This is a complete list of ministers who have resigned or were dismissed from Federal Governments since 1901 under the conventions of collective or individual ministerial responsibility.
It does not include ministers who resigned because of retirement or appointment to other offices, or ministers who were demoted or sacked in reshuffles.
| Ministerial Resignations & Dismissals Since 1901 | ||
|---|---|---|
| Name | Date | Reason |
| Barton Ministry (Protectionist) | ||
| Charles Kingston MHR, SA |
24 July 1903
|
Policy disagreement |
| Deakin Ministry (Protectionist) | ||
| John Forrest Swan, WA |
30 July 1907
|
Policy disagreement |
| Hughes Ministry (Labor) | ||
| Frank Tudor Yarra, Vic |
14 Sept 1916
|
Disagreement over conscription |
| William Higgs Capricornia, Qld |
27 Oct 1916
|
Disagreement over conscription |
| Senator Albert Gardiner NSW |
27 Oct 1916
|
Disagreement over conscription |
| Senator Edward Russell Vic |
27 Oct 1916
|
Disagreement over conscription |
| Hughes Ministry (Nationalist) | ||
| William Hughes Bendigo, Vic |
8 Jan 1918
|
Token resignation |
| Jens Jensen Bass, Tas |
13 Dec 1918
|
Dismissed following Royal Commission |
| Bruce-Page Ministry (Nationalist-Country Party Coalition | ||
| Percy Stewart Wimmera, Vic |
5 Aug 1924
|
Protest over electoral pact |
| Littleton Groom Darling Downs, Qld |
18 Dec 1925
|
Ministry failure. Resigned over attempts to deport ‘foreign agitators’ and his conduct at the League of Nations. |
| Scullin Ministry (Labor) | ||
| Edward Theodore Dalley, Qld, |
9 July 1930
|
Found guilty by Queensland Royal Commission into Mungana business dealings |
| Joseph Lyons Wilmot, Tas |
4 Feb 1931
|
Protest at Theodore reinstatement |
| James Fenton Maribyrnong, Vic |
4 Feb 1931
|
Protest at Theodore reinstatement |
| Edward Holloway Flinders, Vic, |
12 June 1931
|
Protest over Premiers’ Plan |
| Charles Culley Denison, Tas |
24 June 1931
|
Protest over Premiers’ Plan |
| Lyons Ministry (United Australia Party) | ||
| Charles Hawker Wakefield, SA |
23 Sep 1932
|
Policy disagreement. Resigned over government refusal to reduce parliamentary salaries. |
| James Fenton Maribyrnong, Vic |
13 Oct 1932
|
Policy disagreement. Resigned after voting against a bill ratifying the Ottawa Agreement, establishing Imperial Preference. |
| Lyons Ministry (UAP-CP Coalition) | ||
| William Hughes North Sydney, UAP |
6 Nov 1935
|
Policy disagreement. Resigned after publication of his book, Australia and the War Today, which alleged a lack of war preparation. |
| Henry Gullett Henty, Vic |
11 Mar 1937
|
Policy disagreement. Resigned over disagreement with trade policy. |
| Senator Alexander McLachlan SA |
7 Nov 1938
|
Conflict of interest |
| Thomas White Balaclava, Vic |
8 Nov 1938
|
Policy disagreement |
| Robert Menzies Kooyong, Vic |
20 Mar 1939
|
Policy disagreement |
| Menzies Ministry (United Australia Party) | ||
| John Lawson Macquarie, NSW |
23 Feb 1940
|
Conflict of interest |
| Menzies Ministry (Liberal-CP Coalition) | ||
| Leslie Bury Wentworth, NSW |
27 July 1962
|
Policy disagreement |
| Gorton Ministry (Liberal-CP Coalition) | ||
| David Fairbairn Farrer, NSW |
12 Nov 1969
|
Dispute with Prime Minister |
| Malcolm Fraser Wannon, Vic |
8 Mar 1971
|
Dispute with Prime Minister |
| McMahon Ministry (Liberal-CP Coalition) | ||
| Leslie Bury Wentworth, NSW |
2 Aug 1971
|
Dispute with Prime Minister |
| John Gorton Higgins, Vic |
13 Aug 1971
|
Dispute with Prime Minister |
| Whitlam Ministry (Labor) | ||
| Clyde Cameron Hindmarsh, SA |
6 Jun 1975
|
Refused reshuffle offer |
| Dr. Jim Cairns Lalor, Vic |
6 Jun 1975
|
Ministerial irregularities relating to overseas loans |
| Dr. Jim Cairns Lalor, Vic |
2 Jul 1975
|
Misleading parliament |
| Rex Connor Cunningham, NSW |
14 Oct 1975
|
Misleading parliament |
| Fraser Ministry (Liberal-National Coalition) | ||
| Victor Garland Curtin, WA |
6 Feb 1976
|
Electoral irregularities |
| Robert Ellicott Wentworth, NSW |
6 Sep 1977
|
Cabinet decision protest |
| Philip Lynch Flinders, Vic |
19 Nov 1977
|
Alleged irregularity in relation to land deals |
