilson and Thomas Paterson were Ministers for Markets and Migration.[4]

The Minister for Immigration, Multicultural Affairs and Citizenship was usually one of the senior members of Cabinet, although between the Tenth Menzies Ministry and the Third Fraser Ministry, the post was downgraded to that of a junior minister. The minister and department have on several occasions been responsible for another portfolio in addition to immigration, such as ethnic/multicultural affairs, local government[5] or border protection.

List of ministers for immigration edit

The following individuals have held responsibility for immigration:[6]

Order Minister Party Prime Minister Title Term start Term end Term in office
1 Arthur Calwell   Labor Chifley Minister for Immigration 13 July 1945 (1945-07-13) 19 December 1949 (1949-12-19) 4 years, 159 days
2 Harold Holt Liberal Menzies 19 December 1949 (1949-12-19) 24 October 1956 (1956-10-24) 6 years, 310 days
3 Athol Townley 24 October 1956 (1956-10-24) 19 March 1958 (1958-03-19) 1 year, 146 days
4 Alick Downer 19 March 1958 (1958-03-19) 18 December 1963 (1963-12-18) 5 years, 274 days
5 Hubert Opperman 18 December 1963 (1963-12-18) 26 January 1966 (1966-01-26) 2 years, 361 days
Holt 26 January 1966 (1966-01-26) 14 December 1966 (1966-12-14)
6 Billy Snedden 14 December 1966 (1966-12-14) 19 December 1967 (1967-12-19) 2 years, 333 days
McEwen 19 December 1967 (1967-12-19) 10 January 1968 (1968-01-10)
Gorton 10 January 1968 (1968-01-10) 12 November 1969 (1969-11-12)
7 Phillip Lynch McMahon 12 November 1969 (1969-11-12) 22 March 1971 (1971-03-22) 1 year, 130 days
8 Jim Forbes 22 March 1971 (1971-03-22) 5 December 1972 (1972-12-05) 1 year, 258 days
9 Lance Barnard1 Labor Whitlam 5 December 1972 (1972-12-05) 19 December 1972 (1972-12-19) 14 days
10 Al Grassby 19 December 1972 (1972-12-19) 12 June 1974 (1974-06-12) 1 year, 175 days
11 Clyde Cameron Minister for Labour and Immigration 12 June 1974 (1974-06-12) 6 June 1975 (1975-06-06) 359 days
12 Jim McClelland 6 June 1975 (1975-06-06) 11 November 1975 (1975-11-11) 158 days
13 Tony Street Liberal Fraser 12 November 1975 (1975-11-12) 22 December 1975 (1975-12-22) 40 days
14 Michael MacKellar Minister for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs 22 December 1975 (1975-12-22) 8 December 1979 (1979-12-08) 3 years, 351 days
15 Ian Macphee 8 December 1979 (1979-12-08) 7 May 1982 (1982-05-07) 2 years, 150 days
16 John Hodges 7 May 1982 (1982-05-07) 11 March 1983 (1983-03-11) 308 days
17 Stewart West Labor Hawke 11 March 1983 (1983-03-11) 13 December 1984 (1984-12-13) 1 year, 277 days
18 Chris Hurford 13 December 1984 (1984-12-13) 16 February 1987 (1987-02-16) 2 years, 65 days
19 Mick Young Minister for Immigration, Local Government and Ethnic Affairs 16 February 1987 (1987-02-16) 12 February 1988 (1988-02-12) 361 days
20 Clyde Holding 12 February 1988 (1988-02-12) 2 September 1988 (1988-09-02) 203 days
21 Robert Ray 2 September 1988 (1988-09-02) 4 April 1990 (1990-04-04) 1 year, 214 days
22 Gerry Hand 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)
23 Nick Bolkus Minister for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs 24 March 1993 (1993-03-24) 11 March 1996 (1996-03-11) 2 years, 353 days
24 Philip Ruddock Liberal Howard Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs 11 March 1996 (1996-03-11) 26 November 2001 (2001-11-26) 7 years, 210 days
Minister for Immigration, Multicultural and Indigenous Affairs 26 November 2001 (2001-11-26) 7 October 2003 (2003-10-07)
25 Amanda Vanstone 7 October 2003 (2003-10-07) 27 January 2006 (2006-01-27) 3 years, 115 days
Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs 27 January 2006 (2006-01-27) 30 January 2007 (2007-01-30)
26 Kevin Andrews Minister for Immigration and Citizenship 30 January 2007 (2007-01-30) 3 December 2007 (2007-12-03) 307 days
27 Chris Evans Labor Rudd 3 December 2007 (2007-12-03) 24 June 2010 (2010-06-24) 2 years, 285 days
Gillard 24 June 2010 (2010-06-24) 14 September 2010 (2010-09-14)
28 Chris Bowen 14 September 2010 (2010-09-14) 4 February 2013 (2013-02-04) 2 years, 143 days
29 Brendan O'Connor 4 February 2013 (2013-02-04) 1 July 2013 (2013-07-01) 147 days
30 Tony Burke Rudd Minister for Immigration, Multicultural Affairs and Citizenship 1 July 2013 (2013-07-01) 18 September 2013 (2013-09-18) 79 days
31 Scott Morrison Liberal Abbott Minister for Immigration and Border Protection 18 September 2013 (2013-09-18) 23 December 2014 (2014-12-23) 1 year, 96 days
32 Peter Dutton 23 December 2014 (2014-12-23) 15 September 2015 (2015-09-15) 3 years, 241 days
Turnbull 15 September 2015 (2015-09-15) 21 August 2018 (2018-08-21)
33 David Coleman Morrison Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs 28 August 2018 (2018-08-28) 29 May 2019 (2019-05-29) 1 year, 107 days
Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs 29 May 2019 (2019-05-29) 13 December 2019 (2019-12-13)
(acting) Alan Tudge 13 December 2019 (2019-12-13) 22 December 2020 (2020-12-22) 1 year, 9 days
34 Alex Hawke 22 December 2020 (2020-12-22) 23 May 2022 (2022-05-23) 1 year, 152 days
35 Andrew Giles Labor Albanese Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs 1 June 2022 (2022-06-01) incumbent 1 year, 300 days

