Minister for Child Protection (Western Australia)

The Minister for Child Protection is a position in the Cabinet of Western Australia, first created in 1933 during the Second Collier Ministry.

The current Minister for Child Protection is Helen Morton of the Liberal Party, who holds the position as a member of the Barnett Ministry. The minister, who has generally held other portfolios in addition to child protection, is responsible for the state government's Department for Child Protection (DCP).

List of Ministers for Child Protection

Twelve people have been appointed as Minister for Child Protection (or equivalent), with Leslie Logan's 11 years and 335 days during the Brand–Nalder Ministry the longest period in the position. The position and corresponding department have existed under several different names, and on several occasions been abolished entirely, with responsibility for the portfolio held by what is now the Minister for Community Services.^[1]

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.^[2]

Order	Minister	Party		Premier	Title	Term start	Term end	Term in office
1	James Keneally		Labor	Collier	Minister for Child Welfare	24 April 1933	26 March 1936	2 years, 337 days
1936–1950: no minister – responsibilities held by other ministers.
2	Arthur Watts		Country	McLarty	Minister for Child Welfare	6 April 1950	23 February 1953	2 years, 323 days
3	Albert Hawke		Labor	Hawke		23 February 1953	2 April 1959	6 years, 38 days
4	Leslie Logan MLC		Liberal	Brand		2 April 1959	3 March 1971	11 years, 335 days
1971–1995: no separate minister – responsibilities held by Minister for Community Services.
5	Roger Nicholls		Liberal	R. Court	Minister for Family and Children's Services	29 June 1995	21 December 1995	175 days
6	Cheryl Edwardes					21 December 1995	9 January 1997	1 year, 19 days
7	Rhonda Parker					9 January 1997	22 December 1999	2 years, 347 days
8	June van de Klashorst					22 December 1999	16 February 2001	1 year, 56 days
2001–2006: no separate minister – responsibilities held by Minister for Community Development.
9	David Templeman		Labor	Carpenter	Minister for Child Protection	13 December 2006	2 March 2007	79 days
10	Sue Ellery					2 March 2007	23 September 2008	1 year, 205 days
11	Robyn McSweeney MLC		Liberal	Barnett		23 September 2008	21 March 2013	4 years, 179 days
12	Helen Morton MLC					21 March 2013	15 December 2015	2 years, 269 days

References

1. Child, Family & Community Services Ministry of Western Australia – Parliamentary Library of Western Australia. Last updated 29 June 2012. Retrieved 28 February 2015.
2. Addressing a Member of Parliament – Parliament of Western Australia. Retrieved 20 August 2014.