Scott Morrison’s first ministry is not as ‘Generation X’ as you might think

SCOTT Morrison’s first ministry has been hailed as the ‘next generation’ — a youthful cohort of fresh-faced MPs embarking on a new era. But are the baby boomers still running the show?

SCOTT Morrison’s first ministry and cabinet have been hailed as the ‘next generation’ — a youthful cohort of fresh-faced MPs embarking on a new era.

This visage of youthfulness may be partly attributable to Morrison himself, who, at age 50, falls squarely into the bracket of Generation X (that is, people born between 1965 and the early 1980s).

Born in that earth-shaking year 1968, Morrison experienced all the events that shaped the modern world. He became a teen at the height of the Cold War; he got married in the same year that the Berlin Wall came down; he was 33 when al-Qaeda flew jets into the World Trade Centre in New York.

LATEST: Battle for Turnbull’s seat heats up

Malcolm Turnbull making his maiden speech to parliament after his election in 2004.

Prime Minister Scott Morrison in Queensland today. Picture: AAP/Alex Ellinghausen

MINISTERS IN THEIR PRIME

ScoMo is 13 years younger than the man he replaced, Malcolm Turnbull, but it’s worth noting he is far from being the youngest person to ever get the keys to The Lodge.

Malcolm Fraser was 45 when he became prime minister, while Paul Keating was 47, Julia Gillard was 48 and Kevin Rudd was also 50.

By comparison, Bob Hawke was 53 when he came to power, Tony Abbott was 55, Gough Whitlam and John Howard were both 56 and Turnbull was a surprisingly ripe 61.

THE STATS ON SCOMO’S SQUAD

Turnbull heads to the back benches now at the even riper age of 63, accompanied by 62-year-old Julie Bishop, but even the loss of these two party elders does not make a substantial impact on the age profile of ScoMo’s team.

Morrison’s first ministry has a group of MPs with a slightly younger average age to Turnbull’s last ministry (50.83 years compared to 59), but interestingly, Turnbull’s last ministry had a greater proportion of members who were Generation X (67 per cent) than Morrison’s (64 per cent).

When narrowing the focus from the ministry to the Cabinet, the numbers are similar: 75 per cent of Turnbull’s last Cabinet were Generation X, while 74 per cent of Morrison’s (slightly smaller) first Cabinet are Xers.

Morrison’s first team are arguably more experienced than Turnbull’s last team, too: they have on average been in parliament for 10.2 years, compared to 9.9 years.

New Defence Minister Christopher Pyne, at just 51, is the longest-serving parliamentarian in the Morrison ministry. Picture: AAP

SENIORS AND JUNIORS

In terms of length of service, the MP in Morrison’s ministry with the longest parliamentary career is the newly-minted Defence Minister Christopher Pyne, who has clocked up a staggering 25 years in the House of Representatives.

The oldest member of Morrison’s ministry is 66-year-old Ken Wyatt, now Minister for Senior Australians, Aged Care and Indigenous Health.

The “baby” of the squad is 38-year-old Matt Canavan (now minister for Resources and Northern Australia).

But even Canavan’s four years of parliamentary service is double that of Agriculture and Water Minister David Littleproud, who has just two years under his belt.

COMMENT BELOW: Does it matter what age our politicians are?

— Additional reporting by Natasha Christian

MORRISON’S FIRST MINISTRY

Prime Minister

Scott Morrison, 50

Joined parliament in 2007 (11 years in parliament)

GENX

Assistant Minister to PM

Steve Irons, 60

Joined parliament in 2007 (11 years in parliament)

Deputy Prime Minister + Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development

Michael McCormack MP, 54

Joined parliament in 2010 (8 years in parliament)

Assistant to Deputy PM

MP Andrew Broad, 43

Joined parliament in 2013 (5 years in parliament)

GENX

Treasurer + Deputy Leader of Liberal Party

MP Josh Frydenberg, 47

Joined parliament in 2010 (8 years in parliament)

GENX

Assistant Treasurer

MP Stuart Robert, 48,

Joined parliament in 2007 (11 years in parliament)

GENX

Finance and Public Service

Senator Mathias Cormann, 48

Joined parliament in 2007 (11 years in parliament)

GENX

Assistant Minister for Treasury and Finance

Senator Zed Seselja, 41

Joined parliament in 2007 (11 years in parliament)

GENX

Indigenous Affairs

Senator Nigel Scullion, 62

Joined parliament in 2001 (17 years in parliament)