Notes

1 Barnard was one of a two-man ministry consisting of himself and Gough Whitlam for two weeks until the full ministry was announced.

List of ministers for citizenship and multicultual affairs edit

On 24 July 1987 (1987-07-24) the third Hawke ministry implemented a two-level ministerial structure, with distinctions drawn between senior and junior ministers. This arrangement has been continued by subsequent governments; although there has not always been a junior minister in the immigration portfolio. Senior ministers are shown above. Junior ministers are shown below. The following individuals have held responsibility for citizenship and multicultual affairs or any precedent titles:[6]

Order Minister Party affiliation Prime Minister Ministerial title Term start Term end Term in office
1 Clyde Holding   Labor Hawke Minister Assisting the Minister for Immigration, Local Government and Ethnic Affairs 2 September 1988 (1988-09-02) 4 April 1990 (1990-04-04) 1 year, 214 days
2 Gary Hardgrave   Liberal Howard Minister for Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs 26 November 2001 (2001-11-26) 26 October 2004 (2004-10-26) 2 years, 335 days
3 Peter McGauran   National 26 October 2004 (2004-10-26) 6 July 2005 (2005-07-06) 253 days
4 John Cobb 6 July 2005 (2005-07-06) 27 January 2006 (2006-01-27) 205 days
5 Kate Lundy   Labor Gillard Minister for Multicultural Affairs 5 March 2012 (2012-03-05) 27 June 2013 (2013-06-27) 1 year, 197 days
Rudd 27 June 2013 (2013-06-27) 18 September 2013 (2013-09-18)
6 Alan Tudge   Liberal Turnbull Minister for Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs 20 December 2017 (2017-12-20) 23 August 2018 (2018-08-23) 246 days
7 David Coleman Morrison Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs 28 August 2018 (2018-08-28) 29 May 2019 (2019-05-29) 1 year, 107 days
Minister for Immigration, Citizenship, Migrant Services and Multicultural Affairs 29 May 2019 (2019-05-29) 13 December 2019 (2019-12-13)
(acting) Alan Tudge 13 December 2019 (2019-12-13) 22 December 2020 (2020-12-22) 1 year, 9 days
8 Alex Hawke 22 December 2020 (2020-12-22) 23 May 2022 (2022-05-23) 1 year, 152 days
9 Andrew Giles Labor Albanese Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs 1 June 2022 (2022-06-01) incumbent 1 year, 300 days

