Minister for Health (Australia)

Minister for Health
Incumbent Sussan Ley since 23 December 2014
Department of Health
Style	The Honourable
Appointer	Governor-General on the recommendation of the Prime Minister of Australia
Inaugural holder	Frank Tudor
Formation	13 November 1908

Minister for Rural Health
File:Fiona Nash Portrait 2010.jpg Incumbent Fiona Nash since 18 September 2013
Department of Health
Style	The Honourable
Appointer	Governor-General on the recommendation of the Prime Minister of Australia
Inaugural holder	Christopher Pyne
Formation	30 January 2007

The Australian Minister for Health and Minister for Aged Care is the Hon. Sussan Ley MP , since 23 December 2014.

The Australian Minister for Rural Health is Senator the Hon. Fiona Nash, since 18 September 2013.

In the Government of Australia, the ministers are responsible for national health and medical research policy. The minister provides direction and oversight of the Department of Health.

History

Under Section 55(ix) of the Australian Constitution, the Commonwealth Parliament had the power to "make laws for the peace, order and good government of the Commonwealth with respect to Quarantine." This was the only area of public health in which the Commonwealth had authority at the time of Federation. The federal parliament did not use this power until the proclamation of the Quarantine Act 1908, on 30 March 1908. The control of the administration of quarantine was under the administration of the Minister for Trade and Customs from 1908 until 1921. This Minister's responsibilities in health matters increased as the Australian Government took a greater role in the provision of public health services during the early 20th century, in particular after the First World War.

A separate Department of Health was established on 10 March 1921, and the position of Minister for Health was then formally created. The role of the Department of Health has continued to expand and further federal responsibility for health was authorised by the passage, at referendum, of a constitutional amendment in 1946.

Section 51 (xxiiiA) of the Constitution now states the Commonwealth (federal) Parliament has the power to

make laws for the peace, order and good government of the Commonwealth [of Australia] with respect to the provision of maternity allowances, widows' pensions, child endowment, unemployment, pharmaceutical, sickness and hospital benefits, medical and dental services (but not so as to authorise any form of civil conscription), benefits to students and family allowances.

As a result of this amendment the federal government now has a key role in financing and providing medical services through entities such as Medicare and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme.

From 1972 to 1975 under Doug Everingham, the Ministry was named the "Ministry of Helth [sic]" in some informal contexts due to Everingham's support of Spelling Reform.

