Tim Ayres

For the British-born artist of the same name, see Tim Ayres (artist).

Timothy Ayres (born 18 December 1973) is an Australian politician and trade unionist who was elected as a Senator for New South Wales at the 2019 federal election. He is a member of the Australian Labor Party and was previously a trade union official with the Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union (AMWU). He has served as the Minister for Industry and Innovation and Minister for Science in the Second Albanese ministry since 13 May 2025.^[1]

Senator The Honourable Tim Ayres
Official portrait, 2022
Minister for Industry and Innovation
Incumbent
Assumed office 13 May 2025
Prime Minister	Anthony Albanese
Preceded by	Ed Husic
Minister for Science
Incumbent
Assumed office 13 May 2025
Prime Minister	Anthony Albanese
Preceded by	Ed Husic
Assistant Minister for Trade
In office 1 June 2022 – 13 May 2025
Prime Minister	Anthony Albanese
Preceded by	Mark Coulton
Succeeded by	Matt Thistlethwaite
Senator for New South Wales
Incumbent
Assumed office 1 July 2019
Preceded by	Duncan Spender
Personal details
Born	(1973-12-18) 18 December 1973 (age 51) Sydney, Australia
Political party	Labor
Spouse	Rae Cooper
Children	2
Alma mater	University of Sydney
Occupation	Trade unionist politician

Early life

Ayres was born in Sydney, on 18 December 1973.^[1] He was raised on a farm near Lismore, New South Wales. He completed his schooling at Glen Innes High School, before going on to study industrial relations at the University of Sydney.^[2]

Career

Ayres worked as a union organiser in the Riverina until 2000, when he moved to Sydney. He was elected state secretary of the Australian Manufacturing Workers' Union (AMWU) in 2010.^[2]

In July 2017, Ayres won preselection for the ALP Senate ticket in New South Wales, replacing retiring senator Doug Cameron. He defeated former federal MP Chris Haviland by a substantial margin in a ballot of Labor Left factional delegates. According to The Australian, the vote was "highly controversial and acrimonious", and was boycotted by two major left-wing unions, the Maritime Union of Australia and the CFMEU.^[3]

Ayres was elected to the Senate at the 2019 federal election, running in second place on the ALP ticket in New South Wales.^[4][5] He made his first speech to parliament on 30 July 2019, in which he offered that "a cruel pea-heart beats inside the chest of this mean-spirited government".^[6]

In 2022, following the ALP's victory at the 2022 federal election, Ayres was appointed assistant trade minister in the Albanese government.^[1]

In 2025, Ayres was appointed the successor to Ed Husic as the Minister for Industry and Innovation and Minister for Science in the second Albanese ministry.^[7] Ayers' promotion was seen as recognition of his success in undertaking work as the Assistant Minister for Manufacturing and Labor's Made in Australia agenda.^[8]