Whether you have just been in the rough and tumble of an electoral campaign, have been promoted from the backbench in a reshuffle, or have changed portfolios, a new ministerial post requires a rapid shift in focus: your immediate goal upon becoming a minister is to create an environment in which you can function most effectively as a decision maker. 

This page is designed to fast-track that process by giving you a sense of what to expect when you become a minister for the first time. It can be read in conjunction with the pages on Establishing A Good Relationship with the Department and Setting Up Your Office, which address two of the key tasks you will need to accomplish to get off to a good start.

Where those pages focus on practical advice, this section is more descriptive. It covers appointment processes, the major frameworks that will govern your work, and the changes in your mindset you can expect to encounter once you have been sworn in.

It primarily addresses the process of becoming a minister following an election, this being the most comprehensive change process. Where the experience differs, say for ministers appointed mid-term via a reshuffle, to fill a gap, or to take a newly created position, we have tried to note it. 

It also biases in favour of the Commonwealth, as this is the level of government with which most of the scholarship has been concerned. Where there are meaningful differences at sub-national level,  we have included illustrative examples, rather than attempting to deal with all eight jurisdictions in detail.

THE APPOINTMENT PROCESS

After an election result is clear, the Vice Regal (Governor General, Governor or Administrator) will invite the leader of the majority party to form government. This requires them to demonstrate their ability to win a vote of ‘confidence’ in the House, and ensure ‘supply’ - that they can command parliamentary support for legislation that authorises government expenditure.

Generally Ministers are appointed by the Vice Regal on the advice of the First Minister (eg Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act 1900, ss 62, 64)

The exception is the ACT, where the First Minister appoints Ministers directly (Australian Capital Territory (Self‑Government) Act 1988, s41.)

Federally, the Solicitor General has recently advised that the Governor General has no discretion to refuse to accept the PM’s advice in relation to such appointments (Donaghue 2022).

The formal transfer of power does not take place until the new ministry is sworn in. When a government is defeated or resigns it continues in office in a caretaker capacity until such time as a new government can be formed. There is no interregnum or gap between one government and the next. (Twomey 2018, p16)

Will You Be Chosen?

The major parties have different approaches to the selection of ministers. Neither offers its leader carte blanche. 

Reflecting its more individual tradition and tendency to empower leaders, Liberal leaders tend to have greater discretion in making appointments, though there will be a formal  agreement around how many ministerial positions will go to its Coalition partner. 

The Australian Labor Party’s collectivist tradition and its more formal factions make the process more consultative, although leaders exert substantial influence - particularly in the allocation of portfolios.  

Formal constraints aside, there are a set of political considerations that leaders of both stripes need to take into account: appropriate representation from each state and territory; rural, regional and urban divides; gender, ethnicity and other demographic diversity factors; developing young talent vs rewarding experience; the size of the caucus. 

There is not necessarily anything inappropriate about these considerations: government is a team game, and diverse teams make better decisions. But it does mean that individual merit and talent, to the extent that it can be disentangled from these contextual factors, is only one element in determining whether you receive a ministerial appointment.

How Sharp Should Your Elbows Be?

The formation of any new ministry is a time of intense competition within the parliamentary party. Most members want to be ministers and windows of opportunity are rare. 

Expect furious jockeying for position, including attempts to undermine perceived rivals. 

There is a difficult line to walk here: hang back too much and you risk being passed over in favour of someone who promotes themself more successfully; promote yourself too aggressively and you risk alienating the very people you need to influence.

Your Can't Always Get What You Want

The myriad concerns leaders need to take into account in making appointments, combined with the number of mouths to feed often mean that the portfolio you get won’t necessarily align with your interests. 

Greg Combet, a member of the Labor Left whose formative early experiences included activism on behalf of the Australia-Vietnam Friendship Society, began his ministerial career as the Parliamentary Secretary for Defence Procurement. This initial misalignment did not prevent him from serving successfully in the post for a full term - later adding in the Defence Personnel brief - and going on to enter Cabinet as Climate Change Minister.(Combet and Davis 2014, pp180-205)

VIDEO: PREMIERS AND FIRST MINISTERS ON WHAT THEY LOOK FOR IN A MINISTER

Finding out

How long will it take?

As with many things in Westminster systems, the period between the election result becoming clear and the new ministry being sworn in varies (see table below). 

Circumstances can extend this timeframe. Close election results at Commonwealth and State levels have seen First Ministers opt to have only a few of the most senior ministers sworn in until the final results are certified. In minority governments, clarity can take even longer to emerge, as the party leader negotiates the necessary support arrangements from minor parties and independents.

