Minister for Defence (Australia)


The minister 'for defence' is the Federal [Executive Council (Australia)|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. The current defence minister is Richard Marles, who is also concurrently serving as Deputy [Prime Minister of Australia|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 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 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
  • Munitions
  • 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:

List of assistant ministers for defence

The following individuals have been appointed as Assistant Minister for Defence, or any of its precedent titles:

Individual service branch ministers

Ministers for the Navy

The following served as Minister for the Navy:

Ministers for the Army

The following served as Minister for the Army:

Ministers for Air

The following served as Minister for Air: