In 1957, a split in the Labor Party's Queensland branch brought down the Labor government, forcing an election. The Country-Liberal Party Coalition won a sweeping victory, its first in 22 years. With his educational background, Pizzey was appointed Minister for Education in Frank Nicklin's cabinet, and retained this job for more than a decade. He was also deputy leader of the Country Party, but he took other concurrent roles also: he held the portfolios of migration (1960–68), Aboriginal and Islander affairs (1962–68) and police (1962–68). As education minister, Pizzey presided over a period of unprecedented growth, particularly in secondary education, and played a key role in establishing Queensland's second university, James Cook University in Townsville in 1961. He was praised for his focus on secondary schooling, although his sweeping intervention in education matters was considered to have led to Brisbane's first teachers' strike in 1968.