Other events can also create delays. After the 2022 general election, a pressing international obligation in the shape of a meeting of the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue (the Quad) necessitated the PM being sworn in immediately, alongside a small number of ministers to ensure continuity of government business pending broader ministerial arrangements.

When this two-step arrangement takes place, you have no alternative but to wait to receive a call from the leader offering you a post. 

Things can get moving more quickly if the leader has indicated prior to the election that they intend to appoint you to a particular position.

Where it has been announced [during the campaign] that a key figure will be appointed to a particular portfolio, the relevant departmental secretary will arrange to brief the minister-elect” (Tiernan & Weller 2010, p53)

Note that when the incumbent government has been returned following an election, Ministers retain their commissions until the new Ministry is formed.

How will I learn if I’ve got the job?

“On both sides of Australian politics….[t]he Prime Minister rings, an offer is made and the offer is usually graciously accepted. There may be discussions, particularly with senior colleagues and with allies, but there is no specific commitment until the final shape of the ministry is determined. The consistent refrain from ministers we interviewed was that the decision is ultimately the Prime Minister’s”(Tiernan and Weller 2010, p55)

This dynamic is echoed at state and territory level.

Transition from the shadow ministry

Serving as a shadow minister does not necessarily mean that you will be offered the corresponding ministerial post when your party forms government.

“Time spent in the shadow ministry should enhance the chances of being selected for the ministry. But holding a shadow portfolio is, it seems, no guarantee of the same ministerial position in Government.” (Tiernan and Weller, 2010, p35)

When the changes of government occurred in Queensland in 2024, New South Wales in 2023 and South Australia in 2022, at least one Shadow Minister in each government was not promoted to a ministerial position after the election. In none of these transitions was the entire shadow cabinet promoted directly into the ministry, and there was at least one portfolio change in each transition.

Swearing in

This is a big moment, not only for the individual but for their friends and family. It will almost certainly be the peak of your career to date, with a level of formality and ceremony that is rare in contemporary life. 

The Governor General recently released this helpful series of short videos detailing the various phases of swearing in the new Ministry of the second Albanese government:

• Governor General role in swearing in new ministry pt 1 - (YouTube)

• Governor General role in swearing in new ministry pt 2 - (YouTube)

• PM tendering resignation and presenting list of recommendations for ministers

  (Facebook)

• Explanation of swearing in on bible/ koran (Facebook) Ministers can also swear on the Torah or make an affirmation

• Swearing in the PM

• Swearing in of Minister

• GG signing letters of appointment

Getting your Riding Orders

There is no universal process for this. You may get a meeting with the first minister, as in the Rudd government:

“The Prime Minister held individual meetings with Cabinet ministers, during which he outlined his expectations and discussed with them the vision and priorities for the first year, the term and the future. During presentations for ministers, including by the secretary of PM&C and the Australian Public Service commissioner, they were briefed on appropriate conduct, particularly in respect of their private interests and their own and their staff’s dealing with the public service.” (Tiernan and Weller 2010, p61)

Rory Stewart’s memoir offers a couple of more contemporary examples from a UK context:

“I had been encouraged to keep my phone on in case Downing Street called with a promotion. I did so for three nights, was woken by calls from the States and Afghanistan, and finally, increasingly certain that I would not be promoted, turned it off. I woke at 8.20 on a Tuesday morning to find four missed calls from Cameron’s chief of staff. And texts: ‘Where are you?’, ’Call me’.

I called. ‘So sorry, my phone was off.’

‘Not a very good time to keep your phone off is it? The prime minister wants to see you in twenty minutes’...

For the first time, the door of Number 10 was opened before I reached it by the policeman who had been watching me on a camera. I sat in a waiting room. Officials whom I knew walked past, smiling congratulations. After five years of waiting for my first job, I was not sure what Cameron would choose to use me for…

…Finally I was called into the Cabinet Room…David Cameron sat at one end of the table facing the door, with the chief of staff beside him.

‘Hello Rory’, he said. ‘I understand you want a chance to do something different.’ He sounded a little distracted. ‘I would like you to be’, he said, glancing down, ‘the parliamentary undersecretary in the Department of Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, dealing… with issues like… farming.’

‘Actually probably more with the environment,’ said the chief of staff.(Stewart 2024, pp 150-151)

He also writes about his appointment by Teresa May.

