Minister for Agriculture and Food (Western Australia)

The Minister for Agriculture and Food is a position in the Cabinet of Western Australia. The minister is responsible for the Department of Agriculture and Food, and usually holds several other portfolios.

Minister for Agriculture and Food
since 14 December 2022 (2022-12-14)
Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development
StyleThe Honourable
NominatorPremier of Western Australia
AppointerGovernor of Western Australia
Inaugural holderJohn Drew MLC
(as Minister for Agriculture)
Formation7 June 1905 (1905-06-07)
Websitehttps://www.wa.gov.au/government/premier-and-cabinet-ministers/jackie-jarvis

The responsibilities now incorporated in the portfolio were originally held by the Colonial Secretary, and it was not until the 1904 Daglish Ministry that a separate Minister for Agriculture was appointed, with the inaugural minister being the nominally independent John Drew. From its first implementation through to the 1920s, and sporadically afterward, the titles of Minister for Agriculture and Minister for Lands were generally held by the same person, although the positions were legally separate, and were quite different in scope. A similar situation has existed since the late 1970s with the Fisheries and Forests portfolios. The minister's title was simply "Minister for Agriculture" until 1993, when Monty House was made Minister for Primary Industries in the Court–Cowan Ministry. The current title was implemented in 2005.

The current Minister for Agriculture and Food is Jackie Jarvis of the Labor Party.[1] The previous Minister for Agriculture and Food was Mark Lewis of the Liberal Party. Lewis was only the third Liberal to hold the position – in previous Coalition governments, the position has been reserved for members of the National Party (and its predecessors).[2][3]

List of ministers for agriculture and food

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Thirty three people have been appointed as Minister for Agriculture and Food (or equivalent) in Western Australia, with Crawford Nalder's 11 years and 335 days the longest time period in the position.[4] In the table below, members of the Legislative Council are designated "MLC". All others were members of the Legislative Assembly at the time of their service. In Western Australia, serving ministers are entitled to be styled "The Honourable", and may retain the style after three years' service in the ministry.[5]

Order Minister Party Premier Title Term start Term end Term in office
1 John Drew MLC   Independent Daglish Minister for Agriculture 7 June 1905 (1905-06-07) 25 August 1905 (1905-08-25) 79 days
2 Newton Moore   Ministerialist Rason 25 August 1905 (1905-08-25) 7 May 1906 (1906-05-07) 255 days
3 Frank Wilson   Moore 7 May 1906 (1906-05-07) 30 June 1909 (1909-06-30) 3 years, 54 days
4 James Mitchell   30 June 1909 (1909-06-30) 16 September 1910 (1910-09-16) 2 years, 99 days
  Liberal Wilson 16 September 1910 (1910-09-16) 7 October 1911 (1911-10-07)
5 Thomas Bath   Labor Scaddan 7 October 1911 (1911-10-07) 23 November 1914 (1914-11-23) 3 years, 47 days
6 William Johnson   23 November 1914 (1914-11-23) 27 July 1916 (1916-07-27) 1 year, 247 days
7 Sir Henry Lefroy KCMG   Liberal Wilson 27 July 1916 (1916-07-27) 28 July 1917 (1917-07-28) 2 years, 264 days
  Nationalist Lefroy 28 July 1917 (1917-07-28) 17 April 1919 (1919-04-17)
8 Charles Baxter MLC   Country Colebatch 17 April 1919 (1919-04-17) 17 May 1919 (1919-05-17) 30 days
9 Hal Colebatch MLC   Nationalist Mitchell 17 May 1919 (1919-05-17) 3 April 1921 (1921-04-03) 1 year, 351 days
10 Henry Kennedy Maley   Country 3 April 1921 (1921-04-03) 15 April 1924 (1924-04-15) 3 years, 12 days
11 Michael Troy   Labor Collier 15 April 1924 (1924-04-15) 15 December 1927 (1927-12-15) 3 years, 244 days
12 Harry Millington   15 December 1927 (1927-12-15) 23 April 1930 (1930-04-23) 2 years, 129 days
13 Percy Ferguson   Country Mitchell 23 April 1930 (1930-04-23) 24 April 1933 (1933-04-24) 3 years, 1 day

