The Minister for Communications is a member of the Cabinet of Australia with overall responsibility for broadcasting, the information and communications technology industry, the information economy, and national telecommunications. The portfolio has been held by Anika Wells under the second Albanese ministry since 13 May 2025, following the 2025 Australian federal election.
In the Government of Australia, the minister administers the communications portfolio through the Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications, Sport and the Arts.
Scope Portfolio agencies and bodies include:
Australian Broadcasting Corporation Australian Communications and Media Authority Australia Post Australian Classification Board National Library of Australia NBN Co Special Broadcasting Service
List of ministers The minister responsible for telecommunications policy has had various titles. From 1901 until December 1975 it was the Postmaster-General, who administered the portfolio through the Postmaster-General's Department.
The following individuals have been appointed as Minister for Communications, or any of its precedent titles:
Order Minister Party Prime Minister Title Term start Term end Term in office 1 John Forrest Protectionist BartonPostmaster-General days 2 James Drake 3 Philip Fysh days Deakin 4 Hugh Mahon Labor Watson days 5 Sydney Smith Free Trade George Reid days 6 Austin ChapmanProtectionist Deakin 7 Samuel Mauger 8 Josiah Thomas Labor Fisher days 9 John Quick Protectionist Deakin days 10 Josiah Thomas Labor Fisher 11 Charlie Frazer 12 Agar Wynne Liberal Cook 13 William Spence Labor Fisher 14 William Webster Hughes National Labor Nationalist 15 George Wise 16 Alexander Poynton 17 William Gibson Country Bruce 18 Joseph Lyons Labor Scullin 19 Albert Green days 20 James FentonUnited Australia Lyons days 21 Archdale Parkhill 22 Alexander McLachlan 23 Archie Cameron Country days Page 24 Eric Harrison United Australia Menzies days 25 Harold Thorby Country days 26 George McLeay United Australia days 27 Thomas Collins Country days Fadden 28 Bill AshleyLabor Curtin 29 Don Cameron Forde Chifley 30 Larry AnthonyCountry Menzies 31 Charles Davidson 32 Alan Hulme Liberal Holt McEwen Gorton McMahon 33 Lance BarnardLabor Whitlam days 34 Lionel Bowen 35 Reg Bishop 36 Peter Nixon National Country Fraser days 37 Victor GarlandLiberalMinister for Post and Telecommunications days 38 Eric Robinson 39 Tony Staley 40 Ian Sinclair National CountryMinister for Communications 41 Neil Brown Liberal days 42 Michael DuffyLabor Hawke 43 Gareth EvansMinister for Transport and Communications 44 Ralph Willis 45 Kim Beazley 46 John Kerin days Keating 47 Graham Richardson days 48 Bob Collins 49Michael Lee Minister for Communications Minister for Communications and the Arts 50Richard AlstonLiberal Howard Minister for Communications, the Information Economy and the Arts Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts 51 Daryl Williams days 52 Helen Coonan 53 Stephen Conroy Labor Rudd Minister for Broadband, Communicationsand the Digital Economy Gillard 54 Anthony Albanese Rudd days 55 Malcolm Turnbull Liberal Abbott Minister for Communications Turnbull 56 Mitch Fifield Morrison Minister for Communications and the Arts 57 Paul Fletcher Minister for Communications, Cyber Safety and the Arts Minister for Communications, Urban Infrastructure, Cities and the Arts 58 Michelle Rowland Labor Albanese Minister for Communications 59 Anika Wells Incumbent
Notes Barnard served as part of a two-man ministry together with Gough Whitlam for fourteen days, until the full ministry was commissioned. On , the third Hawke ministry implemented a two-level ministerial structure, with distinctions drawn between senior and junior ministers. This arrangement has been continued by subsequent ministries. Junior ministers are shown in the table below. Former ministerial portfolios List of ministers for regional communications The following individuals have been appointed as Minister for Regional Communications, or any of its precedent titles: Order Minister Party affiliation Prime Minister Ministerial title Term start Term end Term in office 1 Sharon Bird Labor Rudd Minister for Regional Communications 2 Fiona Nash National Turnbull Minister for Regional Communications 26 October 2017 3 Bridget McKenzie National Turnbull Minister for Regional Communications 4 Mark Coulton National Morrison Minister for Regional Services, Decentralisation and Local Government Minister for Regional Health, Regional Communications and Local Government (3) Bridget McKenzie Minister for Regionalisation, Regional Communications and Regional Education
List of ministers for digital transformation On , the third Hawke Ministry implemented a two-level ministerial structure, with distinctions drawn between senior and junior ministers. This arrangement has been continued by subsequent ministries; however, junior ministers have been appointed in the telecommunications portfolio on only five occasions. Senior ministers are shown in the table above.
The following individuals have been appointed as the Minister for Digital Transformation, or any of its precedent titles:
Order Minister Party affiliation Prime Minister Ministerial title Term start Term end Term in office 1 Gary Punch Labor Hawke Minister for Telecommunications and Aviation Support 2 Ros Kelly days 3 David Beddall Labor Keating Minister for Communications days 4Michael Keenan Liberal Turnbull Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Digital Transformation Morrison Minister for Digital Transformation
Parliamentary Secretaries The following individuals have been appointed as the Assistant Minister or Parliamentary Secretary for Communications, or any of its precedent titles: Order Secretary Party affiliation Prime Minister Ministerial title Term start Term end Term in office 1 Ed Husic Labor Rudd Parliamentary Secretary for Broadband 2 Paul Fletcher Liberal Abbott Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Communications 3 Angus Taylor Liberal Turnbull
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