The Hon. Ken Wyatt AM, MP
Minister for Aged Care
Minister for Indigenous Health
Minister Wyatt is the Australian Government minister who is responsible for increasing Australia's rates of organ and tissue donation for transplantation.
Ken Wyatt AM - Biography
Ken Wyatt AM is a proud Noongar, Yamatji and Wongi man and was elected in 2010 as the Federal Member for Hasluck, the first Aboriginal Member of the House of Representatives.
In 2015, Ken became the inaugural First Nations member of the Federal Executive after being sworn in as Assistant Minister for Health, and in January 2017, he again made history as the first Aboriginal Minister to serve in a Federal Government, after being appointed Minister for Aged Care and Minister for Indigenous Health. His portfolio responsibilities also include Australian Hearing Services and organ and tissue donation, through the Organ and Tissue Authority.
Before entering politics he worked in the fields of health and education including as District Director for the Swan Education District, and Director of Aboriginal Health in New South Wales and Western Australia.
Not only has Ken had an extensive career in health and education, he has also made an enormous contribution to the wider community, particularly in training and mentoring young people. This was recognised in 1996 when he was awarded the Order of Australia in the Queen’s Birthday Honours list. Later, in 2000, Ken was awarded a Centenary of Federation Medal for ‘his efforts and contribution to improving the quality of life for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and mainstream Australian society in education and health’.
