Treasurer of Australia

Not to be confused with Minister for Finance (Australia).

Treasurer of Australia
Incumbent Scott Morrison since 21 September 2015 (2015-09-21)
Department of the Treasury
Style	The Honourable
Appointer	Governor-General of Australia on recommendation of Prime Minister of Australia
Inaugural holder	Sir George Turner
Formation	1901

The Treasurer of Australia is the minister in the Government of Australia responsible for government expenditure and revenue raising. The Treasurer plays a key role in the economic policy of the government. By strong Constitutional convention, the Treasurer is always a member of the Parliament of Australia with a seat in the House of Representatives.

The current Treasurer is Scott Morrison, whose term began on 21 September 2015. The current Assistant Treasurer and Minister for Small Business is Kelly O'Dwyer. The current Assistant Minister to the Treasurer is Alex Hawke.

The Treasurer administers his functions through the Department of the Treasury and a range of other government agencies.

The office is equivalent to the Chancellor of the Exchequer in the United Kingdom or the Secretary of the Treasury in the United States or, in some other countries, "Finance Minister".

The Department of the Treasury, Canberra

Duties and importance

The Treasurer is the minister in charge of government revenue and expenditure. The Treasurer oversees economic policy: fiscal policy is within the Treasurer's direct responsibility, while monetary policy is implemented by the politically independent Reserve Bank of Australia, the head of which is appointed by the Treasurer. The Treasurer also oversees financial regulation. Each year in May, the Treasurer presents the Federal Budget to the Parliament.

The Treasurer is a very senior government post; historically, many Treasurers have previously, concurrently or subsequently served as Prime Minister or Deputy Prime Minister; two subsequently served as Governor-General. Service as Treasurer is seen as an important (though certainly not essential) qualification for serving as Prime Minister: to date, six Treasurers have gone on to be Prime Minister.

Wayne Swan and Paul Keating are currently the only two to have been named "The world's best Treasurer".

Related ministerial positions

Along with the Treasurer, other ministers have responsibility for the Department of the Treasury. The Treasurer together with these other ministers are known as the "Treasury Ministers". At present, the Treasury Minister positions are:

• Treasurer
• Assistant Treasurer
• Minister for Small Business
• Assistant Minister to the Treasurer

The work of the Department of Finance is closely related to the work of the Department of the Treasury. The ministers who have responsibility for the Department of Finance are:

• Minister for Finance
• Special Minister of State

List of Treasurers

The following individuals have been appointed as Treasurer of Australia:

