Minister for Foreign Affairs | |
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since 23 May 2022 | |
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade | |
Style | The Honourable |
Appointer | Governor-General on the recommendation of the Prime Minister of Australia |
Inaugural holder | Edmund Barton (as Minister for External Affairs) |
Formation | 1 January 1901 |
Website | www |
The Minister for Foreign Affairs, also known as the Foreign Minister, is the minister of state of the Commonwealth of Australia charged with overseeing the creation and implementation of international diplomacy, relations and foreign affairs policy, as the head of the foreign affairs section of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. The current Foreign Minister is Senator Penny Wong, who was appointed by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in May 2022 following the 2022 federal election.
Wong is the first female Foreign Minister from the Australian Labor Party (ALP) and the third female foreign minister in a row, following Julie Bishop and Marise Payne. The position is one of two cabinet-level portfolio ministers under the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the other being the Minister for Trade and Tourism. The Foreign Minister is vested with several subordinate positions, including the Minister for International Development and the Pacific, currently held by Pat Conroy, and the Assistant Minister for Foreign Affairs, currently held by Tim Watts.