The minister for defence is the minister of state of the Commonwealth of Australia charged with overseeing the organisation, implementation, and formulation of strategic policy in defence and military matters as the head of the Department of Defence. The minister for defence is responsible for the Australian Defence Organisation, including the Australian Defence Force (ADF). The current defence minister is Richard Marles, who is also concurrently serving as deputy prime minister of Australia, having been selected by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in May 2022 following the 2022 Australian federal election.
As the minister for defence is responsible for the management of Australia's defence and military forces and the portfolio's accountability to the Parliament, the secretary of defence is required under section 63(1) of the Public Service Act 1999 and the Requirements for Annual Reports from the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Public Accounts and Audit to submit a report to the responsible ministers on the activities of the Department of Defence after the end of each financial year for presentation to the Parliament.
It is one of only four ministerial positions (along with the prime minister, attorney-general and treasurer) that have existed since Federation.
Defence policy The defence minister is primarily responsible for implementing government defence policy. The three main entities responsible for formulating defence policy within Defence are the Air Power Development Centre, Australian Strategic Policy Institute, and Sea Power Centre. Additionally, the minister releases white papers, that assess Australia's current defence capabilities and set out areas of reform.
The most recent white paper publication is the 2016 Defence White Paper that includes three elements: the 2016 Defence White Paper itself, 2016 Integrated Investment Program, and 2016 Defence Industry Policy Statement. It is the eighth defence white paper since 1976.
Composition of the defence portfolio Over the years there have been a number of ministers with a variety of functions involved in the defence portfolio; in the period November 1939 to April 1942, there was no position named minister of defence. Instead, several ministers were responsible for the various tasks and duties that are presently under the purview of the minister for Defence.
Previous governments have included ministers with titles using one or more of the following terms:
Air Aircraft production Army Defence Defence Coordination Defence Industry Defence Materiel Defence Personnel Defence Production Defence Science Defence Support Development MunitionsThe Department of Munitions was created during World War II, and existed between 11 June 1940 and April 1948. Navy Repatriation Shipping Supply Veterans' Affairs
List of ministers for defence There was a Minister for Defence from 1 January 1901 until 13 November 1939, with the exception of two small breaks. Robert Menzies, the Prime Minister, abolished the position on the outbreak of World War II and created separate Ministers for the Navy, the Army and the Air, with himself as Minister for Defence Coordination in his first ministry. He retained this position until the fall of his government, and then held the post in the brief government of Arthur Fadden. John Curtin initially followed the same arrangement as Menzies in his ministry until 14 April 1942, when he took the title of Minister for Defence. The separate titles of Ministers for the Navy, the Army and the Air were abolished in the second Whitlam Ministry on 30 November 1973, when the separate departments of Navy, Army and Air were also abolished. There had also been a separate Navy portfolio between 1915 and 1921.
The following have served as Minister for Defence:
