Darren Chester

The Honourable
Darren Chester
MP
The Honourable Darren Chester MP
	Official portrait, 2015
Deputy Leader of the National Party
	Incumbent
	Assumed office ; 11 March 2026
Leader	Matt Canavan
Preceded by	Kevin Hogan
Leader of the National Party in the House of Representatives
	Incumbent
	Assumed office ; 11 March 2026
Leader	Matt Canavan
Preceded by	David Littleproud (As leader)
Prime Minister	In office; 5 March 2018 – 2 July 2021
Ministerial positions
Minister for Veterans' Affairs & ; Minister for Defence Personnel
	In office; 5 March 2018 – 2 July 2021
Prime Minister	Malcolm Turnbull; Scott Morrison
Preceded by	Michael McCormack
Succeeded by	Andrew Gee
Minister for Regional Development
	In office; 27 October 2017 – 20 December 2017
Prime Minister	Malcolm Turnbull
Preceded by	Fiona Nash
Succeeded by	John McVeigh (as Minister for Regional Development, Territories and Local Government)
Minister for Local Government and Territories
	In office; 27 July 2017 – 20 December 2017
Prime Minister	Malcolm Turnbull
Preceded by	Fiona Nash
Succeeded by	John McVeigh (as Minister for Regional Development, Territories and Local Government)
Minister for Infrastructure and Transport
	In office; 18 February 2016 – 20 December 2017
Prime Minister	Malcolm Turnbull
Preceded by	Warren Truss (Infrastructure and Regional Development)
Succeeded by	Barnaby Joyce
Assistant Minister for Defence
	In office; 21 September 2015 – 18 February 2016
Prime Minister	Malcolm Turnbull
Preceded by	Stuart Robert
Succeeded by	Michael McCormack
Member of the Australian Parliament; for Gippsland
	Incumbent
	Assumed office ; 28 June 2008
Preceded by	Peter McGauran
Personal details
Born	Darren Jeffrey Chester; 13 September 1967; Sale, Victoria, Australia
Party	National
Occupation	Journalist and political adviser
Website	darrenchester.com.au

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Darren Jeffrey Chester (born 13 September 1967) is an Australian politician who is the deputy leader of the National Party of Australia. He has been the member of parliament (MP) for the Victorian division of Gippsland since 2008. Chester had served as the Minister for Veterans' Affairs and the Minister for Defence Personnel between March 2018 and July 2021 in the Turnbull and Morrison governments. He was also Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Centenary of ANZAC until May 2019.

Chester served as the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Defence in the Abbott ministry from September 2013 to September 2015. In the Turnbull government he was appointed Assistant Minister for Defence from 21 September 2015; and between 18 February 2016 and 20 December 2017, Chester served as the Minister for Infrastructure and Transport following a rearrangement in the First Turnbull Ministry. He briefly served in the Second Turnbull Ministry as the acting Minister for Regional Development and as the acting Minister for Local Government and Territories between October and December 2017, following the resignation of Fiona Nash.

Chester was viewed as a potential candidate to replace Barnaby Joyce as National Party leader in February 2018; however he chose not to contest the leadership.