Minister for Trade and Tourism

The Minister for Trade and Tourism is a portfolio in the Government of Australia, falling within the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).^[1] The position is currently held by Senator Don Farrell, sworn in as part of the Albanese ministry on 1 June 2022, following the Australian federal election in 2022.^[2] The minister is assisted by the Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, held by Matt Thistlethwaite, and the Assistant Minister for Tourism, held by Nita Green.

Minister for Trade and Tourism
Commonwealth Coat of Arms
Flag of Australia
Incumbent Don Farrell since 1 June 2022 (2022-06-01)
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Style	The Honourable
Appointer	Governor-General on the advice of the prime minister
Inaugural holder	Charles Kingston (as Minister for Trade and Customs)
Formation	1 January 1901 (1901-01-01)
Website	www.trademinister.gov.au

Portfolio

In the Government of Australia, the minister and assistant minister(s) administer the portfolio through the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) jointly with the Minister for Foreign Affairs. Other trade-related bodies for which the minister and assistant minister are responsible are:

• Austrade
• Export Finance Australia
• Tourism Australia

DFAT was created in 1987 through the merger of the Department of Foreign Affairs and the Department of Trade. In sequence, the trade portfolio has been administered by the following departments:

• Department of Trade and Customs (1901–1956)
• Department of Trade (1956–1963)
• Department of Trade and Industry (1963–1972)
• Department of Overseas Trade (1972–1977)
• Department of Trade and Resources (1977–1983)
• Department of Trade (1983–1987)
• Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (1987–present)

List of ministers for trade

The following individuals have been appointed as minister for trade, tourism and investment, or any of its precedent titles:^[3]

