Minister for Home Affairs (Australia) explained

Post:	Minister for Home Affairs
Insignia:	Coat_of_Arms_of_Australia.svg
Insigniacaption:	Commonwealth Coat of Arms
Flag:	Flag of Australia (converted).svg
Flagcaption:	Flag of Australia
Flagborder:	yes
Incumbent:	Tony Burke
Appointer:	Governor-General
Appointer Qualified:	on the advice of the prime minister
Inaugural:	William Lyne
Department:	Department of Home Affairs

The Minister for Home Affairs is the minister in the Australian government responsible for the Department of Home Affairs, the country's interior ministry. The current minister is Tony Burke of the Labor Party, who has held the position since July 2024 in the Albanese ministry.

The current Department of Home Affairs was created in December 2017. The first department with that name was created in 1901, as one of the original six departments created at Federation, and was responsible for a wide range of areas not captured by the other departments. Similar departments have existed in almost all subsequent governments, under several different names. The specific title "Minister for Home Affairs" has been created six times – in 1901, 1929, 1977, 1987, 2007 and 2017.

History

The Minister for Home Affairs was a ministerial portfolio that existed continuously from 1901 to 12 April 1932, when Archdale Parkhill became Minister for the Interior in the first Lyons Ministry—subsuming his portfolios of Home Affairs and Transport.

The Home Affairs or Interior portfolio was responsible for various internal matters not handled by other ministries. In due course, other portfolios were established that took over functions from it, including:

Transport from 1928 to 1932 and continuously since 1941
Immigration since 1945
Agriculture since 1942
Industry from 1928 to 1945 and since 1963

The Minister for the Interior existed from 1932 to 1972. The Territories of Australia portfolio has been the responsibility for the varying titles of the Minister for Territories.

The Home Affairs Ministry was re-established in 2007, assuming the responsibilities of the Minister for Justice and Customs within the Attorney-General's Department with policy responsibilities for criminal justice, law enforcement, border control and national security and with oversight responsibilities of the Australian Customs Service and the Border Protection Command, the Australian Federal Police, the Australian Crime Commission, and the Office of Film and Literature Classification.^[1]

From September 2010 to September 2013, the Minister for Home Affairs also held the position of Minister for Justice. In September 2013 with the change of government, the position Minister for Home Affairs was disbanded and its responsibilities were assumed by the newly created Minister for Immigration and Border Protection for border control and by the Minister for Justice for law enforcement.

On 18 July 2017, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull announced the creation of a new home affairs department to be headed by Immigration Minister Peter Dutton, with responsibility for immigration, border control, domestic security, and law enforcement.^[2] ^[3] ^[4] ^[5] ^[6]

On 20 December 2017, Governor-General Peter Cosgrove swore Dutton into the position of Minister for Home Affairs. The Home Affairs portfolio was formed by way of an Administrative Arrangements Order issued on 20 December 2017^[7] with responsibilities for national security including cybersecurity and counterterrorism, law enforcement, emergency management, transport security, immigration, citizenship, border control, and multicultural affairs.

List of ministers for home affairs

The following individuals have been appointed as Minister for Home Affairs, or any of its related titles:^[8]


