- Minister for Human Services (Australia)
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Minister for Human Services Style The Honourable Appointer Governor-General on the recommendation of the Prime Minister of Australia Inaugural holder Frederick Harold Stewart Formation 1939 The position of Minister for Human Services within Australian politics is currently held by the Hon. Tanya Plibersek MP. The Minister is responsible for a number of welfare agencies and administers her portfolio through the Department of Human Services and its component bodies:
- Child Support Agency
- Centrelink
- Australian Hearing
- CRS Australia
- Medicare Australia
Tanya Plibersek was appointed as the Minister for Human Services on 14 September 2010.
The Department of Human Services was created on 26 October 2004, as part of the Finance Portfolio, to improve the development and delivery of Government social and health related services to the Australian people.
As a result of the Administrative Arrangements Orders (AAOs) issued on 30 January 2007, the Department of Human Services and its agencies were transferred to a newly created Human Services Portfolio.
The Department of Human Services provides a central policy and coordination role for the delivery of services across the Portfolio as well as being the delivery agency for child support and vocational rehabilitation services. The AAOs of 25 January 2008 clarified the Department’s responsibility for the development of policy or service delivery, directed at ensuring the effective, innovative, and efficient delivery of Government services. The Department works with other departments and agencies to ensure early consideration of service delivery issues in the policy development process to improve the quality and cost effectiveness of service delivery by agencies in the Human Services Portfolio.
List of Ministers for Human Services
There was a Minister for Social Services or Social Security continuously from 1939 to 1998, when service delivery was partially privatised and residual functions were transferred to the Minister for Finance and Administration. In 2004, the position of Minister for Human Services was recreated to handle the residual functions.
Minister Party affiliation Period Prime
MinisterMinisterial Title Frederick Stewart United Australia Party 26 April 1939 – 29 August 1941 Menzies Minister for Social Services 29 August 1941 – 7 October 1941 Fadden Jack Holloway Australian Labor Party 7 October 1941 – 21 September 1943 Curtin James Fraser 21 September 1943 – 6 July 1945 6–13 July 1945 Forde 13 July 1945 – 18 June 1946 Chifley Nick McKenna 18 June 1946 – 19 December 1949 Bill Spooner Liberal Party 19 December 1949 – 11 May 1951 Menzies Athol Townley 11 May 1951 – 9 July 1954 William McMahon 9 July 1954 – 28 February 1956 Hugh Roberton Country Party 28 February 1956 – 21 January 1965 Reginald Swartz Liberal Party 21 January 1965 – 22 February 1965 Ian Sinclair Country Party 22 February 1965 – 26 January 1966 26 January 1966 – 19 December 1967 Holt 19 December 1967 – 10 January 1968 McEwen 10 January 1968 – 28 February 1968 Gorton William Wentworth Liberal Party 28 February 1968 – 10 March 1971 10 March 1971 – 5 December 1972 McMahon Lance Barnard Australian Labor Party 5–19 December 1972 Whitlam Bill Hayden 19 December 1972 – 6 June 1975 Minister for Social Security John Wheeldon 6 June 1975 – 11 November 1975 Don Chipp Liberal Party 12 November 1975 – 22 December 1975 Fraser Margaret Guilfoyle 22 December 1975 – 3 November 1980 Fred Chaney 3 November 1980 – 11 March 1983 Don Grimes Australian Labor Party 11 March 1983 – 13 December 1984 Hawke Brian Howe 13 December 1984 – 4 April 1990 Graham Richardson 4 April 1990 – 20 December 1991 20–27 December 1991 Keating Neal Blewett 27 December 1991 – 24 March 1993 Peter Baldwin 24 March 1993 – 11 March 1996 Jocelyn Newman Liberal Party 11 March 1996 – 21 October 1998 Howard Joe Hockey 26 October 2004 – 30 January 2007 Minister for Human Services Ian Campbell 30 January 2007 – 9 March 2007 Chris Ellison 9 March 2007 – 3 December 2007 Joe Ludwig Australian Labor Party 3 December 2007 – 9 June 2009 Rudd Chris Bowen 9 June 2009 – 24 June 2010 24 June 2010 – 14 September 2010 Gillard Tanya Plibersek 14 September 2010 – External links
Categories:- Lists of government ministers of Australia
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