“Theresa May called me when I was trying to persuade Sasha [his son] to eat Lebanese hummus. She sounded on the phone like a game-show host revealing the jackpot prize. ‘I would like you Rory to be [pause] Minister [pause] of State [pause] in the Department [pause] of [pause for more excited rising voice] International Development’ (Stewart 2024, p186)

Charter letters

It is common practice for leaders to issue ministers with a charter letter, a formal instrument that details “...the Government's commitments and priorities Ministers are responsible for delivering through the agencies within their Ministerial Portfolio.”(Our priorities - Right to Information - Department of the Premier and Cabinet 2019)

Although the letter is addressed to you, you are not the only intended reader. In some jurisdictions (e.g. Queensland) the practice is to make these  letters public, which means leaders can use them to signal their intention to hold their ministers accountable for results. And they provide a useful signal to the department, enabling them to align their activities.

Charter letters aren’t always dispatched in a timely fashion. You may find yourself waiting several weeks or even months to receive yours, particularly if you are a junior minister.  In the absence of that formal mandate, you may still be able to find broad guidance in election commitments or the relevant policy platforms. Other details might take longer to emerge, but will be signalled through Cabinet and other internal processes.

The practice of writing to all ministers on appointment, outlining priorities for portfolios, began with the Hawke Government. This practice continued through the Keating Government and into the Howard Government. However, the precise manner in which successive governments have managed its priorities has changed from time to time. In 2007 the Howard Government began using a Cabinet process rather than correspondence to communicate its priorities to ministers. (Prime Minister and Cabinet Portfolio Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet Supplementary 2008)

The level of dialogue that precedes the letter differs. Sometimes letters are drafted in consultation with ministers; others are drafted solely from the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet/ the Department of Premier and Cabinet with their key director of policy in the Prime Minister’s/ Premier’s Office. The recent trend has been towards greater specificity,  even down to what other portfolio ministers must be consulted in bringing forward matters to cabinet.

Assistant Ministers

If you are an assistant minister, it may be some time before you get clarity on which areas of the broader portfolio you are responsible for and exactly what your deliverables will be.  A charter letter, if one is issued, may take six or eight weeks to emerge. 

Generally these decisions will be made by the portfolio minister. The leader will confer broad authority upon them and leave it to them to decide how to apportion responsibilities amongst junior ministers in their portfolio team. Authority will cascade down. Sometimes however, the decisions will be made by the centre.

ACCOUNTABILITIES, FRAMEWORKS AND CONSTRAINTS

The section above on the sources of ministerial power details the legislative and constitutional basis of your authority. 

The section on charter letters describes the usual mechanism by which the first minister will formally communicate their priorities to you.

In addition to these instruments, ministers operate within a framework of expectations and accountabilities that is established by norms, traditions and inherited practices as much as it is by the Constitution, legislation and written codes.

Constitutional conventions

The role and accountabilities of ministers derive from Australia’s Westminster-style system of ‘responsible government’, inherited from Britain as the executive form of government, initially in the colonies and retained when they became self-governing states. Under this model, governments are formed by the party (or grouping) that can command a majority in the legislative chamber. They form a Cabinet, chaired by the first minister, comprising ministers who are members of parliament, who are individually and collectively responsible and accountable to parliament - as representatives of ‘the people’.

The founders of the Commonwealth adopted responsible government as its executive form, but because it was taken for granted, saw no need to elaborate it in written detail. Thus the Australian Constitution is silent on Cabinet, the Prime Minister etc.

The Administrative Arrangements Order and sub-national equivalents

Commonwealth

The Administrative Arrangements Order (AAO) specifies the names of departments of state, the principal matters they deal with and the legislation administered within each portfolio. 

The Federal AAO stems directly from the Constitution. Section 61 of the Constitution places the executive power of the Commonwealth in The King, and provides that it is exercisable by the Governor General. Section 62 provides for the Executive Council, and section 64 provides that the Governor General may appoint Ministers of State to administer such Departments of State of the Commonwealth as the Governor General in Council establishes.

A minister appointed to administer a department of state is responsible for the performance of functions and duties and the exercise of powers relating to legislation listed in the AAO. The Governor-General makes the AAO on the advice of the Prime Minister. (Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet 2025)

States and Territories

All states and territories have mechanisms similar to AAOs, though the precise name varies.  In Victoria they are called ‘General Orders’, and in Western Australia they are called ‘Acts with Administering Portfolios and Public Sector Agencies’. 

Whatever the title, the state AAO covers the specific Acts that ministers are responsible for.