Order Minister Party Prime Minister Term start Term end Term in office 1 Sir James Dickson Protectionist Barton 1 January 1901 10 January 1901 days 2 John Forrest Protectionist Barton 17 January 1901 10 August 1903 3 Senator James Drake 10 August 1903 24 September 1903 days 4 Austin Chapman Deakin 24 September 1903 27 April 1904 days 5 Senator Anderson Dawson Labor Watson 27 April 1904 18 August 1904 days 6 James McCay Protectionist Reid 18 August 1904 5 July 1905 days 7 Senator Thomas Playford Deakin 5 July 1905 31 December 1906 8 Sir Thomas Ewing 24 January 1907 13 November 1908 9 Senator George PearceAlthough McBride served the longest continuously, Pearce had the longest combined service at more than 13 years, and as a member of four parties (Labor, National Labor, Nationalist, and UAP). Labor Fisher 13 November 1908 2 June 1909 days 10 Joseph Cook Liberal Deakin 2 June 1909 29 April 1910 days (9) Senator George Pearce Labor Fisher 29 April 1910 24 June 1913 11 Senator Edward Millen Liberal Cook 24 June 1913 17 September 1914 (9) Senator George Pearce Labor Fisher 17 September 1914 27 October 1915 Hughes 27 October 1915 14 November 1916 National Labor 14 November 1916 13 June 1917 Nationalist 13 June 1917 21 December 1921 12 Walter Massy-Greene 21 December 1921 9 February 1923 13 Eric Bowden Bruce 9 February 1923 16 January 1925 14 Sir Neville Howse 16 January 1925 2 April 1927 15 Senator Sir William Glasgow 2 April 1927 22 October 1929 16 Albert Green Labor Scullin 22 October 1929 4 February 1931 17 Senator John Daly 4 February 1931 3 March 1931 days 18 Ben Chifley 3 March 1931 6 January 1932 days (9) Senator Sir George Pearce UnitedAustralia Lyons 6 January 1932 12 October 1934 19 Sir Archdale Parkhill 12 October 1934 20 November 1937 20 Joseph Lyons 20 November 1937 29 November 1937 days 21 Harold Thorby Country 29 November 1937 7 November 1938 days 22 Geoffrey Street UnitedAustralia 7 November 1938 7 April 1939 Page 7 April 1939 26 April 1939 Menzies 26 April 1939 13 November 1939 23 Robert Menzies 13 November 1939 29 August 1941 Fadden 29 August 1941 7 October 1941 24 John Curtin Labor Curtin 7 October 1941 6 July 1945 25 Jack Beasley Forde 6 July 1945 13 July 1945 Chifley 13 July 1945 14 August 1946 26 Frank Forde 15 August 1946 1 November 1946 days 27 John Dedman 1 November 1946 19 December 1949 28 Eric Harrison Liberal Menzies 19 December 1949 24 October 1950 days 29 Sir Philip McBride 24 October 1950 10 December 1958 30 Athol Townley 10 December 1958 18 December 1963 31 Paul Hasluck 18 December 1963 24 April 1964 days 32 Senator Sir Shane Paltridge 24 April 1964 19 January 1966 33 Allen Fairhall Holt 26 January 1966 12 December 1967 McEwen 12 December 1967 10 January 1968 Gorton 10 January 1968 12 November 1969 34 Malcolm Fraser 12 November 1969 8 March 1971 35 John Gorton McMahon 19 March 1971 13 August 1971 days 36 David Fairbairn 13 August 1971 5 December 1972 37 Lance Barnard Labor Whitlam 5 December 1972 6 June 1975 38 Bill Morrison 6 June 1975 11 November 1975 days 39 Sir James Killen Liberal Fraser 12 November 1975 7 May 1982 40 Ian Sinclair National Country 7 May 1982 16 October 1982 days National 16 October 1982 11 March 1983 41 Gordon Scholes Labor Hawke 11 March 1983 13 December 1984 42 Kim Beazley 13 December 1984 4 April 1990 43 Senator Robert Ray 4 April 1990 20 December 1991 Keating 20 December 1991 11 March 1996 44 Ian McLachlan Liberal Howard 11 March 1996 21 October 1998 45 John Moore 21 October 1998 30 January 2001 46 Peter Reith 30 January 2001 26 November 2001 days 47 Senator Robert Hill 26 November 2001 20 January 2006 48 Brendan Nelson 20 January 2006 3 December 2007 49 Joel Fitzgibbon Labor Rudd 3 December 2007 9 June 2009 50 Senator John Faulkner 9 June 2009 24 June 2010 Gillard 24 June 2010 14 September 2010 51 Stephen Smith 14 September 2010 27 June 2013 Rudd 27 June 2013 18 September 2013 52 Senator David Johnston Liberal Abbott 18 September 2013 23 December 2014 53 Kevin Andrews 23 December 2014 15 September 2015 Turnbull 15 September 2015 21 September 2015 54Senator Marise Payne 21 September 2015 24 August 2018Morrison 24 August 2018 28 August 2018 55 Christopher Pyne 28 August 2018 26 May 2019 56 Senator Linda Reynolds 29 May 2019 30 March 2021 57 Peter Dutton 30 March 2021 23 May 2022 58Richard Marles LaborAlbanese1 June 2022Incumbent