List of health ministers

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

Order	Minister	Party		Prime Minister	Title	Term start	Term end	Term in office
1	Frank Tudor		Labor	Fisher	Minister for Trade and Customs	13 November 1908 (1908-11-13)	2 June 1909 (1909-06-02)	days
2	Robert Best		Commonwealth Liberal	Deakin		2 June 1909 (1909-06-02)	29 April 1910 (1910-04-29)	days
n/a	Frank Tudor		Labor	Fisher		29 April 1910 (1910-04-29)	24 June 1913 (1913-06-24)
3	Littleton Groom		Commonwealth Liberal	Cook		24 June 1913 (1913-06-24)	17 September 1914 (1914-09-17)
n/a	Frank Tudor		Labor	Fisher		17 September 1914 (1914-09-17)	27 October 1915 (1915-10-27)
				Hughes		27 October 1915 (1915-10-27)	14 September 1916 (1916-09-14)
4	Billy Hughes					29 September 1916 (1916-09-29)	14 November 1916 (1916-11-14)	days
5	William Archibald		National Labor			14 November 1916 (1916-11-14)	17 February 1917 (1917-02-17)	days
6	Jens Jensen		Nationalist			17 February 1917 (1917-02-17)	13 December 1918 (1918-12-13)
7	William Watt					13 December 1918 (1918-12-13)	17 January 1919 (1919-01-17)	days
8	Walter Massy-Greene					17 January 1919 (1919-01-17)	21 December 1921 (1921-12-21)
					Minister for Health	10 March 1921 (1921-03-10)	5 February 1923 (1923-02-05)
9	Austin Chapman			Bruce		9 February 1923 (1923-02-09)	26 May 1924 (1924-05-26)
n/a	Littleton Groom					26 May 1924 (1924-05-26)	13 June 1924 (1924-06-13)	days
10	Herbert Pratten					13 June 1924 (1924-06-13)	16 January 1925 (1925-01-16)	days
11	Sir Neville Howse					16 January 1925 (1925-01-16)	2 April 1927 (1927-04-02)
12	Stanley Bruce					2 April 1927 (1927-04-02)	24 February 1928 (1928-02-24)	days
n/a	Sir Neville Howse					24 February 1928 (1928-02-24)	22 October 1929 (1929-10-22)
13	Frank Anstey		Labor	Scullin		22 October 1929 (1929-10-22)	3 March 1931 (1931-03-03)
14	John McNeill					3 March 1931 (1931-03-03)	6 January 1932 (1932-01-06)	days
15	Charles Marr		United Australia	Lyons		6 January 1932 (1932-01-06)	12 October 1934 (1934-10-12)
n/a	Billy Hughes					12 October 1934 (1934-10-12)	6 November 1935 (1935-11-06)
16	Joseph Lyons					6 November 1935 (1935-11-06)	26 February 1936 (1936-02-26)	days
n/a	Billy Hughes					26 February 1936 (1936-02-26)	29 November 1937 (1937-11-29)
17	Sir Earle Page		Country			29 November 1937 (1937-11-29)	7 November 1938 (1938-11-07)	days
18	Harry Foll		United Australia			7 November 1938 (1938-11-07)	7 April 1939 (1939-04-07)	days
				Page		7 April 1939 (1939-04-07)	26 April 1939 (1939-04-26)
19	Sir Frederick Stewart		United Australia	Menzies		26 April 1939 (1939-04-26)	14 March 1940 (1940-03-14)	days
20	Harold Thorby		Country			14 March 1940 (1940-03-14)	28 October 1940 (1940-10-28)	days
n/a	Sir Frederick Stewart		United Australia			28 October 1940 (1940-10-28)	29 August 1941 (1941-08-29)	days
				Fadden		29 August 1941 (1941-08-29)	7 October 1941 (1941-10-07)
21	Jack Holloway		Labor	Curtin		7 October 1941 (1941-10-07)	21 September 1943 (1943-09-21)
22	James Fraser					21 September 1943 (1943-09-21)	6 July 1945 (1945-07-06)
				Forde		6 July 1945 (1945-07-06)	13 July 1945 (1945-07-13)	days
				Chifley		13 July 1945 (1945-07-13)	18 June 1946 (1946-06-18)	days
23	Nick McKenna					18 June 1946 (1946-06-18)	19 December 1949 (1949-12-19)
n/a	Sir Earle Page		Country	Menzies		19 December 1949 (1949-12-19)	11 January 1956 (1956-01-11)
24	Donald Cameron		Liberal			11 January 1956 (1956-01-11)	22 December 1961 (1961-12-22)
25	Harrie Wade		Country			22 December 1961 (1961-12-22)	18 November 1964 (1964-11-18)
26	Reginald Swartz		Liberal			21 November 1964 (1964-11-21)	26 January 1966 (1966-01-26)
27	Jim Forbes			Holt		26 January 1966 (1966-01-26)	19 December 1967 (1967-12-19)
				McEwen		19 December 1967 (1967-12-19)	10 January 1968 (1968-01-10)
				Gorton		10 January 1968 (1968-01-10)	10 March 1971 (1971-03-10)
				McMahon		10 March 1971 (1971-03-10)	22 March 1971 (1971-03-22)
28	Ivor Greenwood					22 March 1971 (1971-03-22)	2 August 1971 (1971-08-02)	days
29	Sir Ken Anderson					2 August 1971 (1971-08-02)	5 December 1972 (1972-12-05)
30	Lance Barnard		Labor	Whitlam		5 December 1972 (1972-12-05)	19 December 1972 (1972-12-19)	days
31	Doug Everingham				Minister for Health	19 December 1972 (1972-12-19)	11 November 1975 (1975-11-11)
32	Don Chipp		Liberal	Fraser	Minister for Health	11 November 1975 (1975-11-11)	22 December 1975 (1975-12-22)	days
33	Ralph Hunt		National Country			22 December 1975 (1975-12-22)	8 December 1979 (1979-12-08)
34	Michael MacKellar		Liberal			8 December 1979 (1979-12-08)	20 April 1982 (1982-04-20)
35	Peter Baume					20 April 1982 (1982-04-20)	7 May 1982 (1982-05-07)	days
36	Jim Carlton					7 May 1982 (1982-05-07)	11 March 1983 (1983-03-11)	days
37	Neal Blewett		Labor	Hawke		11 March 1983 (1983-03-11)	24 July 1987 (1987-07-24)
					Minister for Community Services and Health	24 July 1987 (1987-07-24)	4 April 1990 (1990-04-04)
38	Brian Howe					4 April 1990 (1990-04-04)	7 June 1991 (1991-06-07)
				Keating	Minister for Health, Housing and Community Services	7 June 1991 (1991-06-07)	24 March 1993 (1993-03-24)
39	Graham Richardson				Minister for Health	24 March 1993 (1993-03-24)	25 March 1994 (1994-03-25)
40	Carmen Lawrence				Minister for Human Services and Health	25 March 1994 (1994-03-25)	11 March 1996 (1996-03-11)
41	Michael Wooldridge		Liberal	Howard	Minister for Health and Family Services	11 March 1996 (1996-03-11)	21 October 1998 (1998-10-21)
					Minister for Health and Aged Care	21 October 1998 (1998-10-21)	26 November 2001 (2001-11-26)
42	Kay Patterson				Minister for Health and Ageing	26 November 2001 (2001-11-26)	7 October 2003 (2003-10-07)
43	Tony Abbott					7 October 2003 (2003-10-07)	3 December 2007 (2007-12-03)
44	Nicola Roxon		Labor	Rudd		3 December 2007 (2007-12-03)	24 June 2010 (2010-06-24)
				Gillard		24 June 2010 (2010-06-24)	11 December 2011 (2011-12-11)
45	Tanya Plibersek				Minister for Health	11 December 2011 (2011-12-11)	1 July 2013 (2013-07-01)
				Rudd	Minister for Health and Medical Research	1 July 2013 (2013-07-01)	18 September 2013 (2013-09-18)
46	Peter Dutton		Liberal National	Abbott	Minister for Health	18 September 2013 (2013-09-18)	23 December 2014 (2014-12-23)
47	Sussan Ley		Liberal			23 December 2014 (2014-12-23)	15 September 2015 (2015-09-15)
				Turnbull		15 September 2015 (2015-09-15)	incumbent

