The Leader of the Government in the Senate (historically also known as the Leader of the Senate) is the government's most senior cabinet minister in the Australian Senate and the main government spokesperson in the Senate. The position's Opposition counterpart is the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate.
The current Leader of the Government in the Senate is Penny Wong, elected unanimously to the position on 23 May 2022, replacing Simon Birmingham. The current Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate is Don Farrell.
Role and history According to constitutional convention, the government is formed in the House of Representatives and the Prime Minister is a member of that chamber and the Prime Minister is the leader of the Government in the House of Representatives. The Leader of the Government in the Senate has duties and privileges that parallel those of the Prime Minister, in that they have overarching responsibility for all policy areas and acts as the government's principal spokesperson in the upper house. They are also entitled to sit at the table of the Senate, and has priority in gaining recognition from the President of the Senate during debate. Another similarity is that the leader typically announces changes to government officeholders in the Senate, including ministers, leadership and whips. The leader also has some responsibility for appointing government senators to committees, a role filled in the House of Representatives by the Leader of the House.
The position of Leader of the Government in the Senate does not have a constitutional basis, but has existed since the first parliament in 1901 through longstanding parliamentary convention. Although it has similarities to the Senate Majority Leader in the United States and the Leader of the House of Lords in the United Kingdom, it was not based on either of those, but rather on the position of Leader of the Government in the Legislative Council found in Australia's colonial parliaments. Because government is formed in the House rather than the Senate, there is no guarantee that the Leader of the Government will be drawn from the largest party in the Senate. Unlike the Prime Minister, there is no requirement for the Leader of the Government to command the confidence of the chamber. It is not a cabinet post in its own right, and the holder of the office has always held at least one ministerial portfolio (though sometimes only the mostly honorific Vice-Presidency of the Executive Council).
The longest-serving Leader of the Government in the Senate was George Pearce, who held the position for a cumulative total of 15 years in three separate terms between 1914 and 1937. Uniquely, from 10 January to 1 February 1968, the positions of Prime Minister and Leader of the Government in the Senate were held by the same person, John Gorton. After the disappearance of Harold Holt, Gorton – a senator – was elected leader of the Liberal Party and thus ascended to the prime ministership. In line with constitutional convention, he resigned from the Senate to contest a by-election to the House of Representatives.
List of Leaders of the Government in the Senate Leader Term began Term ended Portfolio Party Prime Minister Term in office Deputy Richard O'Connor 9 May 1901 24 September 1903 V-P Exec. Council Protectionist Barton James Drake Tom Playford 24 September 1903 27 April 1904 V-P Exec. Council Protectionist Deakin Gregor McGregor 27 April 1904 18 August 1904 V-P Exec. Council Labor Watson Anderson Dawson Josiah Symon 18 August 1904 5 July 1905 Attorney-General Free Trade Reid James Drake Tom Playford 5 July 1905 31 December 1906 Defence Protectionist Deakin John Keating Robert Best 20 February 1907 13 November 1908 V-P Exec. Council Protectionist Gregor McGregor 13 November 1908 2 June 1909 V-P Exec. Council Labor Fisher George Pearce Edward Millen 2 June 1909 29 April 1910 V-P Exec. Council CommonwealthLiberal Deakin Robert Best Gregor McGregor 29 April 1910 24 June 1913 V-P Exec. Council Labor Fisher George Pearce Edward Millen 24 June 1913 17 September 1914 Defence CommonwealthLiberal Cook James McColl George Pearce 17 September 1914 17 February 1917 Defence Labor Fisher Albert Gardiner Hughes National Labor Patrick Lynch Edward Millen 17 February 1917 9 February 1923 Nationalist George Pearce George Pearce 9 February 1923 19 October 1929 Nationalist Bruce Victor Wilson John Daly 22 October 1929 3 March 1931 Labor Scullin John Barnes 3 March 1931 6 January 1932 V-P Exec. Council Labor George Pearce 6 January 1932 29 November 1937 UnitedAustralia Lyons Alexander McLachlan 29 November 1937 7 November 1938 Postmaster-General UnitedAustralia George McLeay 8 November 1938 7 October 1941 UnitedAustralia Page Menzies Fadden Joe Collings 7 October 1941 20 September 1943 Interior Labor Curtin Richard Keane 20 September 1943 26 April 1946 Trade and Customs Labor Forde Chifley Bill Ashley 17 June 1946 19 December 1949 Labor Neil O'Sullivan 21 February 1950 8 December 1958 Liberal Menzies Bill Spooner 8 December 1958 2 June 1964 Liberal Shane Paltridge Shane Paltridge 10 June 1964 19 January 1966 Defence Liberal Denham Henty Denham Henty 26 January 1966 16 October 1967 Supply LiberalHolt John Gorton John Gorton 16 October 1967 1 February 1968 Liberal Denham Henty McEwen Himself Ken Anderson 28 February 1968 5 December 1972 Liberal Gorton Annabelle Rankin McMahon Reg Wright Lionel Murphy 19 December 1972 9 February 1975 Labor Whitlam Ken Wriedt 10 February 1975 11 November 1975 Labor Reg Withers 12 November 1975 7 August 1978 Liberal Fraser John Carrick 7 August 1978 11 March 1983 Liberal John Button 11 March 1983 24 March 1993 Industry, Technology and CommerceMinister for Industry and Commerce 1983–1984. Labor Hawke Keating Gareth Evans 24 March 1993 6 February 1996Resigned to contest (successfully) the lower house seat of Holt. Foreign Affairs Labor Robert Hill 11 March 1996 20 January 2006 Liberal Howard Nick Minchin Nick Minchin 27 January 2006 3 December 2007 Liberal Helen Coonan Chris Evans 12 December 2007 4 February 2013 Labor Rudd Stephen Conroy Gillard Stephen Conroy 4 February 2013 26 June 2013 Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy Labor Penny Wong Penny Wong 26 June 2013 18 September 2013 Finance and Deregulation Labor Rudd Jacinta Collins Eric Abetz 18 September 2013 21 September 2015 Employment Liberal Abbott George Brandis George Brandis 21 September 2015 20 December 2017 Attorney-GeneralV-P Exec. Council Liberal Turnbull Mathias Cormann Mathias Cormann 20 December 2017 30 October 2020 Finance and the Public ServiceV-P Exec. Council Liberal Mitch FifieldSimon Birmingham Liberal MorrisonSimon Birmingham30 October 202023 May 2022FinanceTrade, Tourism and Investment (to Dec 2020)V-P Exec. CouncilLiberal Michaelia Cash Penny Wong 1 June 2022 Incumbent Foreign Affairs Labor Albanese Don Farrell
See also Leader of the Opposition in the Senate (Australia) Manager of Government Business in the Senate
Notes
References