width=5	Order	width=150	Minister	width=150 colspan=2	Party	width=75	Prime Minister	width=250	Title	width=150	Term start	width=150	Term end	width=130	Term in office
1	Sir William Lyne,		Protectionist	Barton	Minister for Home Affairs	align=center		align=center		align=right
2	Sir John Forrest,	align=center		Barton			align=center		days
Deakin	Sir John Forrest,	align=center				align=center
3	Lee Batchelor			Labor		Watson	align=center		align=center		align=right	days
4	Dugald Thomson			Free Trade		Reid	align=center		align=center		align=right	days
5	Littleton Groom,		Protectionist	Deakin		align=center		align=center		align=right
6	Thomas Ewing	align=center					align=center		align=right	days
7	John Keating	align=center					align=center		align=right
8	Hugh Mahon			Labor		Fisher	align=center		align=center		align=right	days
9	George Fuller			Liberal		Deakin	align=center		align=center		align=right	days
10		King O'Malley				Labor	Fisher	align=center		align=center		align=right
11	Joseph Cook			Liberal		Cook	align=center		align=center		align=right
12	William Archibald		Labor	Fisher		align=center		align=center		align=right
(10)	King O'Malley	Hughes	Labor	align=center			align=center		align=right
13	Fred Bamford				National Labor	Minister for Home and Territories	align=center		align=center		align=right	days
14	Paddy Glynn,			Nationalist	align=center			align=center		align=right
15	Alexander Poynton,		align=center				align=center		align=right
16	George Pearce		align=center				align=center
Bruce	George Pearce	align=center			align=center
	17	Sir William Glasgow,	align=center				align=center		align=right	days
	18	Charles Marr,	align=center				align=center		align=right	days
	19	Sir Neville Howse,	align=center				align=center		align=right	days
	20	Aubrey Abbott			Country		align=center		align=center		align=right	days
21	Arthur Blakeley			Labor	Scullin	Minister for Home Affairs	align=center		align=center		align=right
22	Sir Archdale Parkhill,			United Australia	Lyons	Minister for Home Affairs	align=center		align=center		align=right
23	Robert Ellicott,		Liberal	Fraser	Minister for Home Affairs	align=center		align=center
Minister for Home Affairs and Environment	Robert Ellicott,	align=center				align=center
	24	Michael MacKellar			align=center		align=center		align=right	days
	25	Ian Wilson			align=center		align=center		align=right
	26	Tom McVeigh			National Country	align=center		align=center	16 October 1982	days
	National	Tom McVeigh	align=center		16 October 1982	align=center	11 March 1983
	27	Barry Cohen			Labor	Hawke	align=center		align=center		align=right

28	Robert Ray			Labor	Hawke	Minister for Home Affairs	align=center		align=center		align=right

29	Bob Debus		Labor	Rudd	Minister for Home Affairs	align=center		align=center		align=right
30	Brendan O'Connor	align=center		Rudd			align=center
Gillard	Brendan O'Connor	align=center				align=center
Gillard	31	Jason Clare		align=center			align=center
Rudd	align=center	Jason Clare				align=center

32	Peter Dutton		Liberal	Turnbull	Minister for Home Affairs	align=center		align=center
Morrison	Peter Dutton			align=center			align=center
	33			Karen Andrews		align=center		align=center		align=right
	Scott Morrison ^[9]			align=center			align=center		align=right
	Jim Chalmers (Interim)		Labor	Albanese		align=center		align=center		align=right
align=center	34					Clare O'Neil	align=center		align=center		align=right
align=center	35					Tony Burke	align=center		align=center	incumbent	align=right

Morrison was appointed as Minister for Home Affairs by the Governor-General on Morrison's advice in May 2021, with both Morrison and Andrews holding the position of Minister for Home Affairs until May 2022. However, the appointment of Morrison was not made public until August 2022.

Former ministerial titles

List of ministers for customs

From 1901 to 1956 Customs was handled by the Minister for Trade and Customs. In 1956 Frederick Osborne was appointed Minister for Customs and Excise. Kep Enderby was appointed Minister for Police and Customs in 1975. In 1975 responsibility for customs was absorbed into the portfolio of the Minister for Business and Consumer Affairs, John Howard. In May 1982, the portfolio of the Minister for Business and Consumer Affairs was abolished and customs functions were transferred to the Minister for Industry and Commerce, Phillip Lynch. In January 1988, Barry Jones became responsible for customs as Minister for Science, Customs and Small Business within John Button's portfolio of Industry and Commerce and there were subsequently junior ministers responsible for customs within the industry portfolio until March 1993 and from March 1994 until December 2007, when customs became part of the responsibility of the Minister for Home Affairs, Bob Debus. Between September 2013 and December 2017, it was the responsibility of the Minister for Immigration and Border Protection.