List of assistant ministers for defence The following individuals have been appointed as Assistant Minister for Defence, or any of its precedent titles: Order Minister Party Prime Minister Title Term start Term end Term in office 1 Granville Ryrie Nationalist Hughes Assistant Minister for Defence 2 Josiah Francis United Australia Lyons Assistant Minister for Defence 3 Reg Bishop Labor Whitlam Minister Assisting the Minister for Defence 19 December 1972 12 June 1974 4 Bill Morrison 12 June 1974 6 June 1975 5 Reg Bishop 6 June 1975 11 November 1975 6 John McLeay Jr. Liberal Fraser Minister Assisting the Minister for Defence 22 December 1975 3 November 1980 7 Kevin Newman 3 November 1980 7 May 1982 8 Ian Viner 7 May 1982 11 March 1983 9 Kim Beazley Labor Hawke 11 March 1983 13 December 1984 10 John Brown 13 December 1984 24 July 1987 11 Michael Duffy 12 Roger Price Labor Keating Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Defence 27 December 1991 24 March 1993 13 Gary Punch 25 March 1993 25 March 1994 14 Arch Bevis 25 March 1993 11 March 1996 15 Bruce Scott NationalHowardMinister assisting the Minister for Defence 21 October 1998 26 November 2001 16 Danna Vale Liberal 26 November 2001 7 October 2003 17 Mal Brough 7 October 2003 18 July 2004 days 18 Fran Bailey 18 July 2004 22 October 2004 days 19 De-Anne Kelly National 22 October 2004 27 January 2006 20 Bruce Billson Liberal 27 January 2006 3 December 2007 21 Stuart Robert Liberal Abbott Assistant Minister for Defence Turnbull 22 Darren Chester National 23 Michael McCormack 24 David Fawcett Liberal Morrison Assistant Minister for Defence 25 Alex Hawke 26 Andrew Hastie 27 Matt Thistlethwaite Labor Albanese 28 Peter Khalil Labor Albanese Assistant Minister for Defence Incumbent
Individual service branch ministers Ministers for the Navy The following served as Minister for the Navy: Order Minister Party Prime Minister Term start Term end Term in office 1 Jens Jensen Labor Fisher 12 July 1915 27 October 1915 Hughes 27 October 1915 14 November 1916 National Labor 14 November 1916 17 February 1917 2 Joseph Cook CommonwealthLiberal 17 February 1917 13 June 1917 Nationalist 13 June 1917 28 July 1920 3 William Laird Smith 28 July 1920 21 December 1921 4 Frederick Stewart UnitedAustralia Menzies 13 November 1939 14 March 1940 days 5 Archie Cameron Country 14 March 1940 28 October 1940 days 6 Billy Hughes UnitedAustralia 28 October 1940 29 August 1941 days Fadden 29 August 1941 7 October 1941 7 Norman Makin Labor Curtin 7 October 1941 6 July 1945 Forde 6 July 1945 13 July 1945 Chifley 13 July 1945 15 August 1946 8 Arthur Drakeford 15 August 1946 1 November 1946 days 9 Bill Riordan 1 November 1946 19 December 1949 10 Josiah Francis Liberal Menzies 19 December 1949 11 May 1951 11 Philip McBride 11 May 1951 17 July 1951 days 12 William McMahon 17 July 1951 9 July 1954 (10) Josiah Francis 9 July 1954 11 July 1955 13 Eric Harrison 11 July 1955 11 January 1956 days 14 Senator Neil O'Sullivan 11 January 1956 24 October 1956 days 15 Charles Davidson Country 24 October 1956 10 December 1958 16 Senator John Gorton Liberal 10 December 1958 18 December 1963 17 Jim Forbes 18 December 1963 4 March 1964 days 18 Fred Chaney, Sr. 4 March 1964 26 January 1966 Holt 26 January 1966 14 December 1966 19 Don Chipp 14 December 1966 19 December 1967 McEwen 19 December 1967 10 January 1968 Gorton 10 January 1968 28 February 1968 20 Bert Kelly 28 February 1968 12 November 1969 21 James Killen 12 November 1969 10 March 1971 McMahon 10 March 1971 22 March 1971 22 Malcolm Mackay 22 March 1971 5 December 1972 23 Lance Barnard Labor Whitlam 5 December 1972 30 November 1973 days
Ministers for the Army The following served as Minister for the Army: