# Minister for Aged Care

The Minister for Aged Care is a position in the Australian cabinet responsible for oversight of aged care in Australia alongside the Minister for Health and Aged Care. The incumbent Minister is Labor MP Anika Wells.
In the Government of Australia, the Minister for Health and Aged Care is the senior minister in providing direction and oversight of the Department of Health and Aged Care. The Minister for Aged Care assists in this administration.

## List of ministers for aged care

The following individuals have been appointed as the Minister for Aged Care, or any of its precedent titles. Ministers for aged care or ageing were appointed from 1988 to 1993 and again from 1998 to 2013. The portfolio gained a mental health component in 2010. The latter returned to the health portfolio in 2013, with ageing moving to social services. The following individuals have been appointed as Minister for Mental Health and Ageing, or any of its precedent titles: The Turnbull government transferred the aged care portfolio back to the Department of Health in October 2015. The position is a separate role that supplements the cabinet role of the Minister for Health and Aged Care. Between January 2017 and January 2025, it was an outer ministry role.
| Order | Minister | Party | Prime Minister | Title | Term start | Term end | Term in office |
| 1 | Peter Morris | Labor | Hawke | Minister for Housing and Aged Care | 19 January 1988 (1988-01-19) | 15 February 1988 (1988-02-15) | 27 days |
| 2 | Peter Staples | Labor | Hawke | Minister for Housing and Aged Care | 15 February 1988 (1988-02-15) | 7 May 1990 (1990-05-07) | 5 years, 64 days |
| 2 | Peter Staples | Labor | Hawke | Minister for Aged, Family and Health Services | 7 May 1990 (1990-05-07) | 20 December 1991 (1991-12-20) | 5 years, 64 days |
| 2 | Peter Staples | Labor | Keating | Minister for Aged, Family and Health Services | 20 December 1991 (1991-12-20) | 24 March 1993 (1993-03-24) | 5 years, 64 days |
| 3 | Bronwyn Bishop | Liberal | Howard | Minister for Aged Care | 21 October 1998 (1998-10-21) | 26 November 2001 (2001-11-26) | 3 years, 36 days |
| 4 | Kevin Andrews | Liberal | Howard | Minister for Ageing | 26 November 2001 (2001-11-26) | 7 October 2003 (2003-10-07) | 1 year, 315 days |
| 5 | Julie Bishop | Liberal | Howard | Minister for Ageing | 7 October 2003 (2003-10-07) | 27 January 2006 (2006-01-27) | 2 years, 112 days |
| 6 | Santo Santoro | Liberal | Howard | Minister for Ageing | 27 January 2006 (2006-01-27) | 21 March 2007 (2007-03-21) | 1 year, 53 days |
| 7 | Christopher Pyne | Liberal | Howard | Minister for Ageing | 21 March 2007 (2007-03-21) | 3 December 2007 (2007-12-03) | 257 days |
| 8 | Justine Elliot | Labor | Rudd | Minister for Ageing | 3 December 2007 (2007-12-03) | 28 June 2010 (2010-06-28) | 2 years, 207 days |
| 9 | Mark Butler | Labor | Gillard | Minister for Mental Health and Ageing | 28 June 2010 (2010-06-28) | 1 July 2013 (2013-07-01) | 3 years, 3 days |
| 10 | Jacinta Collins | Labor | Rudd | Minister for Mental Health and Ageing | 1 July 2013 (2013-07-01) | 18 September 2013 (2013-09-18) | 79 days |
| 11 | Sussan Ley | Liberal | Turnbull | Minister for Aged Care | 30 September 2015 (2015-09-30) | 19 July 2016 (2016-07-19) | 1 year, 105 days |
| 11 | Sussan Ley | Liberal | Turnbull | Minister for Health and Ageing | 19 July 2016 (2016-07-19) | 13 January 2017 (2017-01-13) | 1 year, 105 days |
| (acting) | Arthur Sinodinos | Liberal | Turnbull | Minister for Health and Ageing | 13 January 2017 (2017-01-13) | 24 January 2017 (2017-01-24) | 11 days |
| 12 | Ken Wyatt | Liberal | Turnbull | Minister for Aged Care | 24 January 2017 (2017-01-24) | 28 August 2018 (2018-08-28) | 2 years, 125 days |
| 12 | Ken Wyatt | Liberal | Morrison | Minister for Senior Australians and Aged Care | 28 August 2018 (2018-08-28) | 29 May 2019 (2019-05-29) | 2 years, 125 days |
| 13 | Richard Colbeck | Liberal | Morrison | Minister for Aged Care and Senior Australians | 29 May 2019 (2019-05-29) | 22 December 2020 (2020-12-22) | 2 years, 359 days |
| 13 | Richard Colbeck | Liberal | Morrison | Minister for Senior Australians and Aged Care Services | 22 December 2020 (2020-12-22) | 23 May 2022 (2022-05-23) | 2 years, 359 days |
| (9) | Mark Butler | Labor | Albanese | Minister for Health and Aged Care | 1 June 2022 (2022-06-01) | Incumbent | 2 years, 237 days |
| 14 | Anika Wells | Labor | Albanese | Minister for Aged Care | 1 June 2022 (2022-06-01) | Incumbent | 2 years, 237 days |

## List of assistant ministers

The following individual has been appointed as Assistant Ministers of Health and Aged Care, or any of its precedent titles:
| Order | Minister | Party | Prime Minister | Title | Term start | Term end | Term in office |
| 1 | Christopher Pyne | Liberal | Howard | Assistant Minister for Health and Ageing | 30 January 2007 (2007-01-30) | 21 March 2007 (2007-03-21) | 50 days |
| 2 | Ken Wyatt | Liberal | Turnbull | Assistant Minister for Health | 30 September 2015 (2015-09-30) | 18 February 2016 (2016-02-18) | 1 year, 110 days |
| 2 | Ken Wyatt | Liberal | Turnbull | Assistant Minister for Health and Aged Care | 18 February 2016 (2016-02-18) | 18 January 2017 (2017-01-18) | 1 year, 110 days |
| 3 | David Gillespie | Nationals | Turnbull | Assistant Minister for Health | 24 January 2017 (2017-01-24) | 20 December 2017 (2017-12-20) | 330 days |
| 4 | Ged Kearney | Labor | Albanese | Assistant Minister for Health and Aged Care | 1 June 2022 (2022-06-01) | Incumbent | 2 years, 237 days |