Biography

Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources, the Hon Barnaby Joyce MP, has been a member
of the Federal Parliament since 1 July 2005 for the National Party of Australia (“the Nationals”),
firstly as a Senator for Queensland until August 2013, and then as the Member for the northern
NSW electorate of New England since September 2013.
Minister Joyce is currently the Nationals’ Parliamentary Deputy Federal leader to Deputy Prime
Minister Warren Truss.
Minister Joyce was the fifth child in a farming family of six children. He was born and raised in the
New England region of New South Wales where his family owned a sheep and cattle property.
After completing high school at St Ignatius College Riverview, Sydney, Minister Joyce studied at
the University of New England where he gained a Bachelor’s degree in Financial Accounting.
Minister Joyce practised as an accountant, as a rural banker, and ran his own accountancy firm
in St George, Queensland, for 10 years prior to entering public life.
Minister Joyce was appointed as Minister for Agriculture on 18 September 2013. As well as his
ministerial responsibilities, Minister Joyce was also appointed as chair of the Prime Minister’s
Water Infrastructure Ministerial Working Group.
As Minister for Agriculture, Minister Joyce has delivered the Agricultural Competitiveness White
Paper to support a strong and prosperous agriculture sector for Australia; realised the biggest
overhaul to Australia’s biosecurity system in over 100 years with the new Biosecurity Act 2015;
and delivered comprehensive support packages to assist farmers in drought.
As Minister for Agriculture, he has also been keen to strengthen Australia’s relationship with
international trading partners, most notably with Indonesia through the Indonesia-Australia
Partnership for Food Security in the Red Meat Sector.
On 21 September 2015, Minister Joyce also assumed portfolio responsibility for water policy, and
was sworn in as Minister for Agriculture and Water Resources in the new Turnbull Ministry.
Minister Joyce is married with four daughters.