The following individuals have held responsibility for customs:^[8]

width=5	Order	width=150	Minister	width=150 colspan=2	Party	width=75	Prime Minister	width=350	Title	width=150	Term start	width=150	Term end	width=130	Term in office
1	Charles Kingston		Protectionist	Barton	Minister for Trade and Customs	align=center		align=center		align=right
2	William Lyne	align=center		Barton			align=center		days
Deakin	William Lyne	align=center				align=center
3	Andrew Fisher			Labor		Watson	align=center		align=center		align=right	days
4	Allan McLean		Protectionist	Reid		align=center		align=center		align=right	days
5	William Lyne	Deakin		align=center			align=center		align=right
6	Austin Chapman	Deakin		align=center			align=center		align=right
7	Frank Tudor			Labor		Fisher	align=center		align=center		align=right	days
8	Robert Best			Protectionist		Deakin	align=center		align=center		align=right	days
n/a	Frank Tudor			Labor		Fisher	align=center		align=center		align=right
9	Littleton Groom			Commonwealth Liberal		Cook	align=center		align=center		align=right
n/a	Frank Tudor		Labor	Fisher		align=center		align=center
Hughes	Frank Tudor	align=center				align=center
	10	Billy Hughes		align=center			align=center		align=right	days
	11	William Archibald				National Labor	align=center		align=center		align=right	days
	12	Jens Jensen		Nationalist		align=center		align=center		align=right
	13	William Watt	align=center				align=center		align=right	days
	14	Walter Massy-Greene	align=center				align=center		align=right
	15	Arthur Rodgers	align=center				align=center		align=right
n/a	Austin Chapman	Bruce	align=center				align=center		align=right
n/a	Littleton Groom		align=center				align=center		align=right	days
16	Herbert Pratten		align=center				align=center		align=right
17	Stanley Bruce		align=center				align=center		align=right	days
18	Henry Gullett		align=center				align=center		align=right	days
19	James Fenton		Labor	Scullin		align=center		align=center		align=right
20	Frank Forde	align=center	Labor	Scullin			align=center		align=right	days
n/a	Henry Gullett		United Australia	Lyons		align=center		align=center		align=right
21	Thomas White	align=center					align=center		align=right
22	John Perkins	align=center					align=center		days
Page	John Perkins	align=center				align=center
23	John Lawson	Menzies		align=center			align=center		align=right	days
24	Robert Menzies			align=center			align=center		align=right	days
25	George McLeay			align=center			align=center		align=right	days
26	Eric Harrison			align=center			align=center		days
Fadden	Eric Harrison	align=center				align=center
27	Richard Keane		Labor	Curtin		align=center		align=center
Forde		align=center				align=center
Chifley		align=center				align=center
	28	John Dedman		align=center			align=center		align=right	days
	29	James Fraser		align=center			align=center		align=right	days
	30	Ben Courtice		align=center			align=center		align=right
31	Neil O'Sullivan		Liberal	Menzies		align=center		align=center		align=right
32	Frederick Osborne	Minister for Customs and Excise			align=center		align=center		align=right	days
33	Denham Henty				align=center		align=center		align=right
34	Ken Anderson				align=center		align=center
Holt				align=center		align=center
McEwen				align=center		align=center
Gorton				align=center		align=center
	35			Malcolm Scott	align=center		align=center		align=right
	36			Don Chipp	align=center		align=center
McMahon	align=center			Don Chipp		align=center
37	Gough Whitlam			Labor	Whitlam	align=center		align=center		align=right	days
38	Lionel Murphy		align=center				align=center		align=right
39	Kep Enderby		align=center				align=center		days
Minister for Police and Customs	Kep Enderby	align=center				align=center
	40	Jim Cavanagh	align=center				align=center		align=right	days
	41	Ivor Greenwood		Liberal	Fraser	align=center		align=center		align=right	days
42	John Howard	Minister for Business and Consumer Affairs	align=center				align=center		align=right
43	Wal Fife		align=center				align=center		align=right
44	Victor Garland		align=center				align=center		align=right	days
45	John Moore		align=center				align=center		align=right
46	Neil Brown		align=center				align=center		align=right	days
47	Phillip Lynch	Minister for Industry and Commerce	align=center				align=center		align=right	days
48	Andrew Peacock		align=center				align=center		align=right	days
49	John Button			Labor	Hawke	align=center		align=center
Minister for Industry, Technology and Commerce	John Button	align=center				align=center
50	Barry Jones	Minister for Science, Customs and Small Business	align=center				align=center		align=right
51	David Beddall	Minister for Small Business and Customs	align=center				align=center
Keating		Minister for Small Business and Customs	align=center			align=center
		Minister for Small Business, Construction and Customs	align=center			align=center
	52	Alan Griffiths	Minister for Industry, Technology and Regional Development		align=center		align=center		align=right	days
	53	Peter Cook	Minister for Industry, Technology and Regional Development		align=center		align=center		align=right	days
	54	Chris Schacht	Minister for Small Business, Customs and Construction		align=center		align=center		align=right
55	Geoff Prosser		Liberal	Howard	Minister for Small Business and Consumer Affairs	align=center		align=center		align=right
56	Chris Ellison	Minister for Customs and Consumer Affairs	Liberal		align=center		align=center		align=right	days
57	Warren Truss	Minister for Customs and Consumer Affairs				Nationals	align=center		align=center		align=right
58	Amanda Vanstone		Liberal		Minister for Justice and Customs	align=center		align=center		align=right
59	Chris Ellison	align=center					align=center		align=right
60	David Johnston	align=center					align=center		align=right	days
61	Bob Debus		Labor	Rudd	Minister for Home Affairs	align=center		align=center		align=right
62	Brendan O'Connor	align=center		Rudd			align=center
Gillard	Brendan O'Connor	align=center				align=center
Gillard	63	Jason Clare		align=center			align=center
Rudd	align=center	Jason Clare				align=center
64	Scott Morrison		Liberal	Abbott	Minister for Immigration and Border Protection	align=center		align=center
65	Peter Dutton			Abbott		align=center		align=center
Turnbull	Peter Dutton			align=center			align=center

