Australian Government Departmental Changes
On the 1st of June, following the swearing-in of the first Albanese Ministry, the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet announced new Administrative Arrangements Orders.
Administrative Arrangements Orders (AAOs) formally allocate executive responsibility among ministers. They set out which matters and legislation are administered by which department or portfolio. The full administrative orders can be accessed here.
Key changes include:
- A new Department of Employment and Workplace Relations will be established
- A new Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water will be established
- The Department of Health will be renamed the Department of Health and Aged Care
- The Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications will be renamed the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts.
In addition:
- The Department of Finance will gain responsibility for data policy, including the Digital Transformation Agency
- The Department of Home Affairs will gain responsibility for natural disaster response and mitigation, including the National Recovery and Resilience Agency.
- The Attorney-General’s portfolio will gain responsibility for criminal law enforcement and policy, including the Australian Federal Police.
On 13 October 2022, the Governor-General made the following Administrative Arrangements Order:
- Food and beverage processing industry policy is transferred from the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry to the matters dealt with by the Department of Industry, Science and Resources
- National child protection policy and strategy is amended to National child sexual abuse policy and strategy under matters dealt with by the Attorney-General’s Department
- Cybercrime is added to the matters dealt with by the Attorney-General’s Department
- Carbon capture utilisation and storage policies and programs added to the matters dealt with by the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water
- Co-ordination of early childhood development policy and responsibilities’ is transferred from the matters dealt with by the Department of Education to the matters dealt with by the Department of Social Services
- Co-ordination of supply chain resilience policy is added to the matters dealt with by the Department of Industry, Science and Resources
The complete Ministry list, divided by portfolio, is listed below.
For more information, please contact Hawker Britton’s Managing Director Simon Banks on +61 419 648 587.
Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
| Prime Minister | The Hon Anthony Albanese MP |
| Minister for the Public Service Minister for Women Vice-President of the Executive Council Manager of Government Business in the Senate | Senator the Hon Katy Gallagher |
| Minister for Indigenous Australians | The Hon Linda Burney MP |
| Cabinet Secretary | The Hon Mark Dreyfus QC MP |
| Assistant Minister to the Prime Minister | The Hon Patrick Gorman MP |
| Assistant Minister for Indigenous Australians | Senator the Hon Malarndirri McCarthy |
Department of Defence
| Minister for Defence Deputy Prime Minister | The Hon Richard Marles MP |
| Minister for Veterans’ Affairs | The Hon Matt Keogh MP |
| Minister for Defence Personnel | The Hon Matt Keogh MP |
| Minister for Defence Industry | The Hon Pat Conroy MP |
| Assistant Minister for Defence Assistant Minister for Veterans’ Affairs | The Hon Matt Thistlethwaite MP |
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
| Minister for Foreign Affairs Leader of the Government in the Senate | Senator the Hon Penny Wong |
| Minister for Trade and Tourism Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate | Senator the Hon Don Farrell |
| Minister for International Development and the Pacific | The Hon Pat Conroy MP |
| Assistant Minister for Trade | Senator the Hon Tim Ayres |
| Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs | The Hon Tim Watts MP |
The Treasury
| Treasurer | The Hon Dr Jim Chalmers MP |
| Minister for Small Business | The Hon Julie Collins MP |
| Minister for Financial Services Assistant Treasurer | The Hon Stephen Jones MP |
| Assistant Minister for Competition, Charities and Treasury | The Hon Dr Andrew Leigh MP |
Department of Finance
| Minister for Finance | Senator the Hon Katy Gallagher |
| Special Minister of State | Senator The Hon. Don Farrell |
Department of Employment and Workplace Relations
| Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations Leader of the House | The Hon Tony Burke MP |
| Minister for Skills and Training | The Hon Brendan O’Connor MP |
Department of Education
| Minister for Education | The Hon Jason Clare MP |
| Minister for Early Childhood Education Minister for Youth | The Hon Dr Anne Aly MP |
| Assistant Minister for Education | Senator the Hon Anthony Chisholm |
Department of Health and Aged Care
| Minister for Health and Aged Care (Deputy Leader of the House) | The Hon Mark Butler MP |
| Minister for Aged Care Minister for Sport | The Hon Anika Wells MP |
| Assistant Minister for Health and Aged Care | The Hon Ged Kearney MP |
| Assistant Minister for Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Assistant Minister for Rural and Regional Health | The Hon Emma McBride MP |
| Assistant Minister for Indigenous Health | Senator the Hon Malarndirri McCarthy |
Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water
| Minister for Climate Change and Energy | The Hon Chris Bowen MP |
| Minister for the Environment and Water | The Hon Tanya Plibersek MP |
| Assistant Minister for Climate Change and Energy | Senator the Hon Jenny McAllister |
Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts.
| Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government | The Hon Catherine King MP |
| Minister for Communications | The Hon Michelle Rowland MP |
| Minister for the Arts | The Hon Tony Burke MP |
| Minister for Northern Australia | The Hon Madeleine King MP |
| Minister for Regional Development, Local Government and Territories | The Hon Kristy McBain MP |
| Assistant Minister for Infrastructure and Transport | Senator the Hon Carol Brown |
| Assistant Minister for Regional Development | Senator the Hon Anthony Chisholm |
Department of Social Services
| Minister for Social Services | The Hon Amanda Rishworth MP |
| Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme Minister for Government Services | The Hon Bill Shorten MP |
| Minister for Housing Minister for Homelessness | The Hon Julie Collins MP |
| Assistant Minister for Social Services Assistant Minister for the Prevention of Family Violence | The Hon Justine Elliot MP |
Attorney General’s Department
| Attorney-General | The Hon Mark Dreyfus QC MP |
| Assistant Minister for the Republic | The Hon Matt Thistlethwaite MP |
Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources
| Minister for Resources | The Hon Madeleine King MP |
| Minister for Industry and Science | The Hon Ed Husic MP |
| Assistant Minister for Manufacturing | Senator the Hon Tim Ayres |
Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry
| Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry | Senator the Hon Murray Watt |
Department of Home Affairs
| Minister for Home Affairs Minister for Cyber Security | The Hon Clare O’Neil MP |
| Minister for Emergency Management | Senator the Hon Murray Watt |
| Minister for Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs | The Hon Andrew Giles MP |