Andrews became a senior figure in the Howard government, serving as Minister for Ageing (2001–2003), Employment and Workplace Relations (2003–2007), and Immigration and Citizenship (2007).

He was appointed to cabinet in 2003 and as employment minister was responsible for the government's controversial WorkChoices reforms to industrial relations.

After the Coalition's defeat at the 2007 federal election, Andrews remained a senior figure in the Liberal Party's conservative faction.

He played a key role in the 2009 Liberal leadership spill which saw Tony Abbott replace Malcolm Turnbull as party leader.

[7][8] Andrews was shadow minister for schools but was removed from the position when Alexander Downer replaced John Hewson as Liberal leader in May 1994.

[12] After the Coalition's third victory in 2001, Andrews was brought into the outer ministry as Minister for Ageing, a portfolio in which he served from 26 November 2001 to 7 October 2003.

In a reshuffle in early 2007, Andrews was made Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, a position which he held until the swearing-in of the First Rudd Ministry on 3 December 2007, following the defeat of the Howard government in the 2007 election.

[citation needed] During 2008 and 2009, he served as Chairman of the Coalition's Policy Review Committee, reviewing and developing the Opposition's policies, until he was promoted to the Shadow Cabinet (to the position of Shadow Minister for Families, Housing and Human Services) in December 2009 by the newly elected Opposition Leader, Tony Abbott.

Following his election as Leader, Abbott promoted Andrews to the Shadow Cabinet as Minister for Families, Housing and Human Services.

[citation needed] At the 2010 federal election, Andrews was re-elected to the seat of Menzies with a 2.7-point swing against the Labor Party.

[citation needed] In the Abbott government, Andrews served as Minister for Social Services from September 2013 to December 2014.

[1] On 14 September 2015, after Deputy Leader Julie Bishop announced she would support Malcolm Turnbull in challenge against Prime Minister Tony Abbott for the leadership of the Liberal Party, Andrews announced he supported Abbott and would stand for the deputy leadership against Bishop.

[citation needed] On 31 January 2021, Andrews lost the Liberal Party's endorsement in a preselection ballot to barrister Keith Wolahan (181 votes to 111).

[1] As Minister for Immigration and Citizenship, Andrews attracted controversy after he revoked on character grounds the visa of Dr Muhamed Haneef, who had been granted bail on charges of aiding terrorists.

[21][25] Andrews' refusal resulted in calls for a public inquiry into the incident by then Queensland Premier Peter Beattie.

[43] In February 2016, Andrews used $1,855 in taxpayer funds as part of approved "study allowance" to attend the US National "prayer breakfast" in Washington DC, a bipartisan annual event which is addressed by the President of the United States, address the Heritage Foundation, a right-wing think tank, about Australia's security policy, and have a series of policy discussion meetings in Washington DC and in the process missed the first week of Parliament,[44] which had been approved by the party Whip.

In November 2017, Andrews advocated for "Jewish bakers" to have the legal right to refuse to bake cakes for Islamic weddings and the other way around.

[47] On 9 April 2003, Andrews made a speech to the Endeavour Forum,[48] a conservative Christian group, founded to counter the feminist movement, which opposes abortion, equal opportunity and affirmative action.

[51] In 2007, the Sydney Morning Herald reported that, on his entry in the Parliamentary Register of Pecuniary Interests, Andrews did not declare his wife's patronage of the board of advisors of Life Decisions International.

[52] Andrews gave several speeches over the years at the Family Council of Victoria,[citation needed] an organisation opposed to homosexuality,[53] sex-education, and anti-homophobia policies in public schools, which it claims is "pro-homosexual indoctrination" of students.

"[56] In 2011, as a Liberal Shadow Cabinet frontbencher, Andrews published a critique of the Greens' policy agenda in Quadrant Magazine in which he wrote that the Australian Greens' "objective involves a radical transformation of the culture that underpins Western civilisation" and that their agenda would threaten the "Judeo-Christian/Enlightenment synthesis that upholds the individual" as well as "the economic system that has resulted in the creation of wealth and prosperity for the most people in human history.

[60] Andrews was a keen cyclist, participating in many charitable rides, including the annual Pollie Pedal event, and competing in Masters racing.

His youngest son, Ben, rode as a professional cyclist in Australia, on the Asian circuit, and in the kermesse series in Europe.