The Minister for Sport is a ministerial position in the Australian Government, currently held by Anika Wells since 1 June 2022. The minister administers the portfolio through the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts.
Scope It was not until the Whitlam government established the Department of Tourism and Recreation in 1972 that an Australian Government department had specific responsibility for sport. Previously the small amount of sport funding was distributed through ministries such as Health and Foreign Affairs. Frank Stewart, who is regarded as the first minister for sport, commissioned two reports – The role and scope and development of recreation in Australia by John Bloomfield and Report of the Australian Sports Institute Study Group, which highlighted the need for government involvement in sport. The Fraser government through Bob Ellicott acted upon both reports and established the Australian Institute of Sport in 1981. It was widely reported that this initiative was a direct result of the poor performance of the Australian team at the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, however its genesis preceded that. The Hawke government through John Brown further extended Australian Government involvement in sport through the establishment of the Australian Sports Commission in 1985.
List of ministers for sport The following individuals have been appointed as Minister for Sport, or any of its precedent titles:
Order Minister Party Prime Minister Title Term start Term end Term in office 1 Frank Stewart Labor Whitlam Minister for Tourism and Recreation 2 Reg Withers Liberal Fraser days 3 Ivor Greenwood Minister for Environment, Housing and Community Development days 4 Kevin Newman 5 Ray Groom days 6 Robert Ellicott Minister for Home Affairs Minister for Home Affairs and Environment 7 Michael MacKellar days 8 Ian Wilson days 9 Tom McVeigh National Country days 10 John Brown Labor Hawke Minister for Sport, Recreation and Tourism Minister for the Arts, Sport, the Environment, Tourism and Territories 11 Graham Richardson 12 Ros Kelly Keating Minister for the Arts, Sport, the Environment and Territories Minister for the Environment, Sport and Territories (11) Graham Richardson days 13 John Faulkner 14 Warwick SmithLiberal Howard Minister for Sport, Territories and Local Government 15 Andrew Thomson Minister for Sport and Tourism 16 Jackie Kelly 17 Rod Kemp Minister for the Arts and Sport 18 George Brandis days 19Kate Ellis Labor Rudd Minister for Sport Gillard 20 Mark Arbib 21 Kate Lundy 22 Don Farrell Rudd days 23 Peter Dutton Liberal Abbott 24 Sussan Ley Turnbull 25 Greg Hunt days 26 Bridget McKenzie National Morrison Minister for Regional Services, Sport, Local Government and Decentralisation 27 Richard Colbeck Liberal Minister for Youth and Sport Minister for Sport 28 Anika Wells Labor Albanese Incumbent
List of ministers assisting the Prime Minister for the Sydney 2000 Games The following individuals were appointed as Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games:
Order Minister Party Prime Minister Title Term start Term end Term in office 1 Warwick Smith Liberal Howard Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games11 March 19966 October 1997 2 Andrew Thomson6 October 199721 October 1998 3 Jackie Kelly21 October 199830 January 2001
See also Minister for Sport (New South Wales) Minister for Sport (Victoria) Minister for Sport and Recreation (Northern Territory) Minister for Sport and Recreation (Western Australia)
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