Minister for Defence Industry

In the Government of Australia, the Minister for Defence Industry is currently the Hon Pat Conroy MP since 1 June 2022, following the Australian federal election in 2022.^[1]

Minister for Defence Industry
Commonwealth Coat of Arms
Flag of Australia
Incumbent Pat Conroy since 1 June 2022 (2022-06-01)
Department of Defence
Style	The Honourable
Appointer	Governor-General on the advice of the prime minister
Inaugural holder	Richard Casey (as Minister for Supply and Development)
Formation	26 April 1939 (1939-04-26)
Website	www.minister.defence.gov.au/current-ministers/2022-06/pat-conroy

The Minister for Defence Industry, or previously the Minister of Supply, is a ministerial portfolio that has existed variously since 1939. The Minister appointed is responsible for oversight of defence procurement, financial management, project and sustainment management, materiel engineering, and materiel logistics. The minister aims to ensure that the Australian Defence Force is equipped and supplied with the requirements as identified and approved by Government. The minister administers the portfolio through the Capability Acquisition and Sustainment Group of the Department of Defence.^[2]

While ultimately responsible to the Commonwealth of Australia and the Parliament, in practical terms, the minister reports to the Minister for Defence.

List of ministers for defence industry

A minister is appointed with responsibility for oversight of defence procurement, financial management, project and sustainment management, materiel engineering, and materiel logistics to ensure the Australian Defence Force is equipped and supplied with the requirements as identified and approved by Government.

The following individuals have been appointed Minister for Defence Industry, or any of its precedent titles:^[3]

Order	Minister	Party		Prime Minister	Title	Term start	Term end	Term in office
1	Richard Casey, DSO, MC		United Australia	Menzies	Minister for Supply and Development	26 April 1939 (1939-04-26)	26 January 1940 (1940-01-26)	275 days
2	Sir Frederick Stewart					26 January 1940 (1940-01-26)	28 October 1940 (1940-10-28)	276 days
3	Sir Philip McBride, KCMG					28 October 1940 (1940-10-28)	26 June 1941 (1941-06-26)	241 days
4	George McLeay					26 June 1941 (1941-06-26)	29 August 1941 (1941-08-29)	103 days
				Fadden		29 August 1941 (1941-08-29)	7 October 1941 (1941-10-07)
5	Jack Beasley		Labor	Curtin		7 October 1941 (1941-10-07)	17 October 1942 (1942-10-17)	3 years, 118 days
					Minister for Supply and Shipping	17 October 1942 (1942-10-17)	2 February 1945 (1945-02-02)
6	Bill Ashley					2 February 1945 (1945-02-02)	6 July 1945 (1945-07-06)	3 years, 64 days
				Forde		6 July 1945 (1945-07-06)	13 July 1945 (1945-07-13)
				Chifley		13 July 1945 (1945-07-13)	6 April 1948 (1948-04-06)
7	John Armstrong				Minister for Supply and Development	6 April 1948 (1948-04-06)	19 December 1949 (1949-12-19)	1 year, 257 days
(1)	Richard Casey, CH, DSO, MC		Liberal	Menzies		19 December 1949 (1949-12-19)	17 March 1950 (1950-03-17)	88 days
8	Howard Beale				Minister for Supply	17 March 1950 (1950-03-17)	10 February 1958 (1958-02-10)	7 years, 330 days
9	Athol Townley					11 February 1958 (1958-02-11)	10 December 1958 (1958-12-10)	302 days
10	Alan Hulme					10 December 1958 (1958-12-10)	22 December 1961 (1961-12-22)	3 years, 12 days
11	Allen Fairhall					22 December 1961 (1961-12-22)	26 January 1966 (1966-01-26)	4 years, 35 days
12	Denham Henty			Holt		26 January 1966 (1966-01-26)	19 December 1967 (1967-12-19)	2 years, 33 days
				McEwen		19 December 1967 (1967-12-19)	10 January 1968 (1968-01-10)
				Gorton		10 January 1968 (1968-01-10)	28 February 1968 (1968-02-28)
13	Sir Ken Anderson					28 February 1968 (1968-02-28)	10 March 1971 (1971-03-10)	3 years, 155 days
				McMahon		10 March 1971 (1971-03-10)	2 August 1971 (1971-08-02)
14	Victor Garland					2 August 1971 (1971-08-02)	5 December 1972 (1972-12-05)	1 year, 125 days
15	Lance Barnard		Labor	Whitlam		5 December 1972 (1972-12-05)	9 October 1973 (1973-10-09)	308 days
16	Kep Enderby, QC					9 October 1973 (1973-10-09)	12 June 1974 (1974-06-12)	246 days
17	Ian Viner, QC		Liberal	Fraser	Minister for Defence Support	7 May 1982 (1982-05-07)	11 March 1983 (1983-03-11)	308 days
18	Brian Howe		Labor	Hawke		11 March 1983 (1983-03-11)	13 December 1984 (1984-12-13)	1 year, 277 days
19	Ros Kelly		Labor	Hawke	Minister for Defence Science and Personnel	18 September 1987 (1987-09-18)	6 April 1989 (1989-04-06)	1 year, 200 days
20	David Simmons					6 April 1989 (1989-04-06)	4 April 1990 (1990-04-04)	363 days
21	Gordon Bilney					4 April 1990 (1990-04-04)	20 December 1991 (1991-12-20)	2 years, 354 days
				Keating		20 December 1991 (1991-12-20)	24 March 1993 (1993-03-24)
22	John Faulkner					24 March 1993 (1993-03-24)	25 March 1994 (1994-03-25)	1 year, 1 day
23	Gary Punch					25 March 1994 (1994-03-25)	11 March 1996 (1996-03-11)	1 year, 352 days
24	Bronwyn Bishop		Liberal	Howard	Minister for Defence Industry, Science and Personnel	11 March 1996 (1996-03-11)	21 October 1998 (1998-10-21)	2 years, 224 days
25	Warren Snowdon		Labor	Rudd	Minister for Defence Science and Personnel	3 December 2007 (2007-12-03)	9 June 2009 (2009-06-09)	1 year, 188 days
26	Greg Combet, AM				Minister for Defence Personnel, Materiel and Science	9 June 2009 (2009-06-09)	1 April 2010 (2010-04-01)	1 year, 97 days
					Minister for Defence Materiel and Science	1 April 2010 (2010-04-01)	24 June 2010 (2010-06-24)
				Gillard		24 June 2010 (2010-06-24)	14 September 2010 (2010-09-14)
27	Jason Clare				Minister for Defence Materiel	14 September 2010 (2010-09-14)	2 April 2013 (2013-04-02)	2 years, 200 days
28	Mike Kelly, AM					2 April 2013 (2013-04-02)	27 June 2013 (2013-06-27)	169 days
				Rudd		27 June 2013 (2013-06-27)	18 September 2013 (2013-09-18)
29	Mal Brough[a]		Liberal	Turnbull	Minister for Defence Materiel and Science	21 September 2015 (2015-09-21)	29 December 2015 (2015-12-29)	99 days
acting	Marise Payne[a]				Acting Minister for Defence Materiel and Science	29 December 2015 (2015-12-29)	18 February 2016 (2016-02-18)	51 days
30	Dan Tehan				Minister for Defence Materiel	18 February 2016 (2016-02-18)	19 July 2016 (2016-07-19)	152 days
31	Christopher Pyne				Minister for Defence Industry	19 July 2016 (2016-07-19)	24 August 2018 (2018-08-24)	2 years, 39 days
				Morrison		24 August 2018 (2018-08-24)	27 August 2018 (2018-08-27)
32	Steven Ciobo					28 August 2018 (2018-08-28)	2 March 2019 (2019-03-02)	186 days
33	Linda Reynolds, CSC					2 March 2019 (2019-03-02)	29 May 2019 (2019-05-29)	88 days
34	Melissa Price					29 May 2019 (2019-05-29)	23 May 2022 (2022-05-23)	2 years, 359 days
35	Pat Conroy		Labor	Albanese		1 June 2022 (2022-06-01)	29 July 2024 (2024-07-29)	3 years, 46 days
					Minister for Defence Industry and Capability Delivery	29 July 2024 (2024-07-29)	13 May 2025 (2025-05-13)
					Minister for Defence Industry	13 May 2025 (2025-05-13)	incumbent

