The Minister for Industry and Innovation is an Australian Government cabinet position which is currently held by Tim Ayres following his swearing-in on 13 May 2025 as a result of Anthony Albanese's Labor government being re-elected at the 2025 Australian federal election.
In the Government of Australia, the minister administers this portfolio through the Department of Industry, Science and Resources.
Scope
other bodies in the portfolio included: Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation; Australian Skills Quality Authority; Australian Workforce and Productivity Agency; CSIRO; Geoscience Australia; IP Australia; National Advisory for Tertiary Education, Skills and Employment; Office of the Chief Scientist; Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency. The Australian Space Agency opened in Adelaide in February 2020.
List of industry ministers The following individuals have been appointed as Minister for Industry or any precursor title. Order Minister Party Prime Minister Title Term start Term end Term in office 1 John Latham Nationalist Bruce Minister for Industry 10 December 1928 22 October 1929 days 2 James Scullin Labor Scullin 22 October 1929 6 January 1932 (1) John Latham United Australia Lyons 6 January 1932 12 October 1934 3 Robert Menzies 12 October 1934 20 March 1939 4Billy Hughes 20 March 1939 7 April 1939 Page 20 March 1939 26 April 1939Menzies 26 April 1939 28 October 1940 5 Eric Spooner Minister for War Organisation of Industry 28 October 1940 28 August 1941 days Fadden 28 August 1941 7 October 1941 6 John Dedman Labor Curtin 7 October 1941 19 February 1945 7 John McEwen Country Menzies Minister for Trade and Industry18 December 196321 January 1966 Holt26 January 196619 December 1967 McEwen19 December 196710 January 1968Gorton10 January 19685 February 1971 8 Doug Anthony5 February 197110 March 1971 McMahon5 February 19715 December 1972 9 Gough Whitlam LaborWhitlam 5 December 1972 19 December 1972 days 10 Jim CairnsMinister for Secondary Industry 19 December 1972 9 October 1973 days 11Kep Enderby 9 October 1973 12 June 1974 Minister for Manufacturing Industry 12 June 1974 10 February 1975 12 Jim McClelland 10 February 1975 6 June 1975 days 13 Lionel Bowen 6 June 1975 11 November 1975 days 14 Bob Cotton Liberal Fraser11 November 197522 December 1975 Minister for Industry and Commerce22 December 197520 December 1977 15 Phillip Lynch 20 December 197711 October 1982 16 Andrew Peacock 11 October 198211 March 1983 days 17 John Button LaborHawke 11 March 1983 13 December 1984 Minister for Industry, Technology and Commerce 13 December 1984 20 December 1991 Keating 20 December 1991 24 March 1993 18 Alan GriffithsMinister for Industry, Technology and Regional Development 24 March 1993 22 January 1994 days 19 Peter Cook 30 January 1994 25 March 1994 Minister for Industry, Science and Technology 25 March 1994 11 March 1996 20 John Moore Liberal Howard Minister for Industry, Science and Tourism11 March 199621 October 1998 21 Nick Minchin Minister for Industry, Science and Resources21 October 199826 November 2001 22 Ian Macfarlane Minister for Industry, Tourism and Resources26 November 20013 December 2007 23 Kim Carr Labor Rudd Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research 3 December 2007 24 June 2010 Gillard 24 June 2010 14 December 2011 24 Greg Combet Minister for Industry and Innovation 14 December 2011 26 June 2013 (23) Kim Carr Rudd Minister for Innovation, Industry, Science and Research 26 June 2013 18 September 2013 (22) Ian Macfarlane Liberal Abbott Minister for Industry 23 December 2014 Minister for Industry and Science 15 September 2015 Turnbull 21 September 2015 25 Christopher Pyne Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science 26 Greg Hunt 27 Arthur Sinodinos 28 Michaelia Cash Minister for Jobs and Innovation 29 Karen Andrews Morrison Minister for Industry, Science and Technology 30 Christian Porter Scott Morrison Minister for Industry, Science, Energy and Resources 31 Angus Taylor Minister for Industry, Energy and Emissions Reduction 32 Ed Husic Labor Albanese Minister for Industry and Science 33 Tim Ayres Minister for Industry and Innovation Incumbent
Morrison was appointed as Minister for Industry, Science, Energy and Resources by the Governor-General on Morrison's advice in April 2021, with both Morrison and Porter holding the position of Minister for Industry until September 2021, and then Morrison and Taylor until May 2022. However, the appointment of Morrison was not made public until August 2022.
