Minister for Youth (Australia)

The Minister for Youth is a ministry in the Australian government responsible for oversight of youth affairs in Australia alongside the Minister for Education. The incumbent Minister is Labor senator Jess Walsh.

Minister for Youth
Commonwealth Coat of Arms
Flag of Australia
Incumbent Jess Walsh since 13 May 2025 (2025-05-13)
Department of Education
Style	The Honourable
Appointer	Governor-General on the recommendation of the Prime Minister of Australia
Inaugural holder	Ian Viner (as Minister for Employment and Youth Affairs)
Formation	5 December 1978 (1978-12-05)
Website	ministers.education.gov.au/senator-hon-dr-jess-walsh

In the Government of Australia, the Minister for Education is the senior minister in providing direction and oversight of the Department of Education. The Minister for Youth assists in this administration.

List of ministers for youth

There have been several portfolios to include the term "youth", sometimes separate from or under education portfolios. The following individuals have been appointed as Ministers with various titles that have included the word "youth":^[1]

Order	Minister	Party affiliation		Prime Minister	Ministerial title	Term start	Term end	Term in office
1	Ian Viner		Liberal	Fraser	Minister for Employment and Youth Affairs	5 December 1978 (1978-12-05)	16 April 1981 (1981-04-16)	2 years, 132 days
2	Neil Brown					16 April 1981 (1981-04-16)	7 May 1982 (1982-05-07)	1 year, 21 days
3	Susan Ryan		Labor	Hawke	Minister for Education and Youth Affairs	11 March 1983 (1983-03-11)	13 December 1984 (1984-12-13)	1 year, 277 days
4	John Dawkins				Minister assisting the Prime Minister for Youth Affairs	13 December 1984 (1984-12-13)	24 July 1987 (1987-07-24)	2 years, 223 days
5	Clyde Holding				Minister for Employment Services and Youth Affairs	24 July 1987 (1987-07-24)	19 January 1988 (1988-01-19)	179 days
6	Amanda Vanstone		Liberal	Howard	Minister for Employment, Education, Training and Youth Affairs	11 March 1996 (1996-03-11)	9 October 1997 (1997-10-09)	1 year, 212 days
7	David Kemp					9 October 1997 (1997-10-09)	21 October 1998 (1998-10-21)	5 years, 260 days
					Minister for Education, Training and Youth Affairs	21 October 1998 (1998-10-21)	26 November 2001 (2001-11-26)
8	Larry Anthony		National		Minister for Children and Youth Affairs	26 November 2001 (2001-11-26)	26 October 2004 (2004-10-26)	2 years, 335 days
9	Kate Ellis		Labor	Rudd	Minister for Youth	3 December 2007 (2007-12-03)	9 June 2009 (2009-06-09)	2 years, 207 days
					Minister for Early Childhood Education, Childcare and Youth	9 June 2009 (2009-06-09)	28 June 2010 (2010-06-28)
10	Peter Garrett			Gillard	Minister for School Education, Early Childhood and Youth	28 June 2010 (2010-06-28)	26 June 2013 (2013-06-26)	2 years, 363 days
(9)	Kate Ellis			Rudd	Minister for Early Childhood, Childcare and Youth	1 July 2013 (2013-07-01)	18 September 2013 (2013-09-18)	79 days
11	Richard Colbeck		Liberal	Morrison	Minister for Youth and Sport	29 May 2019 (2019-05-29)	22 December 2020 (2020-12-22)	1 year, 207 days
12	Alan Tudge				Minister for Education and Youth	22 December 2020 (2020-12-22)	2 December 2021	345 days
13	Anne Aly		Labor	Albanese	Minister for Youth	1 June 2022 (2022-06-01)	13 May 2025 (2025-05-13)	2 years, 346 days
14	Jess Walsh					13 May 2025 (2025-05-13)	Incumbent	96 days

List of ministers for early childhood education

Main article: Minister for Early Childhood Education

See also

• Minister for Education and Early Learning (New South Wales)
• Minister for Youth (New South Wales)
• Minister for Youth (Victoria)
• Minister for Youth (Western Australia)