Commonwealth act

Ministers of State Act 1917

RepealedCTH

This Act has been repealed and is no longer in force. It is retained for historical reference.

Jurisdiction

Commonwealth

Act Number

40 of 1917

Collection

act

Plain English Summary

1/10 complexity

This short law allows the Australian Government to appoint more ministers and pays them more collectively.

What it changes:

Increases the ministry size: The government can now have up to 9 Ministers instead of the previous limit of 8 (the text says the number "may exceed seven but shall not exceed nine")
Increases the salary budget: The total amount available for ministerial salaries rises from £13,650 to £15,300 per year, paid from Commonwealth revenue
Replaces the old law: The Ministers of State Act 1915 is repealed

Why it matters: This is an administrative adjustment to accommodate an additional minister in cabinet, likely reflecting the expanding scope of government during the First World War. It simply updates the headcount and budget limits set in the previous legislation.

JSON API

Deep dive

Want the full deep dive?

Zoe can write the in-depth analysis on top of the summary above: how it works, who it affects and what each part actually does.

Current sections

Direct links to the current provisions in Ministers of State Act 1917.

Ministers of State Act 1917

MINISTERS OF STATE.

No. 40 of 1917.

An Act to increase the maximum number of Ministers of State from eight to nine and to increase the amount appropriated for their salaries from Thirteen thousand six hundred and fifty pounds to Fifteen thousand three hundred pounds.

[Assented to 28th September, 1917.

BE it enacted by the King’s Most Excellent Majesty, the Senate, and the House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Australia, as follows:—

Short title.

This Act may be cited as the Ministers of State Act 1917.

Repeal.

The Ministers of State Act 1915 is repealed.

Number of Ministers.

The number of Ministers of State may exceed seven but shall not exceed nine.

Salaries of Ministers.

There shall be payable to the King, out of the Consolidated Revenue Fund of the Commonwealth, which is hereby appropriated accordingly, for the salaries of the Ministers of State, an annual sum up to but not exceeding Fifteen thousand three hundred pounds.

Source text

Sourced from the Federal Register of Legislation (legislation.gov.au), CC BY 4.0.

1 Ministers of State Act 1917