Minister for Transport is a position in the government of Western Australia, currently held by Rita Saffioti of the Labor Party. The position was first created in 1945, in the ministry formed by Frank Wise, and has existed in almost every government since then. The minister is responsible for the Department of Transport & Major Infrastructure.
Prior to 1974, there was a separate position called the Commissioner of Railways (1883–1902) or the Minister for Railways (1902–1974), with the holder of the position having responsibility solely for Western Australia's railways (including the Western Australian Government Railways).
From 1947 to 1959, there was also a Minister for Supply and Shipping, who had responsibility for imports into Western Australia.
List of transport ministers Titles 3 August 1945 – present: Minister for Transport
Term start Term end Minister Party 3 August 1945 1 April 1947 William Marshall Labor 1 April 1947 6 April 1950 Harrie Seward Country 6 April 1950 23 February 1953 Charles Simpson Country 23 February 1953 14 April 1956 Herbert Styants Labor 14 April 1956 2 April 1959 Herb Graham Labor 2 April 1959 7 November 1961 Charles Perkins Country 16 November 1961 11 April 1962 George Cornell Country 12 April 1962 16 March 1965 James Craig Country 16 March 1965 17 August 1965 Charles Court Liberal 17 August 1965 3 March 1971 Ray O'Connor Liberal 3 March 1971 8 April 1974 Jerry Dolan Labor 8 April 1974 10 March 1977 Ray O'Connor Liberal 10 March 1977 25 August 1978 David Wordsworth Liberal 25 August 1978 25 February 1983 Cyril Rushton Liberal 25 February 1983 12 May 1986 Julian Grill Labor 12 May 1986 25 February 1988 Gavan Troy Labor 25 February 1988 12 February 1990 Bob Pearce Labor 19 February 1990 16 February 1993 Pam Beggs Labor 16 February 1993 28 July 1998 Eric Charlton National 28 July 1998 16 February 2001 Murray Criddle National 2001–2008: no minister – responsibilities held by the Minister for Planning and Infrastructure 23 September 2008 14 December 2010 Simon O'Brien Liberal 14 December 2010 17 March 2014 Troy Buswell Liberal 17 March 2014 20 September 2016 Dean Nalder Liberal 22 September 2016 17 March 2017 Bill Marmion Liberal 17 March 2017 Rita Saffioti Labor
List of railways ministers Titles 10 July 1883 – 1 July 1902: Commissioner of Railways 1 July 1902 – 8 April 1974: Minister for Railways
Term start Term end Minister Party 10 July 1883 16 July 1884 James Thomas None 16 July 1884 11 July 1885 Clayton Mason None 11 July 1885 18 December 1889 John Arthur Wright None 29 December 1890 10 March 1896 Harry Venn Ministerial 1 April 1896 23 August 1900 Frederick Piesse Ministerial 10 September 1900 27 May 1901 Barrington Wood Ministerial 27 May 1901 21 November 1901 Joseph Holmes Ministerial 21 November 1901 23 December 1901 Frank Wilson Ministerial 23 December 1901 1 July 1902 Walter Kingsmill Ministerial 1 July 1902 28 April 1904 Hector Rason Ministerial 10 August 1904 7 June 1905 John Holman Labor 7 June 1905 25 August 1905 William Johnson Labor 25 August 1905 17 October 1911 Henry Gregory Ministerial 17 October 1911 23 November 1914 Philip Collier Labor 23 November 1914 27 July 1916 John Scaddan Labor 27 July 1916 28 June 1917 James Mitchell Liberal 28 June 1917 27 July 1917 John Scaddan National Labor 27 July 1917 17 April 1919 Charles Hudson National Labor 17 April 1919 17 May 1919 Hal Colebatch Nationalist 17 May 1919 22 March 1924 John Scaddan Country 16 April 1924 23 April 1930 John Willcock Labor 24 April 1930 24 April 1933 John Scaddan Country 24 April 1933 19 August 1936 John Willcock Labor 27 August 1936 29 March 1939 Frederick Smith Labor 29 March 1939 3 August 1945 Emil Nulsen Labor 3 August 1945 1 April 1947 William Marshall Labor 1 April 1947 6 April 1950 Harrie Seward Country 6 April 1950 23 February 1953 Charles Simpson Country 23 February 1953 14 April 1956 Herbert Styants Labor 20 April 1956 2 April 1959 Harry Strickland Labor 2 April 1959 16 February 1967 Charles Court Liberal 16 February 1967 3 March 1971 Ray O'Connor Liberal 3 March 1971 30 September 1971 Ron Bertram Labor 12 October 1971 8 April 1974 Jerry Dolan Labor
List of supply and shipping ministers Titles 5 January 1948 – 2 April 1959: Minister for Supply and Shipping
Term start Term end Minister Party 5 January 1948 23 February 1953 Florence Cardell-Oliver Liberal 23 February 1953 2 April 1959 Harry Strickland Labor
See also Minister for Road Safety (Western Australia)
References David Black (2014), The Western Australian Parliamentary Handbook (Twenty-Third Edition). Perth [W.A.]: Parliament of Western Australia.