The Minister for Multicultural Affairs is an

Australian Government The Australian Government, also known as the Commonwealth Government or simply as the federal government, is the national executive government of Australia, a federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy. The executive consists of the pr ...

cabinet position which is currently held by

Anne Aly Anne Azza Aly (, born Azza Mahmoud Fawzi Hosseini Ali el Serougi, 29 March 1967) is an Australian politician who has been a Labor member of the House of Representatives since the 2016 election, representing the electorate of Cowan in Western ...

following her swearing-in on 13 May 2025 as a result of Anthony Albanese's Labor government being re-elected at the

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. The post was created in 1975 by being added to the Immigration portfolio with

Michael MacKellar Michael John Randal MacKellar (27 October 1938 – 9 May 2015) was an Australian politician. He was a member of the Liberal Party and served in the House of Representatives from 1969 to 1994, representing the Division of Warringah. He was Mini ...

being the inaugural officeholder as the Minister for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs. It was a cabinet position throughout the

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, Hawke and

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s. In Howard's first ministry, the portfolio took its current name of multicultural affairs and was dropped to the outer ministry. It returned to cabinet in the second Howard ministry and remained there until the end of the

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, became the longest serving minister during this time, serving in the role between 1996 and 2003. Multicultural affairs was managed at the parliamentary secretary level during the first Rudd and first Gillard ministries. Midway through the second Gillard ministry, Kate Lundy was promoted from parliamentary secretary to the outer ministry and during the short lived

second Rudd ministry The second Rudd ministry (Labor) was the 67th ministry of the Australian government, led by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd. It succeeded the second Gillard ministry after a leadership spill within the Australian Labor Party that took place on 26 Ju ...

, the portfilio was both in cabinet managed by

Tony Burke Anthony Stephen Burke (born 4 November 1969) is an Australian politician serving as Leader of the House, Minister for Home Affairs and Minister for the Arts. He is a member of the Australian Labor Party (ALP), and has served as member of ...

and the outer ministry with Lundy. The return of the Coalition to government in 2013, saw the portfolio dropped altogether until Turnbull's first ministry where an assistant minister was appointed. The role returned to the outer ministry halfway into to Turnbull's second and remained there until July 2024, when after a 11-year absence it was converted back into a cabinet post with Tony Burke returning to his former role as Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs. In the

second Albanese ministry The second Albanese ministry is the 74th ministry of the Australian Government, Government of Australia. It is led by the country's 31st Prime Minister of Australia, Prime Minister, Anthony Albanese. The second Albanese ministry succeeded the ...

, immigration and multicultural affairs were split into two cabinets roles with

currently serving as the minister.

List of cabinet ministers for multicultural affairs

The following individuals served as the Minister for Multicultural Affairs, or any precedent titles and sat in the Cabinet:

List of ministers for multicultural affairs outside of cabinet

On the

third Hawke ministry The third Hawke ministry (Australian Labor Party, Labor) was the 56th List of Australian ministries, ministry of the Government of Australia. It was led by the country's 23rd Prime Minister of Australia, Prime Minister, Bob Hawke. The third Ha ...

implemented a two-level ministerial structure, with distinctions drawn between senior and junior ministers. This arrangement has been continued by subsequent governments; although there has not always been a junior minister in the multicultural affairs portfolio. The following individuals served as the Minister for Multicultural Affairs, or any precedent titles but did not sit in the Cabinet:

Assistant ministers

Assistant ministers for multicultural affairs

The following individuals served as the Parliamentary Secretary or Assistant Minister for Citizenship, Customs and Multicultural Affairs, or any precedent titles:

References

External links

* {{Australian federal ministerial portfolios Multicultural Affairs Multiculturalism in Australia 1975 establishments in Australia Ministries established in 1975