Order	Minister	Party		Prime Minister	Title	Term start	Term end	Term in office
1	Charles Kingston		Protectionist	Barton	Minister for Trade and Customs	1 January 1901 (1901-01-01)	24 July 1903 (1903-07-24)	2 years, 204 days
2	William Lyne		Protectionist	Barton	Minister for Trade and Customs	11 August 1903 (1903-08-11)	24 September 1903 (1903-09-24)	260 days
				Deakin		24 September 1903 (1903-09-24)	27 April 1904 (1904-04-27)
3	Andrew Fisher		Labor	Watson		27 April 1904 (1904-04-27)	17 August 1904 (1904-08-17)	112 days
4	Allan McLean		Protectionist	Reid		17 August 1904 (1904-08-17)	5 July 1905 (1905-07-05)	322 days
n/a	William Lyne			Deakin		5 July 1905 (1905-07-05)	30 July 1907 (1907-07-30)	2 years, 25 days
5	Austin Chapman					30 July 1907 (1907-07-30)	13 November 1908 (1908-11-13)	1 year, 106 days
6	Frank Tudor		Labor	Fisher		13 November 1908 (1908-11-13)	2 June 1909 (1909-06-02)	201 days
7	Robert Best		Liberal	Deakin		2 June 1909 (1909-06-02)	29 April 1910 (1910-04-29)	331 days
n/a	Frank Tudor		Labor	Fisher		29 April 1910 (1910-04-29)	24 June 1913 (1913-06-24)	3 years, 56 days
8	Littleton Groom		Liberal	Cook		24 June 1913 (1913-06-24)	17 September 1914 (1914-09-17)	1 year, 85 days
n/a	Frank Tudor		Labor	Fisher		17 September 1914 (1914-09-17)	27 October 1915 (1915-10-27)	1 year, 363 days
				Hughes		27 October 1915 (1915-10-27)	14 September 1916 (1916-09-14)
9	Billy Hughes		Labor	Hughes	Minister for Trade and Customs	29 September 1916 (1916-09-29)	14 November 1916 (1916-11-14)	46 days
10	William Archibald		National Labor			14 November 1916 (1916-11-14)	17 February 1917 (1917-02-17)	95 days
11	Jens Jensen		Nationalist			17 February 1917 (1917-02-17)	13 December 1918 (1918-12-13)	1 year, 299 days
12	William Watt					13 December 1918 (1918-12-13)	17 January 1919 (1919-01-17)	35 days
13	Walter Massy-Greene					17 January 1919 (1919-01-17)	21 December 1921 (1921-12-21)	2 years, 338 days
14	Arthur Rodgers					21 December 1921 (1921-12-21)	5 February 1923 (1923-02-05)	1 year, 46 days
n/a	Austin Chapman		Nationalist	Bruce	Minister for Trade and Customs	9 February 1923 (1923-02-09)	26 May 1924 (1924-05-26)	1 year, 107 days
n/a	Littleton Groom					26 May 1924 (1924-05-26)	13 June 1924 (1924-06-13)	18 days
15	Herbert Pratten					13 June 1924 (1924-06-13)	7 May 1928 (1928-05-07)	3 years, 329 days
16	Stanley Bruce					8 May 1928 (1928-05-08)	28 November 1928 (1928-11-28)	204 days
17	Henry Gullett					28 November 1928 (1928-11-28)	22 October 1929 (1929-10-22)	328 days
18	James Fenton		Labor	Scullin		22 October 1929 (1929-10-22)	4 February 1931 (1931-02-04)	1 year, 105 days
19	Frank Forde					4 February 1931 (1931-02-04)	6 January 1932 (1932-01-06)	336 days
n/a	Henry Gullett		United Australia	Lyons		6 January 1932 (1932-01-06)	14 January 1933 (1933-01-14)	1 year, 8 days
20	Thomas White					14 January 1933 (1933-01-14)	8 November 1938 (1938-11-08)	5 years, 298 days
21	John Perkins					8 November 1938 (1938-11-08)	7 April 1939 (1939-04-07)	169 days
				Page		7 April 1939 (1939-04-07)	26 April 1939 (1939-04-26)
22	John Lawson			Menzies		26 April 1939 (1939-04-26)	23 February 1940 (1940-02-23)	303 days
23	Robert Menzies					23 February 1940 (1940-02-23)	14 March 1940 (1940-03-14)	20 days
24	George McLeay					14 March 1940 (1940-03-14)	28 October 1940 (1940-10-28)	228 days
25	Eric Harrison					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)
26	Richard Keane		Labor	Curtin		7 October 1941 (1941-10-07)	6 July 1945 (1945-07-06)	4 years, 201 days
				Forde		6 July 1945 (1945-07-06)	13 July 1945 (1945-07-13)
				Chifley		13 July 1945 (1945-07-13)	26 April 1946 (1946-04-26)
27	John Dedman					26 April 1946 (1946-04-26)	18 June 1946 (1946-06-18)	53 days
