Minister for Defence Industry
# Minister for Defence Industry

In the Government of Australia, the Minister for Defence Industry is currently the Hon Pat Conroy MP since 1 June 2022, following the Australian federal election in 2022.

The Minister for Defence Industry, or previously the Minister of Supply, is a ministerial portfolio that has existed variously since 1939. The Minister appointed is responsible for oversight of defence procurement, financial management, project and sustainment management, materiel engineering, and materiel logistics. The minister aims to ensure that the Australian Defence Force is equipped and supplied with the requirements as identified and approved by Government. The minister administers the portfolio through the Capability Acquisition and Sustainment Group of the Department of Defence.

While ultimately responsible to the Commonwealth of Australia and the Parliament, in practical terms, the minister reports to the Minister for Defence.

## List of ministers for defence industry

A minister is appointed with responsibility for oversight of defence procurement, financial management, project and sustainment management, materiel engineering, and materiel logistics to ensure the Australian Defence Force is equipped and supplied with the requirements as identified and approved by Government.

The following individuals have been appointed Minister for Defence Industry, or any of its precedent titles:

| Order | Minister | Party | Prime Minister | Title | Term start | Term end | Term in office |
| - | - | - | - | - | - | - | - |
| 1 | Richard Casey, DSO, MC | United Australia | Menzies | Minister for Supply and Development | 26 April 1939 (1939-04-26) | 26 January 1940 (1940-01-26) | 275 days |
| 2 | Sir Frederick Stewart | United Australia | Menzies | Minister for Supply and Development | 26 January 1940 (1940-01-26) | 28 October 1940 (1940-10-28) | 276 days |
| 3 | Sir Philip McBride, KCMG | United Australia | Menzies | Minister for Supply and Development | 28 October 1940 (1940-10-28) | 26 June 1941 (1941-06-26) | 241 days |
| 4 | George McLeay | United Australia | Menzies | Minister for Supply and Development | 26 June 1941 (1941-06-26) | 29 August 1941 (1941-08-29) | 103 days |
| 4 | George McLeay | United Australia | Fadden | Minister for Supply and Development | 29 August 1941 (1941-08-29) | 7 October 1941 (1941-10-07) | 103 days |
| 5 | Jack Beasley | Labor | Curtin | Minister for Supply and Development | 7 October 1941 (1941-10-07) | 17 October 1942 (1942-10-17) | 3 years, 118 days |
| 5 | Jack Beasley | Labor | Curtin | Minister for Supply and Shipping | 17 October 1942 (1942-10-17) | 2 February 1945 (1945-02-02) | 3 years, 118 days |
| 6 | Bill Ashley | Labor | Curtin | Minister for Supply and Shipping | 2 February 1945 (1945-02-02) | 6 July 1945 (1945-07-06) | 3 years, 64 days |
| 6 | Bill Ashley | Labor | Forde | Minister for Supply and Shipping | 6 July 1945 (1945-07-06) | 13 July 1945 (1945-07-13) | 3 years, 64 days |
| 6 | Bill Ashley | Labor | Chifley | Minister for Supply and Shipping | 13 July 1945 (1945-07-13) | 6 April 1948 (1948-04-06) | 3 years, 64 days |
| 7 | John Armstrong | Labor | Chifley | Minister for Supply and Development | 6 April 1948 (1948-04-06) | 19 December 1949 (1949-12-19) | 1 year, 257 days |
| (1) | Richard Casey, CH, DSO, MC | Liberal | Menzies | Minister for Supply and Development | 19 December 1949 (1949-12-19) | 17 March 1950 (1950-03-17) | 88 days |
| 8 | Howard Beale | Liberal | Menzies | Minister for Supply | 17 March 1950 (1950-03-17) | 10 February 1958 (1958-02-10) | 7 years, 330 days |
| 9 | Athol Townley | Liberal | Menzies | Minister for Supply | 11 February 1958 (1958-02-11) | 10 December 1958 (1958-12-10) | 302 days |
| 10 | Alan Hulme | Liberal | Menzies | Minister for Supply | 10 December 1958 (1958-12-10) | 22 December 1961 (1961-12-22) | 3 years, 12 days |
| 11 | Allen Fairhall | Liberal | Menzies | Minister for Supply | 22 December 1961 (1961-12-22) | 26 January 1966 (1966-01-26) | 4 years, 35 days |
| 12 | Denham Henty | Liberal | Holt | Minister for Supply | 26 January 1966 (1966-01-26) | 19 December 1967 (1967-12-19) | 2 years, 33 days |
| 12 | Denham Henty | Liberal | McEwen | Minister for Supply | 19 December 1967 (1967-12-19) | 10 January 1968 (1968-01-10) | 2 years, 33 days |
| 12 | Denham Henty | Liberal | Gorton | Minister for Supply | 10 January 1968 (1968-01-10) | 28 February 1968 (1968-02-28) | 2 years, 33 days |