Notes

Whitlam was one of a two-man ministry consisting of himself and Lance Barnard for two weeks until the full ministry was announced.

List of assistant ministers for home affairs

The following individuals have been appointed as Assistant Minister for Home Affairs, or any of its related titles:^[8]

For previous appointments, see the Assistant Minister for Immigration and Border Protection
width=5	Order	width=150	Minister	width=150 colspan=2	Party	width=75	Prime Minister	width=250	Title	width=150	Term start	width=150	Term end	width=130	Term in office

1	Alex Hawke		Liberal	Turnbull	Assistant Minister for Home Affairs	align=center		align=center		align=right
2			Liberal	Morrison	Assistant Minister for Home Affairs	align=center		align=center		align=right

List of assistant ministers for customs, community safety and multicultural affairs

The following individuals have been appointed as Assistant Minister for Customs, Community Safety and Multicultural Affairs, or any of its related titles:^[8]

width=5	Order	width=150	Minister	width=150 colspan=2	Party	width=75	Prime Minister	width=250	Title	width=150	Term start	width=150	Term end	width=130	Term in office
1	Jason Wood		Liberal	Morrison	Assistant Minister for Customs, Community Safety and Multicultural Affairs	align=center		align=center		align=right

Notes and References

News: Debus new Home Affairs Minister . 30 November 2007 . . 3 December 2007 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20090516232704/http://202.6.74.101/news/stories/2007/11/30/2106208.htm . 16 May 2009.
News: Home Affairs agencies will retain statutory independence: Turnbull . 18 July 2017 . . 18 July 2017.
News: Malcolm Turnbull announces Home Affairs super-ministry run by Peter Dutton . 18 July 2017 . . Australia . 18 July 2017.
News: Peter Dutton given control of new home affairs super ministry . 18 July 2017 . . 18 July 2017.
News: Peter Dutton to head merged ASIO, AFP and Border Force super security department . Wroe, David . 17 July 2017 . The Sydney Morning Herald. 18 July 2017.
News: A Strong and Secure Australia . 18 July 2017 . . 18 July 2017 . https://web.archive.org/web/20170718050420/http://www.pm.gov.au/media/2017-07-18/strong-and-secure-australia . 18 July 2017 . dead .
Web site: Administrative Arrangements Order . 20 December 2017 . . 21 December 2017 . Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet.
Web site: Ministries and Cabinets . 43rd Parliamentary Handbook: Historical information on the Australian Parliament . . 2010 . 28 September 2013 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20140813030853/http://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/search/display/display.w3p%3Badv%3Dyes%3BorderBy%3Dcustomrank%3Bpage%3D2%3Bquery%3DLazzarini%3Brec%3D12%3BresCount%3DDefault . 13 August 2014 .
Web site: Anthony Albanese reveals former prime minister Scott Morrison secretly appointed himself to five ministries in power grab. ABC News. 16 August 2022.