Stuart Robert

Robert's professional career began in the military where he served for twelve years in units including the 3rd Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment and the 51st Battalion, The Far North Queensland Regiment.

It was also during this time that Robert completed his master's degrees, mostly part-time.

The majority of Robert's military career was spent working within military intelligence and security, including a four-month tour of duty with the peace monitoring force in Bougainville following the civil war.

Robert reached the rank of captain.

Stuart Rowland Robert (born 11 December 1970) is an Australian former politician who served as Minister for Employment, Workforce, Skills, Small and Family Business from 2021 to 2022, following his appointment as Minister for Government Services and Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme in 2019.

He was also appointed Acting Minister for Education and Youth in December 2021 and was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Fadden upon winning the seat at the 2007 federal election, until his resignation in May 2023.

In 1991, Robert joined the Liberal Party.

As he later explained to parliament, "I was motivated to action as I witnessed the diabolical consequences of the recession which, apparently, 'we had to have', the crippling interest rates and the very high level of industrial disputes which so adversely impacted on my family and many surrounding families. Through all of this turbulence, the urgency to ensure that this place [was] governed for all Australia and not just for sectional interests became self-evident."

After leaving the army in 1999, Robert founded the IT services firm GMT Recruitment, with colleague Andrew Chantler.

GMT Recruitment subsequently grew to be a nationwide company and was named a Business Review Weekly "Fast 100" award winner in 2006.

The list, which recognised the fastest-growing 100 companies in Australia, again featured GMT Recruitment in both 2007 and 2008.

In 2007 Robert was elected to the House of Representatives representing the seat of Fadden.

Two years later, on 8 December 2009, he was appointed Shadow Parliamentary Secretary for Defence.

On 14 September 2010 he was promoted to Shadow Minister for Defence Science, Technology and Personnel.

Robert served in the Abbott Ministry as the Assistant Minister for Defence from 18 September 2013 until 21 September 2015.

Following a leadership spill in the preceding week, new Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull appointed Robert to the roles of Minister for Veterans' Affairs, Minister for Human Services and Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Centenary of ANZAC.

After the 2013 federal election Robert was appointed the Assistant Minister for Defence in the Abbott Government.

After the change of prime minister in September 2015, he was appointed Minister for Veterans' Affairs, Minister for Human Services and Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Centenary of ANZAC with effect from 21 September 2015.

Following an investigation into a possible conflict of interest, Robert announced his resignation from the Ministry on 12 February 2016.

Robert later served as Assistant Treasurer from August 2018 and other portfolios until the May 2022 general election, when the Coalition lost power.

He resigned from Parliament in May 2023.

Robert was born in Victoria and spent his early years growing up on a sugar cane farm in Bundaberg, Queensland.

He was educated at Rockhampton Grammar School where he secured a scholarship to the Australian Defence Force Academy as an Army Officer Cadet at the age of 17.

Following the Academy, Robert attended the Royal Military College Duntroon.

He completed a Masters in Business Administration at Central Queensland University, a Masters in Information Technology at the Queensland University of Technology and graduated from the University of New South Wales with a Bachelor of Arts with Honours.

In August 2018, Peter Dutton unsuccessfully challenged Malcolm Turnbull for the leadership of the Liberal Party.

Leadership tension continued to build, and the party voted to hold a second ballot on 24 August, with Turnbull choosing not to stand.

During this time Robert is widely reported to have worked to support for the candidacy of Scott Morrison for the leadership of the Liberal party.

Robert was later appointed as Assistant Treasurer in the first Morrison Ministry.

Following the Coalition’s re-election in May 2019 Robert was promoted to Cabinet and appointed as Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme and Minister for Government Services - two areas identified as key priorities by Prime Minister Morrison for his Government.

During his time in Parliament, Robert was aligned with the Centre-Right faction of the Liberal Party.

In June 2019, in response to delays and backlogs for children with disability in accessing Early Childhood Early Intervention (ECEI) supports through the NDIS, Robert directed the National Disability Insurance Agency to provide standardised interim plans to children who have been found eligible for the NDIS, but who are likely to experience a wait time of greater than 50 days.

News coverage in January 2021 noted that "NDIS waiting times have dropped after concerted efforts from the Federal Government and the National Disability Insurance Agency".

The report found 85 per cent of NDIS participants rating their planning experience as “very good” or “good”.

A spokesman for the government said the Federal Government had made improving access and planning decision timeframes a priority, and had made “significant improvements since May 2019”.

In February 2021, Robert pressed ahead with introducing legislative amendments to parliament after a court ruled sex services were not excluded under law from being taxpayer funded through the NDIS saying: "“NDIS participants can still freely use their own money, whether that is through government support or earned income, to spend on whatever they want. All we are saying is taxpayer NDIS funds were never intended to be used in this way and we’ll be ensuring this does not happen again.”"

As Minister for Government Services Robert oversaw the establishment of Services Australia.

In July 2019 he appointed Martin Hoffman to lead a taskforce to develop a strategic plan to deliver the reform to government service delivery.

Services Australia staff deployed as part of the emergency response to the 2019-20 Black Summer Bushfires.

Robert appointed Rebecca Skinner as CEO of Services Australia in March 2020.