28	James Fraser					18 June 1946 (1946-06-18)	1 November 1946 (1946-11-01)	136 days
29	Ben Courtice					1 November 1946 (1946-11-01)	19 December 1949 (1949-12-19)	3 years, 48 days
30	Neil O'Sullivan		Liberal	Menzies		19 December 1949 (1949-12-19)	11 January 1956 (1956-01-11)	6 years, 23 days
31	John McEwen		Country		Minister for Trade	11 January 1956 (1956-01-11)	18 December 1963 (1963-12-18)	15 years, 25 days
					Minister for Trade and Industry	18 December 1963 (1963-12-18)	26 January 1966 (1966-01-26)
				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)	5 February 1971 (1971-02-05)
32	Doug Anthony					5 February 1971 (1971-02-05)	10 March 1971 (1971-03-10)	1 year, 270 days
				McMahon		10 March 1971 (1971-03-10)	5 December 1972 (1972-12-05)
33	Gough Whitlam1		Labor	Whitlam		5 December 1972 (1972-12-05)	19 December 1972 (1972-12-19)	14 days
34	Jim Cairns				Minister for Overseas Trade	19 December 1972 (1972-12-19)	11 December 1974 (1974-12-11)	1 year, 357 days
35	Frank Crean					11 December 1974 (1974-12-11)	11 November 1975 (1975-11-11)	335 days
n/a	Doug Anthony		National Country	Fraser		11 November 1975 (1975-11-11)	20 December 1977 (1977-12-20)	7 years, 120 days
					Minister for Trade and Resources	20 December 1977 (1977-12-20)	16 October 1982
			National			16 October 1982	11 March 1983
36	Lionel Bowen		Labor	Hawke	Minister for Trade	11 March 1983 (1983-03-11)	13 December 1984 (1984-12-13)	1 year, 277 days
37	John Dawkins					13 December 1984 (1984-12-13)	24 July 1987 (1987-07-24)	2 years, 223 days
38	Michael Duffy				Minister for Trade Negotiations	24 July 1987 (1987-07-24)	4 April 1990 (1990-04-04)	2 years, 254 days
39	Neal Blewett					4 April 1990 (1990-04-04)	1 February 1991 (1991-02-01)	1 year, 267 days
					Minister for Trade and Overseas Development	1 February 1991 (1991-02-01)	20 December 1991 (1991-12-20)
				Keating		20 December 1991 (1991-12-20)	27 December 1991 (1991-12-27)
40	John Kerin					27 December 1991 (1991-12-27)	24 March 1993 (1993-03-24)	1 year, 87 days
41	Peter Cook				Minister for Trade	24 March 1993 (1993-03-24)	30 January 1994 (1994-01-30)	312 days
42	Bob McMullan					30 January 1994 (1994-01-30)	11 March 1996 (1996-03-11)	2 years, 41 days
43	Tim Fischer		National	Howard		11 March 1996 (1996-03-11)	20 July 1999 (1999-07-20)	3 years, 131 days
44	Mark Vaile					20 July 1999 (1999-07-20)	29 September 2006 (2006-09-29)	7 years, 71 days
45	Warren Truss					29 September 2006 (2006-09-29)	3 December 2007 (2007-12-03)	1 year, 65 days
46	Simon Crean		Labor	Rudd		3 December 2007 (2007-12-03)	24 June 2010 (2010-06-24)	2 years, 207 days
				Gillard		24 June 2010 (2010-06-24)	28 June 2010 (2010-06-28)
47	Stephen Smith					28 June 2010 (2010-06-28)	14 September 2010 (2010-09-14)	78 days
48	Craig Emerson					14 September 2010 (2010-09-14)	5 March 2012 (2012-03-05)	2 years, 286 days
					Minister for Trade and Competitiveness	5 March 2012 (2012-03-05)	27 June 2013 (2013-06-27)
49	Richard Marles			Rudd	Minister for Trade	27 June 2013 (2013-06-27)	18 September 2013 (2013-09-18)	83 days
50	Andrew Robb		Liberal	Abbott	Minister for Trade and Investment	18 September 2013 (2013-09-18)	15 September 2015	2 years, 153 days
				Turnbull		15 September 2015 (2015-09-15)	18 February 2016 (2016-02-18)
51	Steven Ciobo					18 February 2016 (2016-02-18)	19 July 2016 (2016-07-19)	2 years, 191 days
					Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment	19 July 2016 (2016-07-19)	28 August 2018 (2018-08-28)
52	Simon Birmingham			Morrison		28 August 2018 (2018-08-28)	22 December 2020 (2020-12-22)	2 years, 116 days
53	Dan Tehan					22 December 2020 (2020-12-22)	23 May 2022 (2022-05-23)	1 year, 152 days
54	Don Farrell		Labor	Albanese	Minister for Trade and Tourism	1 June 2022	Incumbent	2 years, 357 days