Order	Minister	Party		Prime Minister	Title	Term start	Term end	Term in office
1	Sir George Turner		Protectionist	Barton	Treasurer of Australia	1 January 1901 (1901-01-01)	26 April 1904 (1904-04-26)
				Deakin
2	Chris Watson		Labor	Watson		27 April 1904 (1904-04-27)	17 August 1904 (1904-08-17)	days
(1)	Sir George Turner		Protectionist	Reid		17 August 1904 (1904-08-17)	4 July 1905 (1905-07-04)	days
3	Sir John Forrest			Deakin		4 July 1905 (1905-07-04)	29 July 1907 (1907-07-29)
4	Sir William Lyne					30 July 1907 (1907-07-30)	12 November 1908 (1908-11-12)
5	Andrew Fisher		Labor	Fisher		13 November 1908 (1908-11-13)	1 June 1909 (1909-06-01)	days
(3)	Sir John Forrest		Protectionist	Deakin		2 June 1909 (1909-06-02)	28 April 1910 (1910-04-28)	days
(5)	Andrew Fisher		Labor	Fisher		29 April 1910 (1910-04-29)	23 June 1913 (1913-06-23)
(3)	Sir John Forrest		Commonwealth Liberal	Cook		24 June 1913 (1913-06-24)	16 September 1914 (1914-09-16)
(5)	Andrew Fisher		Labor	Fisher		17 September 1914 (1914-09-17)	26 October 1915 (1915-10-26)
6	William Higgs			Hughes		27 October 1915 (1915-10-27)	13 November 1916 (1916-11-13)
7	Alexander Poynton		National Labor			14 November 1916 (1916-11-14)	16 February 1917 (1917-02-16)	days
(3)	Sir John Forrest		Nationalist			17 February 1917 (1917-02-17)	26 March 1918 (1918-03-26)
8	William Watt					27 March 1918 (1918-03-27)	27 July 1920 (1920-07-27)
9	Sir Joseph Cook					28 July 1920 (1920-07-28)	20 December 1921 (1921-12-20)
10	Stanley Bruce					21 December 1921 (1921-12-21)	8 February 1923 (1923-02-08)
11	Dr Earle Page		Country	Bruce		9 February 1923 (1923-02-09)	21 October 1929 (1929-10-21)
12	Ted Theodore		Labor	Scullin		22 October 1929 (1929-10-22)	8 July 1930 (1930-07-08)	days
13	James Scullin					9 July 1930 (1930-07-09)	28 January 1931 (1931-01-28)	days
(12)	Ted Theodore					29 January 1931 (1931-01-29)	5 January 1932 (1932-01-05)	days
14	Joseph Lyons		United Australia	Lyons		6 January 1932 (1932-01-06)	2 October 1935 (1935-10-02)
15	Richard Casey					3 October 1935 (1935-10-03)	7 April 1939 (1939-04-07)
				Page		7 April 1939 (1939-04-07)	25 April 1939 (1939-04-25)
16	Robert Menzies			Menzies		26 April 1939 (1939-04-26)	13 March 1940 (1940-03-13)	days
17	Percy Spender					14 March 1940 (1940-03-14)	27 October 1940 (1940-10-27)	days
18	Arthur Fadden		Country			28 October 1940 (1940-10-28)	29 August 1941 (1941-08-29)	days
				Fadden		29 August 1941 (1941-08-29)	6 October 1941 (1941-10-06)
19	Ben Chifley		Labor	Curtin		7 October 1941 (1941-10-07)	5 July 1945 (1945-07-05)
				Forde		6 July 1945 (1945-07-06)	13 July 1945 (1945-07-13)
				Chifley		13 July 1945 (1945-07-13)	18 December 1949 (1949-12-18)
(18)	Sir Arthur Fadden		Country	Menzies		19 December 1949 (1949-12-19)	9 December 1958 (1958-12-09)
20	Harold Holt		Liberal			10 December 1958 (1958-12-10)	25 January 1966 (1966-01-25)
21	William McMahon			Holt		26 January 1966 (1966-01-26)	17 December 1967 (1967-12-17)
				McEwen		19 December 1967 (1967-12-19)	10 January 1968 (1968-01-10)
				Gorton		10 January 1968 (1968-01-10)	11 November 1969 (1969-11-11)
22	Leslie Bury					12 November 1969 (1969-11-12)	10 March 1971 (1971-03-10)
				McMahon		10 March 1971 (1971-03-10)	21 March 1971 (1971-03-21)
23	Billy Snedden					22 March 1971 (1971-03-22)	4 December 1972 (1972-12-04)
24	Gough Whitlam		Labor	Whitlam		5 December 1972 (1972-12-05)	18 December 1972 (1972-12-18)	days
25	Frank Crean					19 December 1972 (1972-12-19)	10 December 1974 (1974-12-10)
26	Dr Jim Cairns					11 December 1974 (1974-12-11)	5 June 1975 (1975-06-05)	days
27	Bill Hayden					6 June 1975 (1975-06-06)	10 November 1975 (1975-11-10)	days
28	Phillip Lynch		Liberal	Fraser		11 November 1975 (1975-11-11)	18 November 1977 (1977-11-18)
29	John Howard					19 November 1977 (1977-11-19)	10 March 1983 (1983-03-10)
30	Paul Keating		Labor	Hawke		11 March 1983 (1983-03-11)	2 June 1991 (1991-06-02)
31	Bob Hawke					2 June 1991 (1991-06-02)	4 June 1991 (1991-06-04)	days
32	John Kerin					4 June 1991 (1991-06-04)	8 December 1991 (1991-12-08)	days
33	Ralph Willis					9 December 1991 (1991-12-09)	20 December 1991 (1991-12-20)	days
				Keating		20 December 1991 (1991-12-20)	26 December 1991 (1991-12-26)
34	John Dawkins					27 December 1991 (1991-12-27)	22 December 1993 (1993-12-22)
(33)	Ralph Willis					23 December 1993 (1993-12-23)	10 March 1996 (1996-03-10)
35	Peter Costello		Liberal	Howard		11 March 1996 (1996-03-11)	3 December 2007 (2007-12-03)
36	Wayne Swan		Labor	Rudd		3 December 2007 (2007-12-03)	24 June 2010 (2010-06-24)
				Gillard		24 June 2010 (2010-06-24)	27 June 2013 (2013-06-27)
37	Chris Bowen			Rudd		27 June 2013 (2013-06-27)	18 September 2013 (2013-09-18)	days
38	Joe Hockey		Liberal	Abbott		18 September 2013 (2013-09-18)	15 September 2015
				Turnbull		15 September 2015 (2015-09-15)	21 September 2015
39	Scott Morrison					21 September 2015 (2015-09-21)	Incumbent	days

Treasurers Watson, Fisher, Scullin, Lyons, Fadden, Menzies, Chifley, Whitlam and Hawke were also Prime Minister during some or all of their period as Treasurer.

