# Minister for Better Regulation and Fair Trading

The Minister for Better Regulation and Fair Trading is a minister in the Government of New South Wales responsible for administering legislation and policy in relation to consumer affairs and SafeWork regulation in New South Wales, Australia.
The current minister is Anoulack Chanthivong since 5 April 2023, who also serves as the Minister for Industry and Trade.
The minister assists the Minister for Customer Service and Digital Government administer their portfolios through the Customer Service cluster, in particular NSW Fair Trading.
Ultimately the ministers are responsible to the Parliament of New South Wales.

## Roles and responsibilities
### Co-operative Societies (1949-1995)

The Registrar of Co-Operative Societies was established under the Building and Co-operative Societies Act 1901. The Registrar of Co-operative Societies could inquire into the working and financial condition of a society or authorise any public servant, accountant, or actuary to inspect any minutes or books or to examine into, and report upon, the affairs of a society. In 1923 and advisory council was established by the Co-operation, Community Settlement and Credit Act 1923, to make recommendations to the Treasurer. The Council submitted recommendations about the rules and regulations relating to societies and any action to be taken by the Treasurer, including the appointment of committees. The Registrar of Co-operative Societies was an ex officio member of the Council and the Treasurer could attend any meeting, and would preside over such meetings. The ministerial position was created in a ministerial reshuffle in the second McGirr ministry October 1949 with responsibilities transferring from the Treasurer to the Minister for Co-operative Societies. The inaugural minister Clarrie Martin held the portfolio in addition to his portfolio of Attorney–General.
From February 1983 the ministerial responsibilities were transferred to the Minister for Housing. The responsibilities were transferred to the Attorney General in January 1986, with the portfolio being formally re-created in February 1986 and filled by Terry Sheahan, who was also the Attorney General. The portfolio was abolished in the first Greiner ministry in March 1988 with the responsibilities allocated to the Minister for Business and Consumer Affairs. It was re-created in the second Greiner ministry. It was abolished in April 1995 and the responsibilities transferred to the Minister for Business and Consumer Affairs.

### Consumer Affairs (1973-1995)

The portfolio was established in December 1973 in the sixth Askin ministry and the major task of the portfolio was to ensure consumers were treated fairly. This was handled by consumer education, providing a complaints service, licensing some occupational groups, investigating prices and charges, responsible for weights and measures and landlord and tenant matters. The administrative units responsible to the Ministry included the Consumer Affairs Council and Consumer Affairs Bureau, the Weights and Measures Office, the Prices Branch and Registry of Consumer Claims Tribunals. The establishment of the Ministry also coincided with three entirely new acts of Parliament dealing with important aspects of consumer protection, namely the Consumer Claims Tribunals Act 1974, the Pyramid Sales Act 1974 and the Motor Dealers Act 1974.
The Fair Trading Minister is responsible for the regulation of various occupations, organisations and industries including incorporated associations, hairdressers, charitable fundraisers, pawnbrokers, biofuels and co-operatives.