Foreign Affairs

Senator Marise Payne, 54

Joined parliament in 1997 (21 years in parliament)

Attorney-General

MP Christian Porter, 48

Joined parliament in 2013 (5 years in parliament)

GENX

Defence

MP Christopher Pyne, 51

Joined parliament in 1993 (25 years in parliament)

GENX

Defence Industry

MP Steve Ciobo, 44

Joined parliament in 2001 (17 years in parliament)

GENX

Assistant Minister for Defence

Senator David Fawcett, 55

Joined parliament in 2004 (14 years in parliament)

Home Affairs

MP Peter Dutton, 48

Joined parliament in 2001 (17 years in parliament)

GENX

Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs

MP David Coleman, 44

Joined parliament in 2013 (5 years in parliament)

GENX

Assistant Minister Home Affairs

Senator Linda Reynolds, 53

Joined parliament in 2013 (5 years in parliament)

GENX

Trade, Tourism and Investment

Senator Simon Birmingham, 44

Joined parliament in 2007 (11 years in parliament)

GENX

Assistant Minister Trade, Tourism and Investment

MP Mark Coulton, 60,

Joined parliament in 2007 (11 years in parliament)

Environment

MP Melissa Price, 55

Joined parliament in 2013 (5 years in parliament)

Energy

MP Angus Taylor, 52

Joined parliament in 2013 (5 years in parliament)

GENX

Regional Services, Sport, Local Government and Decentralisation

Senator Bridget McKenzie, 49

Joined parliament in 2011 (7 years in parliament)

GENX

Cities, Urban Infrastructure and Population

MP Alan Tudge, 47

Joined parliament in 2010 (8 years in parliament)

GENX

Assistant Minister for Regional Development and Territories

MP Sussan Ley, 57

Joined parliament in 2001 (17 years in parliament)

Assistant Minister for Roads and Transport

MP Scott Buchholz, 50

Joined parliament in 2010 (8 years in parliament)

GENX

Special Minister of the State

MP Alex Hawke, 41,

Joined parliament in 2007 (11 years in parliament)

GENX

Veterans Affairs, Defence Personnel and Minister Assisting the PM for Centenary of the ANZAC

MP Darren Chester, 51

Joined parliament in 2008 (10 years in parliament)

GENX

Assistant Minister International Development and the Pacific

Senator Anne Ruston, 55

Joined parliament in 2012 (6 years in parliament)

Communications and the Arts

Senator Mitch Fifield, 51

Joined parliament in 2004 (14 years in parliament)

GENX

Jobs, Industrial Relations and Women

MP Kelly O’Dwyer, 41

Joined parliament in 2009 (9 years in parliament)

GENX

Small and Family Business, Skills and Vocational Education

Senator Michaelia Cash, 48

Joined parliament in 2008 (10 years in parliament)

GENX

Minister for Resources and Northern Australia Matt Canavan is 38 — which makes him not too far off being Generation Y. He’s the youngest member of the Morrison ministry. Picture: AAP

Resources and Northern Australia

Senator Matthew Canavan, 38

Joined parliament in 2014 (4 years in parliament)

GENX

Industry, Science and Technology

MP Karen Andrews, 58

Joined parliament in 2010 (8 years in parliament)

Education

MP Dan Tehan, 58

Joined parliament in 2010 (8 years in parliament)

Health

MP Greg Hunt, 53

Joined parliament in 2001 (17 years in parliament)

GENX

Senior Australians and Aged Care, Indigenous Health

MP Ken Wyatt, 66

Joined parliament in 2010 (8 years in parliament)

Families and Social Services

MP Paul Fletcher, 53

Joined parliament in 2009 (11 years in parliament)

GENX

Human Services and Digital Transformation

MP Michael Keenan, 46

Joined parliament in 2004 (14 years in parliament)

GENX

Assistant Minister for Social Services, Housing and Disability Services

MP Sarah Henderson, 54

Joined parliament in 2013 (5 years in parliament)

Assistant Minister for Children and Families

MP Michelle Landry, 56

Joined parliament in 2013 (5 years in parliament)

Agriculture and Water Resources

MP David Littleproud, 42

Joined parliament in 2016 (2 years in parliament)

GENX

Assistant Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources

Senator Richard Colbeck, 60

Joined parliament in 2002 (16 years in parliament)

Originally published as Scott Morrison’s first ministry is not as ‘Generation X’ as you might think