Notes

¹ Whitlam was part of a two-man ministry that comprised just Gough Whitlam and Lance Barnard for fourteen days, until the full ministry was announced.

List of ministers for tourism

Since 1966, Australia had ministers responsible for tourism under various titles. The following individuals have been appointed as Minister for Tourism, or any of its precedent titles:^[3]

Order	Minister	Party		Prime Minister	Ministerial title	Term start	Term end	Term in office
1	Don Chipp		Liberal	Holt	Minister in charge of Tourist Activities	14 December 1966 (1966-12-14)	19 December 1967 (1967-12-19)	1 year, 76 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)
2	Reg Wright					28 February 1968 (1968-02-28)	10 March 1971 (1971-03-10)	3 years, 92 days
				McMahon		10 March 1971 (1971-03-10)	31 May 1971 (1971-05-31)
3	Peter Howson					31 May 1971 (1971-05-31)	5 December 1972 (1972-12-05)	1 year, 188 days
4	Frank Stewart		Labor	Whitlam	Minister for Tourism and Recreation	19 December 1972 (1972-12-19)	11 November 1975 (1975-11-11)	2 years, 327 days
5	Reg Withers		Liberal	Fraser		11 November 1975 (1975-11-11)	22 December 1975 (1975-12-22)	41 days
6	John Brown		Labor	Hawke	Minister for Sport, Recreation and Tourism	11 March 1983 (1983-03-11)	24 July 1987 (1987-07-24)	4 years, 282 days
					Minister for Arts, Sport, the Environment, Tourism and Territories	24 July 1987 (1987-07-24)	18 December 1987 (1987-12-18)
7	Graham Richardson		Labor	Hawke	Minister for Arts, Sport, the Environment, Tourism and Territories	19 January 1988 (1988-01-19)	4 April 1990 (1990-04-04)	2 years, 75 days
8	Ros Kelly					4 April 1990 (1990-04-04)	20 December 1991 (1991-12-20)	1 year, 267 days
				Keating		20 December 1991 (1991-12-20)	27 December 1991 (1991-12-27)
9	Alan Griffiths				Minister for Tourism	27 December 1991 (1991-12-27)	24 March 1993 (1993-03-24)	1 year, 87 days
10	Michael Lee					24 March 1993 (1993-03-24)	11 March 1996 (1996-03-11)	2 years, 353 days
11	John Moore		Liberal	Howard	Minister for Industry, Science and Tourism	11 March 1996 (1996-03-11)	9 October 1997 (1997-10-09)	1 year, 212 days
12	Andrew Thomson				Minister for Sport and Tourism	9 October 1997 (1997-10-09)	21 October 1998 (1998-10-21)	1 year, 12 days
13	Jackie Kelly					21 October 1998 (1998-10-21)	26 November 2001 (2001-11-26)	3 years, 36 days
14	Joe Hockey				Minister for Small Business and Tourism	26 November 2001 (2001-11-26)	26 October 2004 (2004-10-26)	2 years, 335 days
15	Fran Bailey					26 October 2004 (2004-10-26)	3 December 2007 (2007-12-03)	3 years, 38 days
16	Martin Ferguson		Labor	Rudd	Minister for Tourism	3 December 2007 (2007-12-03)	24 June 2010 (2010-06-24)	5 years, 112 days
				Gillard		24 June 2010 (2010-06-24)	25 March 2013 (2013-03-25)
17	Gary Gray					25 March 2013 (2013-03-25)	27 June 2013 (2013-06-27)	177 days
				Rudd		27 June 2013 (2013-06-27)	18 September 2013 (2013-09-18)
18	Richard Colbeck		Liberal	Turnbull	Minister for Tourism and International Education	21 September 2015 (2015-09-21)	19 July 2016 (2016-07-19)	302 days
19	Steven Ciobo				Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment	19 July 2016 (2016-07-19)	28 August 2018 (2018-08-28)	2 years, 40 days
20	Simon Birmingham			Morrison		28 August 2018 (2018-08-28)	22 December 2020 (2020-12-22)	2 years, 116 days
21	Dan Tehan					22 December 2020 (2020-12-22)	23 May 2022 (2022-05-23)	1 year, 152 days
22	Don Farrell		Labor	Albanese	Minister for Trade and Tourism	1 June 2022	Incumbent	2 years, 357 days

List of ministers assisting the minister for trade and investment

The following individuals have been appointed as minister assisting the minister for trade and investment, or its preceding titles:^[3]

Order	Minister	Party		Prime Minister	Title	Term start	Term end	Term in office
1	Ian Sinclair		Country	Holt	Minister assisting the Minister for Trade and Industry	14 December 1966 (1966-12-14)	19 December 1967 (1967-12-19)	4 years, 53 days
				McEwen		19 December 1967 (1967-12-19)	10 January 1968 (1968-01-10)
				Gorton		10 January 1968 (1968-01-10)	5 February 1971 (1971-02-05)
2	John Howard		Liberal	Fraser	Minister for Special Trade Negotiations	17 July 1977 (1977-07-17)	20 December 1977 (1977-12-20)	156 days
3	Victor Garland				Minister for Special Trade Representations	20 December 1977 (1977-12-20)	8 December 1979 (1979-12-08)	1 year, 353 days
4	Douglas Scott		National Country		Minister for Special Trade Representations Minister assisting the Minister for Trade and Resources	8 December 1979 (1979-12-08)	19 August 1980 (1980-08-19)	255 days
5	Ian Sinclair				Minister for Special Trade Representations	19 August 1980 (1980-08-19)	3 November 1980 (1980-11-03)	76 days
6	Tom McVeigh				Minister Assisting the Minister for Trade and Resources	3 November 1980 (1980-11-03)	11 March 1983 (1983-03-11)	2 years, 128 days
7	Richard Colbeck		Liberal	Turnbull	Minister Assisting the Minister for Trade and Investment	21 September 2015 (2015-09-21)	19 July 2016 (2016-07-19)	302 days
8	Andrew Gee		Morrison	National	Minister Assisting the Minister for Trade and Investment	6 February 2020 (2020-02-06)	2 July 2021 (2021-07-02)	1 year, 146 days
9	David Gillespie					2 July 2021 (2021-07-02)	23 May 2022 (2022-05-23)	325 days