| Senator Reg Withers WA |
7 Aug 1978
|
Dismissed after Royal Commission finding into electoral redistribution allegations |
| Eric Robinson McPherson, Qld |
23 Feb 1979
|
Dispute with Prime Minister |
| Ian Sinclair New England, NSW |
27 Sep 1979
|
Alleged criminal offences |
| Andrew Peacock Kooyong, Vic |
16 Apr 1981
|
Dispute with Prime Minister |
| Michael MacKellar Warringhah, NSW |
20 Apr 1982
|
Ministerial impropriety in relation to importation of a colour television set |
| John Moore Ryan, Qld |
20 Apr 1982
|
Ministerial impropriety in relation to importation of a colour television set |
| Hawke Ministry (Labor) | ||
| Mick Young Port Adelaide, SA |
14 Jul 1983
|
Ministerial impropriety in relation to Ivanov affair |
| John Brown Parramatta, NSW |
18 Dec 1987
|
Misleading Parliament |
| Gary Punch Barton, NSW |
28 Mar 1989
|
Policy protest over Sydney Airport |
| Paul Keating Blaxland, NSW |
3 Jun 1991
|
Dispute with Prime Minister |
| John Kerin Werriwa, NSW |
9 Dec 1991
|
Inability to explain policy |
| Keating Ministry (Labor) | ||
| Senator Graham Richardson NSW |
18 May 1992
|
Ministerial impropriety in relation to Marshall Islands affair |
| Alan Griffiths Maribyrnong, Vic |
22 Jan 1994
|
Ministerial impropriety in relation to Sandwich Shop affair |
| Ros Kelly Canberra, ACT |
27 Feb 1994
|
Ministerial impropriety in relation to Sports Rorts affair |
| Howard Ministry (Liberal-National Coalition) | ||
| Senator Jim Short Vic |
14 Oct 1996
|
Ministerial impropriety in relation to conflict of interest concerning bank licences |
| Senator Brian Gibson Tas |
15 Oct 1996
|
Ministerial impropriety in relation to conflict of interest concerning bank licences |
| Senator Bob Woods NSW |
3 Feb 1997
|
Alleged improprieties in relation to expenses claims |
| Geoff Prosser Forrest, WA |
11 Jul 1997
|
Ministerial impropriety in relation to conflict of interest |
| David Jull Fadden, Qld |
24 Sept 1997
|
Ministerial impropriety in relation to Travel Rorts affair |
| John Sharp Hume, NSW |
24 Sept 1997
|
Ministerial impropriety in relation to Travel Rorts affair |
| Peter McGauran Gippsland, Vic |
26 Sept 1997
|
Ministerial impropriety in relation to Travel Rorts affair |
| Sen. Ian Campbell WA |
3 Mar 2007
|
Ministerial impropriety in relation to dealings with Brian Burke |
| Sen. Santo Santoro Qld |
16 Mar 2007
|
Conflict of interest and ministerial impropriety in relation to private share dealings |
| Rudd Ministry (Labor) | ||
| Joel Fitzgibbon Hunter, NSW |
4 Jun 2009
|
Ministerial impropriety in relation to conflict of interest concerning brother’s company’s dealings with Defence Dept. |
| Gillard Ministry (Labor) | ||
| Kevin Rudd Griffith, Qld |
22 Feb 2012
|
Minister for Foreign Affairs alleged prime minister did not repudiate attack on him by ministerial colleague |
| Simon Crean Hotham, Vic |
21 Mar 2013
|
Minister for Regional Australia, Regional Development and Local Government, and Minister for the Arts dismissed after privately and publicly demanding prime minister call a leadership spill. |
| Richard Marles Corio, Vic |
21 Mar 2013
|
Parliamentary Secretary for Pacific Island Affairs and Parliamentary Secretary for Foreign Affairs resigned after supporting prime minister’s opponent, Kevin Rudd, in leadership spill. |
| Chris Bowen McMahon, NSW |
22 Mar 2013
|
Minister for Tertiary Education, Skills, Science and Research, and Minister for Small Business resigned after supporting prime minister’s opponent, Kevin Rudd, in leadership spill. |
| Martin Ferguson Batman, Vic |
22 Mar 2013
|
Minister for Resources and Energy, and Minister for Tourism resigned after supporting prime minister’s opponent, Kevin Rudd, in leadership spill. |
| Senator Kim Carr Vic |
22 Mar 2013
|
Minister for Human Services resigned after supporting prime minister’s opponent, Kevin Rudd, in leadership spill. |
[...] overseeing the country’s national security, to be chucked out on such a flimsy pretext. In the good old days, Ministers of such seniority usually only resigned as a way of knifing their respective [...]