The Hon Karen Andrews

The Honourable Karen Andrews served as a Member of the Australian Parliament for 15 years, representing the Federal electorate of McPherson. Elected in 2010, Mrs Andrews was Queensland’s first female Federal Cabinet Minister serving from 2018 to 2022. She held several senior ministerial appointments, including Minister for Industry, Science and Technology and Minister for Home Affairs. Mrs Andrews was the first female Minister appointed to both the Industry and Home Affairs portfolios.

Prior to her appointment to Cabinet, Mrs Andrews held assistant ministerial roles in Industry and Science; and Vocational Education, and Skills.

Mrs Andrews has deep government and strategic leadership experience, with a focus on industry, manufacturing, education, research translation and commercialisation, national security, regulatory reform, and stakeholder engagement.

As Minister for Industry, Science and Technology, she championed manufacturing capability and innovation. She drove major national initiatives, including the $1.5 billion Modern Manufacturing Strategy; delivered domestic manufacturing capability and secured supply chains during the pandemic; and oversaw the growth of Australia’s space sector. She oversaw national agencies including CSIRO, the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO), the Australian Institute of Marine Science (AIMS), and the National Measurement Institute (NMI).

As Minister for Home Affairs, Mrs Andrews led national security efforts in areas such as counterterrorism, cyber security, border protection, and intelligence. She introduced key reforms including the National Plan to Combat Cybercrime, the Ransomware Action Plan, and secured legislation to protect Australia’s critical infrastructure. She oversaw major agencies such as the Australian Federal Police, Australian Border Force, and intelligence services, maintaining a firm commitment to safeguarding national interests.

Mrs Andrews brought to Parliament a professional background in mechanical engineering, industrial relations and small business. Her diverse career outside politics provided a strong foundation for her subsequent roles in government, especially in portfolios intersecting industry, science, technology and national security policy.

Mrs Andrews holds a Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical) from Queensland University of Technology, a Graduate Diploma in Industrial Relations, and a Certificate in Mediation.