List of Assistant Treasurers

The following individuals have been appointed as Assistant Treasurers:

Order	Minister	Party		Prime Minister	Title	Term start	Term end	Term in office
1	Rod Kemp		Liberal	Howard	Assistant Treasurer	14 October 1996 (1996-10-14)	25 November 2001 (2001-11-25)
2	Helen Coonan				Minister for Revenue and Assistant Treasurer	26 November 2001 (2001-11-26)	17 July 2004 (2004-07-17)
3	Mal Brough					18 July 2004 (2004-07-18)	26 January 2006 (2006-01-26)
4	Peter Dutton					27 January 2006 (2006-01-27)	3 December 2007 (2007-12-03)
5	Chris Bowen		Labor	Rudd	Assistant Treasurer Minister for Competition Policy and Consumer Affairs	3 December 2007 (2007-12-03)	8 June 2009 (2009-06-08)
6	Nick Sherry				Assistant Treasurer	9 June 2009 (2009-06-09)	24 June 2010 (2010-06-24)
				Gillard		24 June 2010 (2010-06-24)	14 September 2010 (2010-09-14)
7	Bill Shorten				Assistant Treasurer Minister for Financial Services & Superannuation	14 September 2010 (2010-09-14)	14 December 2011 (2011-12-14)
8	Mark Arbib				Assistant Treasurer	14 December 2011 (2011-12-14)	5 March 2012 (2012-03-05)	days
9	David Bradbury				Assistant Treasurer Minister Assisting for Financial Services & Superannuation	5 March 2012 (2012-03-05)	27 June 2013 (2013-06-27)
				Rudd		27 June 2013 (2013-06-27)	18 September 2013 (2013-09-18)
10	Arthur Sinodinos		Liberal	Abbott	Assistant Treasurer	18 September 2013 (2013-09-18)	19 December 2014 (2014-12-19)
11	Josh Frydenberg					23 December 2014 (2014-12-23)	15 September 2015
				Turnbull		15 September 2015 (2015-09-15)	20 September 2015 (2015-09-20)
12	Kelly O'Dwyer					21 September 2015 (2015-09-21)	incumbent	days

List of Ministers for Competition Policy and Consumer Affairs

The Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (formerly the Trade Practices Act 1974) is administered by the Treasurer through the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, but was formerly administered by other ministers. The following individuals were appointed as ministers with responsibility for competition and consumer affairs matters:

Order	Minister	Party		Prime Minister	Title	Term start	Term end	Term in office
1	Lionel Murphy		Labor	Whitlam	Attorney-General	19 December 1972 (1972-12-19)	12 June 1974 (1974-06-12)
2	Bill Morrison				Minister for Science and Consumer Affairs	12 June 1974 (1974-06-12)	6 June 1975 (1975-06-06)	days
3	Clyde Cameron					6 June 1975 (1975-06-06)	11 November 1975 (1975-11-11)	days
4	Sir Bob Cotton		Liberal	Fraser		11 November 1975 (1975-11-11)	22 December 1975 (1975-12-22)	days
5	John Howard				Minister for Business and Consumer Affairs	22 December 1975 (1975-12-22)	17 July 1977 (1977-07-17)
6	Wal Fife					17 July 1977 (1977-07-17)	8 December 1979 (1979-12-08)
7	Sir Victor Garland					8 December 1979 (1979-12-08)	3 November 1980 (1980-11-03)	days
8	John Moore					3 November 1980 (1980-11-03)	20 April 1982 (1982-04-20)
9	Neil Brown					20 April 1982 (1982-04-20)	11 January 1983 (1983-01-11)	days
10	Barry Cohen		Labor	Hawke	Minister for Home Affairs and the Environment	11 January 1983 (1983-01-11)	13 December 1984 (1984-12-13)
11	Peter Staples		Labor	Hawke	Minister for Consumer Affairs	24 July 1987 (1987-07-24)	15 February 1988 (1988-02-15)	days
12	Nick Bolkus					15 February 1988 (1988-02-15)	4 April 1990 (1990-04-04)
13	Michael Tate				Minister for Justice and Consumer Affairs	4 April 1990 (1990-04-04)	20 December 1991 (1991-12-20)
				Keating		20 December 1991 (1991-12-20)	27 May 1992 (1992-05-27)
14	Jeannette McHugh				Minister for Consumer Affairs	27 May 1992 (1992-05-27)	11 March 1996 (1996-03-11)
15	Geoff Prosser		Liberal	Howard	Minister for Small Business and Consumer Affairs	11 March 1996 (1996-03-11)	18 July 1997 (1997-07-18)
16	Chris Ellison				Minister for Customs and Consumer Affairs	18 July 1997 (1997-07-18)	9 October 1997 (1997-10-09)	days
17	Warren Truss		Nationals			9 October 1997 (1997-10-09)	21 October 1998 (1998-10-21)
18	Joe Hockey		Liberal		Minister for Financial Services and Regulation	21 October 1998 (1998-10-21)	26 November 2001 (2001-11-26)
19	Chris Bowen		Labor	Rudd	Minister for Competition Policy and Consumer Affairs	3 December 2007 (2007-12-03)	9 June 2009 (2009-06-09)
20	Craig Emerson					9 June 2009 (2009-06-09)	20 June 2010 (2010-06-20)
				Gillard		20 June 2010 (2010-06-20)	14 September 2010 (2010-09-14)
21	David Bradbury		Labor	Rudd	Minister for Competition Policy and Consumer Affairs	1 July 2013 (2013-07-01)	18 September 2013 (2013-09-18)	days