List of parliamentary secretaries and assistant ministers for trade

The following individuals have been appointed as parliamentary secretary and assistant ministers for trade:^[3]

Order	Minister	Party		Prime Minister	Title	Term start	Term end	Term in office
1	Stephen Martin		Labor	Keating	Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade	27 December 1991 (1991-12-27)	24 March 1993 (1993-03-24)	1 year, 87 days
2	David Brownhill		National	Howard	Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Trade	11 March 1996 (1996-03-11)	21 October 1998 (1998-10-21)	2 years, 224 days
3	Larry Anthony					21 October 1998 (1998-10-21)	20 July 1999 (1999-07-20)	272 days
4	De-Anne Kelly		National	Howard	Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Trade	7 October 2003 (2003-10-07)	26 October 2004 (2004-10-26)	1 year, 19 days
5	Bruce Billson		Liberal		Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs and Trade	26 October 2004 (2004-10-26)	6 July 2005 (2005-07-06)	253 days
6	Sandy Macdonald		National		Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Trade	6 July 2005 (2005-07-06)	27 January 2006 (2006-01-27)	205 days
(4)	De-Anne Kelly					27 January 2006 (2006-01-27)	29 September 2006 (2006-09-29)	245 days
7	John Murphy		Labor	Rudd	Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Trade	3 December 2007 (2007-12-03)	25 February 2009 (2009-02-25)	1 year, 84 days
8	Anthony Byrne				Parliamentary Secretary for Trade	25 February 2009 (2009-02-25)	24 June 2010 (2010-06-24)	1 year, 201 days
				Gillard		24 June 2010 (2010-06-24)	14 September 2010 (2010-09-14)
9	Justine Elliot					14 September 2010 (2010-09-14)	4 February 2013 (2013-02-04)	2 years, 143 days
10	Kelvin Thomson					4 February 2013 (2013-02-04)	1 June 2013 (2013-06-01)	117 days
11	Steven Ciobo		Liberal	Abbott	Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Trade and Investment	23 December 2014 (2014-12-23)	21 September 2015 (2015-09-21)	272 days
12	Keith Pitt		National	Turnbull	Assistant Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment	19 July 2016 (2016-07-19)	20 December 2017 (2017-12-20)	1 year, 154 days
13	Luke Hartsuyker					20 December 2017 (2017-12-20)	26 February 2018 (2018-02-26)	68 days
14	Mark Coulton					5 March 2018 (2018-03-05)	29 May 2019 (2019-05-29)	1 year, 345 days
				Morrison	Assistant Minister for Trade and Investment	29 May 2019 (2019-05-29)	6 February 2020 (2020-02-06)
15	Tim Ayres		Labor	Albanese	Assistant Minister for Trade	1 June 2022 (2022-06-01)	13 May 2025 (2025-05-13)	2 years, 346 days
16	Matt Thistlethwaite		Labor	Albanese	Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade	13 May 2025	Incumbent	11 days

List of assistant ministers for regional tourism

The following individuals have been appointed as assistant minister for regional tourism:^[3]

Order	Minister	Party		Prime Minister	Title	Term start	Term end	Term in office
1	Jonathon Duniam		Liberal	Morrison	Assistant Minister for Regional Tourism	29 May 2019 (2019-05-29)	23 May 2022 (2022-05-23)	2 years, 359 days

List of assistant ministers for tourism

Order	Minister	Party		Prime Minister	Title	Term start	Term end	Term in office	Reference
1	Nita Green		Labor	Albanese	Assistant Minister for Tourism	13 May 2025 (2025-05-13)	Incumbent	10 days	[4]

See also

• Minister for Tourism (Victoria)
• Minister for Tourism, Major Events, Hospitality and Racing (New South Wales)
• Minister for Tourism (Western Australia)