Notes

1. Minister Mal Brough temporarily stood aside on 29 December 2015. Subsequently, Senator Marise Payne served as Acting Minister for Defence Materiel and Science. Brough later resigned from the Ministry on 13 February 2016 and Payne remained acting in the role until the rearranged ministry was sworn on 18 February 2016.

Ministers for Munitions

The following individuals have been appointed Minister for Munitions:^[3]

Order	Minister	Party		Prime Minister	Title	Term start	Term end	Term in office
1	Robert Menzies		United Australia	Menzies	Minister for Munitions	11 June 1940 (1940-06-11)	28 October 1940 (1940-10-28)	139 days
2	Philip McBride					28 October 1940 (1940-10-28)	29 August 1941 (1941-08-29)	344 days
				Fadden		29 August 1941 (1941-08-29)	7 October 1941 (1941-10-07)
3	Norman Makin		Labor	Curtin		7 October 1941 (1941-10-07)	6 July 1945 (1945-07-06)	4 years, 312 days
				Forde		6 July 1945 (1945-07-06)	13 July 1945 (1945-07-13)
				Chifley		13 July 1945 (1945-07-13)	15 August 1946 (1946-08-15)
4	John Dedman					15 August 1946 (1946-08-15)	1 November 1946 (1946-11-01)	78 days
5	John Armstrong					1 November 1946 (1946-11-01)	6 April 1948 (1948-04-06)	1 year, 157 days

Ministers for Defence Production

The following individuals have been appointed Minister for Defence Production, or any of its precedent titles:^[3]

Order	Minister	Party		Prime Minister	Title	Term start	Term end	Term in office
1	John Leckie		United Australia	Menzies	Minister for Aircraft Production	26 June 1941 (1941-06-26)	29 August 1941 (1941-08-29)	103 days
				Fadden		29 August 1941 (1941-08-29)	7 October 1941 (1941-10-07)
2	Don Cameron		Labor	Curtin		7 October 1941 (1941-10-07)	2 February 1945 (1945-02-02)	3 years, 221 days
3	Norman Makin					2 February 1945 (1945-02-02)	6 July 1945 (1945-07-06)	1 year, 194 days
				Forde		6 July 1945 (1945-07-06)	13 July 1945 (1945-07-13)
				Chifley		13 July 1945 (1945-07-13)	15 August 1946 (1946-08-15)
4	John Dedman					15 August 1946 (1946-08-15)	1 November 1946 (1946-11-01)	78 days
5	Sir Eric Harrison, KCVO		Liberal	Menzies	Minister for Defence Production	11 May 1951 (1951-05-11)	24 October 1956 (1956-10-24)	5 years, 166 days
6	Howard Beale					24 October 1956 (1956-10-24)	10 February 1958 (1958-02-10)	1 year, 109 days
7	Athol Townley					11 February 1958 (1958-02-11)	23 April 1958 (1958-04-23)	71 days

See also

• Department of Defence (Australia)
• Minister for Defence (Australia)
• Minister for Defence Science and Personnel (Australia)
• Minister for Veterans' Affairs (Australia)
• Defence industry of Australia