(12)
Harry Millington   Labor Collier 24 April 1933 (1933-04-24) 26 March 1935 (1935-03-26) 1 year, 336 days
14 Frank Wise   26 March 1935 (1935-03-26) 19 August 1936 (1936-08-19) 10 years, 130 days
  Willcock 19 August 1936 (1936-08-19) 31 July 1945 (1945-07-31)
  Wise 31 July 1945 (1945-07-31) 3 August 1945 (1945-08-03)
15 John Tonkin   3 August 1945 (1945-08-03) 1 April 1947 (1947-04-01) 1 year, 241 days
16 Lindsay Thorn   Country McLarty 1 April 1947 (1947-04-01) 5 January 1948 (1948-01-05) 279 days
17 Garnet Wood MLC   Honorary Minister for Agriculture 5 January 1948 (1948-01-05) 24 October 1950 (1950-10-24) 3 years, 363 days
  Minister for Agriculture 24 October 1950 (1950-10-24) 3 January 1952 (1952-01-03)
18 Sir Charles Latham MLC   3 January 1952 (1952-01-03) 23 February 1953 (1953-02-23) 1 year, 79 days
19 Ernest Hoar   Labor Hawke 23 February 1953 (1953-02-23) 17 December 1957 (1957-12-17) 4 years, 297 days
20 Lionel Kelly   17 December 1957 (1957-12-17) 2 April 1959 (1959-04-02) 1 year, 106 days
21 Crawford Nalder   Country Brand 2 April 1959 (1959-04-02) 3 March 1971 (1971-03-03) 11 years, 335 days
22 David Evans   Labor Tonkin 3 March 1971 (1971-03-03) 8 April 1974 (1974-04-08) 3 years, 36 days
23 Ray McPharlin   National Alliance Court 8 April 1974 (1974-04-08) 20 May 1975 (1975-05-20) 1 year, 42 days
24 Dick Old   National Country 5 June 1975 (1975-06-05) 25 January 1982 (1982-01-25) 7 years, 263 days
  O'Connor 25 January 1982 (1982-01-25) 23 February 1983 (1983-02-23)

(22)
David Evans   Labor Burke 23 February 1983 (1983-02-23) 26 February 1986 (1986-02-26) 3 years, 3 days
25 Julian Grill   26 February 1986 (1986-02-26) 25 February 1988 (1988-02-25) 3 years, 2 days
  Dowding 25 February 1988 (1988-02-25) 28 February 1989 (1989-02-28)
26 Ernie Bridge   28 February 1989 (1989-02-28) 12 February 1990 (1990-02-12) 3 years, 354 days
  Lawrence 12 February 1990 (1990-02-12) 16 February 1993 (1993-02-16)
27 Monty House   National Court Minister for Primary Industries 16 February 1993 (1993-02-16) 16 February 2001 (2001-02-16) 8 years, 0 days
28 Kim Chance   Labor Gallop Minister for Agriculture 16 February 2001 (2001-02-16) 1 July 2001 (2001-07-01) 7 years, 220 days
  Minister for Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries 1 July 2001 (2001-07-01) 10 March 2005 (2005-03-10)
  Minister for Agriculture and Forestry 10 March 2005 (2005-03-10) 25 January 2006 (2006-01-25)
  Carpenter 25 January 2006 (2006-01-25) 3 February 2006 (2006-02-03)
  Minister for Agriculture and Food 3 February 2006 (2006-02-03) 23 September 2008 (2008-09-23)
29 Terry Redman   National Barnett 23 September 2008 (2008-09-23) 21 March 2013 (2013-03-21) 4 years, 179 days
30 Ken Baston MLC   Liberal 21 March 2013 (2013-03-21) 31 March 2016 (2016-03-31) 3 years, 10 days
31 Dean Nalder   31 March 2016 (2016-03-31) 20 September 2016 (2016-09-20) 173 days
32 Mark Lewis   22 September 2016 (2016-09-22) 17 March 2017 (2017-03-17) 8 years, 60 days
33 Alannah MacTiernan MLC   Labor McGowan 17 March 2017 (2017-03-17) 14 December 2022 5 years, 272 days
34 Jackie Jarvis   14 December 2022 8 June 2023 1 year, 345 days
  Cook 8 June 2023 incumbent

References

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  1. ^ "Jackie Jarvis | Western Australian Government". wa.gov.au. Retrieved 26 April 2023.
  2. ^ Cattle, Tyson (30 March 2013). "New Ag Minister to hit the ground running". Farm Weekly. Retrieved 1 October 2013.
  3. ^ Thompson, Brad (17 May 2013). "Grylls defends farm policy". The West Australian. Retrieved 1 October 2013.
  4. ^ Agriculture Ministers of Western Australia – Parliamentary Library of Western Australia. Last updated 29 June 2012. Retrieved 1 October 2013.
  5. ^ Addressing a Member of Parliament – Parliament of Western Australia. Retrieved 1 October 2013.