The Cabinet Handbook & Ministerial Codes of Conduct

The Cabinet Handbook contains the First Minister’s ‘rules’ for how the cabinet will operate. It sets out the structure, practices and processes of the cabinet and its committees. 

Note that the principles and conventions laid out in the handbook apply to the whole ministry, not just those ministers in cabinet.

Understanding how cabinet works is essential to effectively navigating processes, managing stakeholders, advancing your agenda, and also in maintaining your relationships with other ministers.

Note that South Australia does not have a Cabinet Handbook and in New South Wales it is called the ‘Cabinet Practice Manual’.

Ministerial Codes of Conduct

Increasingly Cabinet Handbooks have been supplemented by Ministerial Codes, which lay out expectations of ministerial conduct and behaviour.

The codes articulate the key principles that Ministers must act with regard to, such as integrity, fairness, accountability, responsibility and the public interest.

They also cover matters including:

• Conflicts of Interest

• Personal Responsibility

• Accountability

• Safe and Respectful Workplaces

• Lobbyists

• Post-Ministerial Employment ; and 

• What happens when these standards are breached

MINDSET SHIFTS

The change from opposition to government can be a culture shock. Ministers have described it as follows:

“In opposition everything seems possible and there is no responsibility for actually achieving it, let alone any expectation that it will be reconciled with existing priorities and structures.” (Tiernan and Rhodes 2010, p94)

“You go from being the one who identifies a problem of criticises  or comments on a solution , and you shift to being the one who has to find the answers” (Tiernan and Rhodes 2010, p94)

Your focus broadens, but the level of resources at your disposal expands to match it.

“”...if you’re a diligent shadow minister, you’ll be down in the detail of your portfolio, but you only really need to care about the controversial to do your job…Whereas in government you get many more staff, you get all the support of the bureaucracy and you get a lot of assistance,  but you’ve got to be on top of everything.”(Tiernan and Rhodes 2010, p94)

“Opposition is about the day, how to win a headline as a means of promoting a more general agenda, how to identify government weaknesses or mistakes. It is hard to set an agenda from opposition, or to keep a topic running for long. On the other hand, government is both offence and defence. Ministers must decide what they will do, explain it in public, and illustrate why the opposition does not appreciate the issues.” (Tiernan and Rhodes 2010, p98)

There is a corresponding shift in what takes up your time:

“...the most significant difference between opposition and government is the proportion of media-to-policy work…in government and the transition to government, there’s a stark change in what takes up your day: the Cabinet process, the Cabinet sub-sub-committee process, the Budget process…” (Tiernan and Rhodes 2010, p96)

Many ministers describe a “moment of truth”: a moment when you all at once “...understand and appreciate the enormity of [your] responsibilities.” (Tiernan and Rhodes, 2010, p90). This might be triggered by authorising a huge expenditure, making a major announcement, or sitting in a  high level meeting representing your jurisdiction.

Managing conflicts of interest and adjusting to scrutiny

Ministers are held to high standards of behaviour and are watched closely - particularly by the opposition and the media - for lapses. 

A conflict of interest occurs when a person’s private interests interfere, or appear to interfere, with their duties and responsibilities as an office-holder. A conflict can manifest itself in many ways and in areas related to professional duties and obligations

Conflicts of interest are inevitable because we all have multiple roles and duties. They only become a problem if they are not identified, disclosed, managed and monitored.

Identifying and managing conflicts of interest is a dimension of good governance in all institutional settings. Whilst you are no doubt accustomed to dealing with declarations of interest etc ,there is a quantum increase in expectations when you become a minister.

Ministerial Codes of Conduct tend to highlight the requirements,  and in many jurisdictions, including Queensland and Victoria, this is supplemented by Integrity & Ethics Advisers who provide advice. It's a complex area and one that trips up early in their tenure.

Departments can be helpful with these matters, but ultimately the processes you set in your office will be your best protection. You need someone on your staff who is possessed of a governance bent, and blessed with forensic attention to detail.

Issues you will need to consider include:

•  What are the appropriate uses of allowances and entitlements? The use of ministerial cars and drivers for personal purposes has brought down more than one minister in recent years. Tax-payer funded air travel for purposes that do not fall wholly within ministerial or electorate duties (ie- for personal or party political purposes) has also been an issue. Black-letter compliance won't necessarily keep you 100% out of trouble - public opinion of what is and what isn't okay doesn't always line up with the rules.  Appropriate direction of staff can also be an issue, particularly if publicly funded staff are seen to be involved in campaigning.