## List of ministers

| Ministerial title | Minister | Party | Ministry | Term start | Term end | Time in office |
| Minister for Consumer Affairs | Frederick Hewitt | Liberal | Askin (6) Lewis (1) (2) Willis | 4 December 1973 | 14 May 1976 | 2 years, 163 days |
| Minister for Consumer Affairs | Syd Einfeld | Labor | Wran (1) (2) (3) | 14 May 1976 | 2 October 1981 | 5 years, 141 days |
| Minister for Consumer Affairs | Paul Whelan | Labor | Wran (4) | 2 October 1981 | 1 February 1983 | 1 year, 122 days |
| Minister for Consumer Affairs | Paul Landa | Labor | Wran (5) (6) (7) | 1 February 1983 | 10 February 1984 | 1 year, 9 days |
| Minister for Consumer Affairs | George Paciullo | Labor | Wran (7) | 5 April 1984 | 6 February 1986 | 1 year, 307 days |
| Minister for Consumer Affairs | Bob Carr | Labor | Wran (8) | 6 February 1986 | 4 July 1986 | 148 days |
| Minister for Consumer Affairs | Deirdre Grusovin | Labor | Unsworth | 4 July 1986 | 21 March 1988 | 1 year, 261 days |
| Minister for Business and Consumer Affairs | Gerry Peacocke | National | Grieiner (1) | 25 March 1988 | 6 June 1991 | 3 years, 73 days |
| Minister for Consumer Affairs | Peter Collins | Liberal | Greiner (2) Fahey (1) | 6 June 1991 | 3 July 1992 | 1 year, 27 days |
| Minister for Consumer Affairs | Kerry Chikarovski | Liberal | Fahey (2) | 3 July 1992 | 26 May 1993 | 327 days |
| Minister for Consumer Affairs | Wendy Machin | National | Fahey (3) | 26 May 1993 | 4 April 1995 | 1 year, 313 days |
| Minister for Consumer Affairs | Faye Lo Po' | Labor | Carr (1) | 4 April 1995 | 6 December 1995 | 2 years, 241 days |
| Minister for Fair Trading | Faye Lo Po' | Labor | Carr (1) | 6 December 1995 | 1 December 1997 | 2 years, 241 days |
| Minister for Fair Trading | Brian Langton | Labor | Carr (2) | 1 December 1997 | 30 April 1998 | 150 days |
| Minister for Fair Trading | Jeff Shaw | Labor | Carr (2) | 30 April 1998 | 8 April 1999 | 343 days |
| Minister for Fair Trading | John Watkins | Labor | Carr (3) | 8 April 1999 | 21 November 2001 | 2 years, 227 days |
| Minister for Fair Trading | John Aquilina | Labor | Carr (3) | 21 November 2001 | 2 April 2003 | 1 year, 132 days |
| Minister for Fair Trading | Reba Meagher | Labor | Carr (4) | 2 April 2003 | 21 January 2005 | 1 year, 294 days |
| Minister for Fair Trading | John Hatzistergos | Labor | Carr (4) | 1 February 2005 | 3 August 2005 | 183 days |
| Minister for Fair Trading | Diane Beamer | Labor | Iemma (1) | 3 August 2005 | 2 April 2007 | 1 year, 242 days |
| Minister for Fair Trading | Linda Burney | Labor | Iemma (2) | 2 April 2007 | 5 September 2008 | 1 year, 156 days |
| Minister for Fair Trading | Virginia Judge | Labor | Rees Keneally | 5 September 2008 | 28 March 2011 | 2 years, 204 days |
| Minister for Fair Trading | Anthony Roberts | Liberal | O'Farrell | 3 April 2011 | 9 December 2013 | 2 years, 250 days |
| Minister for Fair Trading | Stuart Ayres | Liberal | Baird (1) | 9 December 2013 | 6 May 2014 | 148 days |
| Minister for Fair Trading | Matthew Mason-Cox | Liberal | Baird (1) | 6 May 2014 | 2 April 2015 | 331 days |
| Minister for Innovation and Better Regulation | Victor Dominello | Liberal | Baird (2) | 2 April 2015 | 30 January 2017 | 1 year, 303 days |
| Minister for Innovation and Better Regulation | Matt Kean | Liberal | Berejiklian (1) | 30 January 2017 | 23 March 2019 | 2 years, 52 days |
| Minister for Better Regulation and Innovation | Kevin Anderson | National | Berejiklian (2) Perrottet (1) | 2 April 2019 | 21 December 2021 | 2 years, 263 days |
| Minister for Fair Trading | Eleni Petinos | Liberal | Perrottet (2) | 21 December 2021 | 3 August 2022 | 225 days |
| Minister for Fair Trading | Victor Dominello | Liberal | Perrottet (2) | 3 August 2022 | 28 March 2023 | 237 days |
| Minister for Transport | Jo Haylen | Labor | Minns | 28 March 2023 | 5 April 2023 | 8 days |
| Minister for Better Regulation and Fair Trading | Anoulack Chanthivong | Labor | Minns | 5 April 2023 | incumbent | 1 year, 187 days |