Notes

Barnard was part of a two-man ministry that comprised just Gough Whitlam and Barnard for fourteen days, until the full ministry was announced.

Doug Everingham was a supporter of Spelling Reform and he preferred to spell it "Helth", but this was not the formal spelling of the portfolio's name (see above).

List of rural health ministers

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

Order	Minister	Party		Prime Minister	Title	Term start	Term end	Term in office
1	Christopher Pyne		Liberal	Howard	Assistant Minister for Health and Ageing	30 January 2007 (2007-01-30)	21 March 2007 (2007-03-21)	days
2	Warren Snowdon		Labor	Rudd	Minister for Indigenous Health, Rural and Regional Health and Regional Services Delivery	9 June 2009	24 June 2010
				Gillard		24 June 2010	14 September 2010
					Minister for Indigenous Health	14 September 2010	27 June 2013
				Rudd		27 June 2013	18 September 2013
3	Fiona Nash		Nationals	Abbott	Assistant Minister for Health	18 September 2013 (2013-09-18)	15 September 2015 (2015-09-15)
				Turnbull		15 September 2015 (2015-09-15)	21 September 2015 (2015-09-21)
					Minister for Rural Health	21 September 2015 (2015-09-21)	Incumbent

See also

• Minister for Social Services
• Minister for Sport
• Abbott Ministry

External links

• Minister's website