| 13 | Sir Ken Anderson | Liberal | Gorton | Minister for Supply | 28 February 1968 (1968-02-28) | 10 March 1971 (1971-03-10) | 3 years, 155 days |
| 13 | Sir Ken Anderson | Liberal | McMahon | Minister for Supply | 10 March 1971 (1971-03-10) | 2 August 1971 (1971-08-02) | 3 years, 155 days |
| 14 | Victor Garland | Liberal | McMahon | Minister for Supply | 2 August 1971 (1971-08-02) | 5 December 1972 (1972-12-05) | 1 year, 125 days |
| 15 | Lance Barnard | Labor | Whitlam | Minister for Supply | 5 December 1972 (1972-12-05) | 9 October 1973 (1973-10-09) | 308 days |
| 16 | Kep Enderby, QC | Labor | Whitlam | Minister for Supply | 9 October 1973 (1973-10-09) | 12 June 1974 (1974-06-12) | 246 days |
| 17 | Ian Viner, QC | Liberal | Fraser | Minister for Defence Support | 7 May 1982 (1982-05-07) | 11 March 1983 (1983-03-11) | 308 days |
| 18 | Brian Howe | Labor | Hawke | Minister for Defence Support | 11 March 1983 (1983-03-11) | 13 December 1984 (1984-12-13) | 1 year, 277 days |
| 19 | Ros Kelly | Labor | Hawke | Minister for Defence Science and Personnel | 18 September 1987 (1987-09-18) | 6 April 1989 (1989-04-06) | 1 year, 200 days |
| 20 | David Simmons | Labor | Hawke | Minister for Defence Science and Personnel | 6 April 1989 (1989-04-06) | 4 April 1990 (1990-04-04) | 363 days |
| 21 | Gordon Bilney | Labor | Hawke | Minister for Defence Science and Personnel | 4 April 1990 (1990-04-04) | 20 December 1991 (1991-12-20) | 2 years, 354 days |
| 21 | Gordon Bilney | Labor | Keating | Minister for Defence Science and Personnel | 20 December 1991 (1991-12-20) | 24 March 1993 (1993-03-24) | 2 years, 354 days |
| 22 | John Faulkner | Labor | Keating | Minister for Defence Science and Personnel | 24 March 1993 (1993-03-24) | 25 March 1994 (1994-03-25) | 1 year, 1 day |
| 23 | Gary Punch | Labor | Keating | Minister for Defence Science and Personnel | 25 March 1994 (1994-03-25) | 11 March 1996 (1996-03-11) | 1 year, 352 days |
| 24 | Bronwyn Bishop | Liberal | Howard | Minister for Defence Industry, Science and Personnel | 11 March 1996 (1996-03-11) | 21 October 1998 (1998-10-21) | 2 years, 224 days |
| 25 | Warren Snowdon | Labor | Rudd | Minister for Defence Science and Personnel | 3 December 2007 (2007-12-03) | 9 June 2009 (2009-06-09) | 1 year, 188 days |
| 26 | Greg Combet, AM | Labor | Rudd | Minister for Defence Personnel, Materiel and Science | 9 June 2009 (2009-06-09) | 1 April 2010 (2010-04-01) | 1 year, 97 days |
| 26 | Greg Combet, AM | Labor | Rudd | Minister for Defence Materiel and Science | 1 April 2010 (2010-04-01) | 24 June 2010 (2010-06-24) | 1 year, 97 days |
| 26 | Greg Combet, AM | Labor | Gillard | Minister for Defence Materiel and Science | 24 June 2010 (2010-06-24) | 14 September 2010 (2010-09-14) | 1 year, 97 days |
| 27 | Jason Clare | Labor | Gillard | Minister for Defence Materiel | 14 September 2010 (2010-09-14) | 2 April 2013 (2013-04-02) | 2 years, 200 days |
| 28 | Mike Kelly, AM | Labor | Gillard | Minister for Defence Materiel | 2 April 2013 (2013-04-02) | 27 June 2013 (2013-06-27) | 169 days |
| 28 | Mike Kelly, AM | Labor | Rudd | Minister for Defence Materiel | 27 June 2013 (2013-06-27) | 18 September 2013 (2013-09-18) | 169 days |
| 29 | Mal Brough | Liberal | Turnbull | Minister for Defence Materiel and Science | 21 September 2015 (2015-09-21) | 29 December 2015 (2015-12-29) | 99 days |
| acting | Marise Payne | Liberal | Turnbull | Acting Minister for Defence Materiel and Science | 29 December 2015 (2015-12-29) | 18 February 2016 (2016-02-18) | 51 days |
| 30 | Dan Tehan | Liberal | Turnbull | Minister for Defence Materiel | 18 February 2016 (2016-02-18) | 19 July 2016 (2016-07-19) | 152 days |
| 31 | Christopher Pyne | Liberal | Turnbull | Minister for Defence Industry | 19 July 2016 (2016-07-19) | 24 August 2018 (2018-08-24) | 2 years, 39 days |
| 31 | Christopher Pyne | Liberal | Morrison | Minister for Defence Industry | 24 August 2018 (2018-08-24) | 27 August 2018 (2018-08-27) | 2 years, 39 days |
| 32 | Steven Ciobo | Liberal | Morrison | Minister for Defence Industry | 28 August 2018 (2018-08-28) | 2 March 2019 (2019-03-02) | 186 days |
| 33 | Linda Reynolds, CSC | Liberal | Morrison | Minister for Defence Industry | 2 March 2019 (2019-03-02) | 29 May 2019 (2019-05-29) | 88 days |
| 34 | Melissa Price | Liberal | Morrison | Minister for Defence Industry | 29 May 2019 (2019-05-29) | 23 May 2022 (2022-05-23) | 2 years, 359 days |
| 35 | Pat Conroy | Labor | Albanese | Minister for Defence Industry | 1 June 2022 (2022-06-01) | incumbent | 1 year, 56 days |