• What rules govern your interactions with departments and agencies? Who is it proper that you liaise with? A meeting outside those channels may be perceived as exerting improper pressure or attempting to circumvent procedural constraints.The way that ministers most often fall foul of the rules is by interfering or being seen to interfere with appointments to independent or public service bodies.

•  Is your record-keeping up to scratch? Public office carries with it a set of expectations and requirements around official records. This will be laid out in detail in your jurisdiction’s public records legislation, but this guide from the National Archives provides a useful overview. Information flows and processes in your office need to be designed to make compliance with these requirements easy. You want your office to have appropriate access to your correspondence and your diary in order to respond to FOI requests and prepare responses for question time, lest you, for example, inadvertently mislead parliament via an incomplete response.

• What are the rules around gifts? What can you accept as long as you declare it vs what can you not accept at all? In this context, gifts include hospitality.

• Could your allocation of government resources be construed as being made with personal gain in mind? This goes to decisions including procurement, the employment of family members, public appointments, decisions that may affect any assets you have a financial interest in, decisions that may affect any association of which you are a member.

• What information that you will have access to is confidential? Your Ministerial Code of Conduct is your starting point here.

Staying out of trouble

Former Gillard Chief of Staff Ben Hubbard offers the following advice:

Don’t repeat the mistakes of others

• Leverage the knowledge and insight available:

• Seek formal and informal guidance and advice – including Mentorship

• Observation - keep your eyes open. Watch the traps others fall into, but also (and this is tricker to see) how they manage to avoid traps

• Corporate memory – mix of old and new. What have your department and your party learned?

Continue your conversations

• Shared knowledge is a critical foundation for action.

• Get cover; or get formal permission.

Take your worst critic’s perspective

• Step back and consider it by the perspective of your worst critic

• Is it legal; is it moral; is it appropriate?

• Does it undermine other directions and commitments?

• Does it make you look stupid, unwise, frivolous or reckless?

How you treat others

Few ministers make it through a career without slipping up at some point. Smart people do dumb things. Strategies for responding  when you make a mistake will be discussed in depth in the section on Dealing With A Crisis.

For now, there is one thing you can do to improve your chances of survival if you make a misstep: don't be a jerk.

This isn’t always as easy as it sounds. We all have moments when we aren’t our best selves, particularly when we're stressed, tired or overworked. Ministers are generally all three. And because your time is at such a premium, you can easily get used to having everything done for you, from getting your coffee to picking up your dry cleaning. It's difficult to stay grounded.

In an age where everybody has a movie camera in their pocket and the ability to post their footage around the world in an instant, a momentary loss of composure can haunt you for a long time. 

You are much more likely to survive your mistakes if the people around you like and respect you - all of them, not just the powerful ones like the party leader and your fellow ministers. The caucus, the public service down to junior officers and your personal office are all much more likely to have your back if you treat them well. 

And don’t forget that ministerial drivers, who are privy to all sorts of conversations, are people too. Treat them with respect.

Adjusting to being a junior minister

Former Foreign Secretary and Chancellor of the Exchequer Jeremy Hunt recently gave his perspective on life as a junior minister in the UK context:

… life is miserable for junior ministers, because the whole of government departments revolve around the Secretary of State. And basically, junior ministers are an annoyance to officials.(Hunt 2025)

That may be overstating things a touch, but it does give some sense of the limits of your power.

Self and role: The person vs the office

When you become a minister you step into a web of stewardship obligations, not just for the department you oversee but for the office of the minister itself. 

In all but a very few cases, there will be a long line of people who have held your office before you and a long line of people who will hold it after you leave. You are only a temporary occupant. And although you  may not have formal obligations to your predecessors and successors, you arguably have a moral obligation to respect the legacy you have inherited and leave it in better shape for the future.

It is worth taking a moment at the outset to zoom out and think about some of these higher order questions. What is the purpose of the role? Who does it serve? What does it require and what will it require in the future? What will success look like?

As the American political scientist Hugh Heclo put it:

“In approaching a major choice, the question is not “How can I get what I want?”. It is the duty-laden question that asks “What expectations and conduct are appropriate to my position and the choices I might make? What is it, larger than myself, into which I am drawn?”...what should I want?”(Heclo 2011, p102)

Yuval Levin links this sense of stepping into the role to the imperative of rebuilding trust in our public institutions.

We trust an institution when it shapes people to do its work in a reliable way. So you trust a journalist when it seems like that person has been formed to take the truth seriously, and to put their work through a process that you can trust. We trust a political institution when it seems to shape men and women who really take the public interest seriously. (Levin 2023)