The Second Turnbull Government was sworn in today with the largest Cabinet since the Whitlam government in 1975.
Turnbull’s Cabinet has 23 members, an increase of one from before the July 2 election. The previous 22 members was an increase from 21 when Turnbull became PM in September 2015, and from 19 in the Abbott government.
During the Whitlam government (1972-75), all 27 members of the ministry were in the Cabinet because the system of a Cabinet and Outer Ministry was abandoned. Having so many ministers in the Cabinet was widely regarded as a bad thing and the next Labor government under Bob Hawke reintroduced the two-tier model.
Turnbull has accommodated an increase in ministerial representation for The Nationals by increasing the size of Cabinet from 22 to 23, whilst the Outer Ministry has been reduced from 8 to 7.
The table below shows the numbers in each federal ministry since the election of the Menzies Liberal-Country Party coalition in 1949. Each set of numbers reflects the composition of the government immediately after an election, or immediately following a change of prime minister. Other mid-term changes are not included. The final column of the table shows the breakdown of Liberal and Country/Nationals representation in coalition governments.
The table has been updated to reflect the latest ministries.
| Federal Ministry Sizes Since 1949 | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Ministry | Cabinet | Outer Ministry |
Parliamentary Secretaries/ Asst Ministers |
Total | Lib-CP/Nats |
| Fourth Menzies Ministry | ||||||
| Fifth Menzies Ministry | ||||||
| Sixth Menzies Ministry | ||||||
| Seventh Menzies Ministry | ||||||
| Eighth Menzies Ministry | ||||||
| Ninth Menzies Ministry | ||||||
| Tenth Menzies Ministry | ||||||
| First Holt Ministry | ||||||
| Second Holt Ministry | ||||||
| McEwen Ministry | ||||||
| First Gorton Ministry | ||||||
| Second Gorton Ministry | ||||||
| McMahon Ministry | ||||||
| First Whitlam Ministry | ||||||
| Second Whitlam Ministry | ||||||
| Third Whitlam Ministry | ||||||
| First Fraser Ministry | ||||||
| Second Fraser Ministry | ||||||
| Third Fraser Ministry | ||||||
| Fourth Fraser Ministry | ||||||
| First Hawke Ministry | ||||||
| Second Hawke Ministry | ||||||
| Third Hawke Ministry | ||||||
| Fourth Hawke Ministry | ||||||
| First Keating Ministry | ||||||
| Second Keating Ministry | ||||||
| First Howard Ministry | ||||||
| Second Howard Ministry | ||||||
| Third Howard Ministry | ||||||
| Fourth Howard Ministry | ||||||
| First Rudd Ministry | ||||||
| First Gillard Ministry | ||||||
| Second Gillard Ministry | ||||||
| Second Rudd Ministry | ||||||
| Abbott Ministry | ||||||
| First Turnbull Ministry | ||||||
| Second Turnbull Ministry | ||||||
| First Morrison Ministry | ||||||
| Second Morrison Ministry | ||||||
| First Albanese Ministry | ||||||