Former ministerial titles edit

Assistant ministers for immigration edit

The following individuals served as the Assistant Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs, or any precedent titles:[6]

Order Minister Party affiliation Prime Minister Ministerial title Term start Term end Term in office
1 Michaelia Cash Liberal Abbott Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection 18 September 2013 (2013-09-18) 15 September 2015 (2015-09-15) 2 years, 3 days
Turnbull 15 September 2015 (2015-09-15) 21 September 2015
2 James McGrath Liberal Turnbull Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection 18 February 2016 (2016-02-18) 18 July 2016 (2016-07-18) 151 days
3 Alex Hawke 19 July 2016 (2016-07-19) 20 December 2017 (2017-12-20) 1 year, 154 days

Assistant ministers for citizenship and multicultural affairs edit

The following individuals served as the Assistant Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs, or any precedent titles:[6]

Order Minister Party affiliation Prime Minister Ministerial title Term start Term end Term in office
1 Concetta Fierravanti-Wells Liberal Turnbull Assistant Minister for Multicultural Affairs 21 September 2015 (2015-09-21) 18 February 2016 (2016-02-18) 150 days
2 Craig Laundy   Assistant Minister for Multicultural Affairs 18 February 2016 (2016-02-18) 18 July 2016 (2016-07-18) 151 days
3 Zed Seselja   Assistant Minister for Social Services and Multicultural Affairs 18 July 2016 (2016-07-18) 20 December 2017 (2017-12-20) 1 year, 155 days
4 Jason Wood Liberal Morrison Assistant Minister for Customs, Community Safety and Multicultural Affairs 29 May 2019 (2019-05-29) 22 May 2022 (2022-05-22) 4 years, 303 days

References edit

  1. ^ "Press Conference - Parliament House, Canberra | Prime Minister of Australia". www.pm.gov.au. 23 May 2022. Retrieved 27 May 2022.
  2. ^ Turnbull, Malcolm (20 December 2017). "Ministerial Arrangements" (Press release). Government of Australia. Archived from the original on 13 March 2018. Retrieved 3 February 2018. Peter Dutton will become Minister for Home Affairs, for the first time bringing together the nation's security, border and intelligence agencies under one department. As Minister for Home Affairs, Peter Dutton will be supported by two Ministers: Angus Taylor as Minister for Law Enforcement and Cybersecurity and Alan Tudge as Minister for Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs. He will also continue to have the assistance of Alex Hawke as Assistant Minister for Home Affairs. The Department of Home Affairs will keep Australians safer by ensuring full coordination between ASIO, the AFP, Australian Border Force, the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission and AUSTRAC. It will also contribute enormously to nation building through its focus on our immigration program.
  3. ^ "Australian Government Ministry List as at 20 December 2017" (PDF). Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, Australia. 20 December 2017. Archived from the original (PDF) on 26 December 2017. Retrieved 3 February 2018.
  4. ^ "From Calwell Onward: Immigration Ministers in the Library's Oral History Collection". National Library of Australia. June 2005.
  5. ^ "Immigration Ministers in Manuscripts". National Library of Australia. August 2005.
  6. ^ a b c d "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 edit