## Former ministerial titles
### Co-operative Societies

The Minister for Co-operative Societies, later Minister for Cooperatives was a ministry in the government of New South Wales, with responsibility for regulating and registering co-operative societies, including housing societies, friendly societies, Starr-Bowkett Societies, credit unions and building societies. It has had three iterations, from September 1949 until February 1983, from February 1986 until March 1988 and from June 1991 until April 1995.
| Title | Minister | Party | Ministry | Term start | Term end | Time in office |
| Minister for Co-operative Societies | Clarrie Martin | Labor | McGirr (2) | 21 September 1949 | 30 June 1950 | 282 days |
| Minister for Co-operative Societies | Clive Evatt | Labor | McGirr (3) Cahill (1) (2) | 30 June 1950 | 1 April 1954 | 3 years, 275 days |
| Minister for Co-operative Societies | Gus Kelly | Labor | Cahill (2) (3) | 1 April 1954 | 1 April 1959 | 5 years, 0 days |
| Minister for Co-operative Societies | Abe Landa | Labor | Cahill (4) Heffron (1) (2) Renshaw | 1 April 1959 | 13 May 1965 | 6 years, 42 days |
| Minister for Co-operative Societies | Stanley Stephens | Country | Askin (1) (2) (3) (4) | 13 May 1965 | 17 January 1973 | 7 years, 249 days |
| Minister for Co-operative Societies | Tim Bruxner | Country | Askin (5) | 17 January 1973 | 3 December 1973 | 320 days |
| Minister for Co-operative Societies | Laurie McGinty | Liberal | Askin (6) Lewis (1) (2) | 3 December 1973 | 23 January 1976 | 2 years, 51 days |
| Minister for Co-operative Societies | Ian Griffith | Liberal | Willis | 23 January 1976 | 14 May 1976 | 112 days |
| Minister for Co-operative Societies | Syd Einfeld | Labor | Wran (1) (2) | 14 May 1976 | 29 February 1980 | 3 years, 291 days |
| Minister for Co-operative Societies | Terry Sheahan | Labor | Wran (3) (4) | 29 February 1980 | 1 February 1983 | 2 years, 338 days |
| Minister for Co-operative Societies | Terry Sheahan | Labor | Wran (8) | 6 February 1986 | 4 July 1986 | 148 days |
| Minister for Co-operative Societies | Bob Debus | Labor | Unsworth | 4 July 1986 | 21 March 1988 | 1 year, 261 days |
| Minister for Local Government and Minister for Cooperatives | Gerry Peacocke | National | Greiner (2) | 6 June 1991 | 26 May 1993 | 1 year, 354 days |
| Minister for Local Government and Co-operatives | Garry West | National | Fahey (1) (2) | 26 May 1993 | 27 June 1994 | 1 year, 32 days |
| Minister for Local Government and Co-operatives | Ted Pickering | Liberal | Fahey (3) | 27 June 1994 | 4 April 1995 | 281 days |

### Regulatory Reform

| Ministerial title | Minister | Party | Ministry | Term start | Term end | Time in office |
| Minister for Economic Reform | Michael Costa | Labor | Carr (4) | 21 January 2005 | 3 August 2005 | 194 days |
| Minister Assisting the Treasurer on Business and Economic Regulatory Reform | Joe Tripodi | Labor | Iemma (1) | 17 February 2006 | 2 April 2007 | 3 years, 273 days |
| Minister for Small Business and Regulatory Reform | Joe Tripodi | Labor | Iemma (2) | 2 April 2007 | 27 June 2007 | 3 years, 273 days |
| Minister for Regulatory Reform | Joe Tripodi | Labor | Iemma (2) Rees | 27 June 2007 | 17 November 2009 | 3 years, 273 days |
| Minister for Regulatory Reform | Peter Primrose | Labor | Rees | 17 November 2009 | 4 December 2009 | 17 days |
| Minister for Regulatory Reform | John Hatzistergos | Labor | Keneally | 8 December 2009 | 28 March 2011 | 1 year, 110 days |