Former ministerial titles List of ministers for commerce Order Minister Party Prime Minister Title Term start Term end Term in office 1 Charles Hawker United Australia Lyons Minister for Commerce days 2 Joseph Lyons days 3 Frederick Stewart days 4 Earle Page Country Page 5 George McLeay United Australia Menzies days 6 Archie Cameron Country days (4) Earle Page days Fadden 7 William Scully Labor Curtin Minister for Commerce and Agriculture Forde Chifley 8 Reg Pollard 9 John McEwen Country Menzies 10 Bob Cotton Liberal FraserMinister for Industry and Commerce22 December 197520 December 1977 11 Phillip Lynch 20 December 197711 October 1982 12 Andrew Peacock 11 October 198211 March 1983 days 13 John Button LaborHawke 11 March 1983 13 December 1984 Minister for Industry, Technology and Commerce 13 December 1984 20 December 1991 Keating 20 December 1991 24 March 1993
List of ministers for technology Order Minister Party Ministry Title Term start Term end Term in office 1 David Thomson National Country Fraser Minister for Science and Technology3 November 198016 October 1982 National 16 October 1982 11 March 1983 2 Barry Jones Labor Hawke 11 March 1983 13 December 1984 3 John Button Minister for Industry, Technology and Commerce 13 December 1984 20 December 1991 Keating 20 December 1991 24 March 1993 4 Alan GriffithsMinister for Industry, Technology and Regional Development 24 March 1993 22 January 1994 days 5 Peter Cook 30 January 1994 25 March 1994 Minister for Industry, Science and Technology 25 March 1994 11 March 1996 6 Peter McGauran National Howard Minister for Science and Technology11 March 199626 September 1997 7 Karen AndrewsLiberalMorrison Minister for Industry, Science and Technology 8 Christian Porter 9Melissa PriceMinister for Science and Technology8 October 202123 May 2022
List of ministers for manufacturing The following individuals have been appointed as Minister for Manufacturing, or any of its precedent titles: Order Minister Party Ministry Title Term start Term end Term in office 1 Kim Carr Labor 2nd Gillard Minister for Manufacturing 2 Kate Lundy Minister Assisting for Industry and Innovation 5 March 2012 27 June 2013 Rudd 27 June 2013 18 September 2013
Assistant ministers List of industry parliamentary secretaries The following individual has been appointed as parliamentary secretaries for industry, or any of its precedent titles:
Order Assistant Minister Party Prime Minister Title Term start Term end Term in office 1 Warren Entsch Liberal Howard Parliamentary Secretary for Industry, Science and Resources 21 October 1998 26 November 2001 Parliamentary Secretary for Industry, Tourism and Resources 26 November 2001 27 January 2006 2 Bob Baldwin Parliamentary Secretary for Industry, Tourism and Resources 27 January 2006 3 December 2007 3 Richard Marles Labor Rudd Parliamentary Secretary for Innovation and Industry 9 June 2009 24 June 2010 Gillard 24 June 2010 14 September 2010 4 Mark Dreyfus Labor Gillard Parliamentary Secretary for Industry and Innovation 14 December 2011 4 February 2013 5 Yvette D'Ath Labor Gillard Parliamentary Secretary for Industry and Innovation 25 March 2013 27 June 2013 Rudd 27 June 2013 18 September 2013 (2) Bob Baldwin Liberal Abbott Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Industry 18 September 2013 23 December 2014 6 Karen Andrews Parliamentary Secretary for Industry and Science 23 December 2014 21 September 2015 Turnbull Assistant Minister for Science 21 September 2015 19 July 2016 7 Craig Laundy Assistant Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science 19 July 2016 8 Zed Seselja Assistant Minister for Science, Jobs and Innovation
List of assistant ministers for innovation The following individuals have been appointed as assistant minister for innovation, or any of its precedent titles: Order Assistant Minister Party Prime Minister Title Term start Term end Term in office 1 Richard Marles Labor Rudd Parliamentary Secretary for Innovation and Industry 9 June 2009 24 June 2010 Gillard 24 June 2010 14 September 2010 2 Mark Dreyfus Labor Gillard Parliamentary Secretary for Industry and Innovation 14 December 2011 4 February 2013 3 Yvette D'Ath Labor Gillard Parliamentary Secretary for Industry and Innovation 25 March 2013 27 June 2013 Rudd 27 June 2013 18 September 2013 4 Wyatt Roy Liberal Turnbull Assistant Minister for Innovation days 5 Craig Laundy Assistant Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science 19 July 2016 6 Zed Seselja Assistant Minister for Science, Jobs and Innovation
List of assistant ministers for manufacturing The following individuals have been appointed as Assistant Minister for Manufacturing, or any of its precedent titles: Order Minister Party Ministry Title Term start Term end Term in office 1 Tim Ayres Labor Albanese Assistant Minister for Manufacturing
References
External links