Whips have managed business and maintained party discipline for Australia's federal political parties in the House of Representatives since Federation. The term has origins in the British parliamentary system. As the number of members of parliament and amount of business before the House has increased, so too has the number of whips. The three parties represented in the first Parliament each appointed one whip. Each of today's three main parties appoint a chief whip, while the Australian Labor Party and Liberals each have an additional two whips and the Nationals have one additional whip. Until 1994, a party's more senior whip held the title "Whip", while the more junior whip was styled "Deputy Whip". In 1994, those titles became "Chief Whip" and "Whip", respectively. The current Chief Government Whip in the House of Representatives is Joanne Ryan of the Australian Labor Party, in office since 31 May 2022. The most recent Chief Opposition Whip in the House of Representatives was Bert van Manen of the Liberal Party, who lost his seat of Forde after the 2025 election; the Liberals have now appointed Aaron Violi as the Chief Opposition Whip to succeed him in the upcoming 48th Parliament.
While many whips have gone on to serve as ministers, only three have gone on to lead their parties: Labor's Frank Tudor, the Country Party's Earle Page, and the National Party's Mark Vaile. Page is the only one of them to have served as prime minister (albeit for only a short time), and Vaile is the only one to have served as deputy prime minister. Tudor, less auspiciously, was the only of them to serve as leader of the opposition.
Page was also one of four people to serve as whip while representing Cowper, the others being Francis Clarke (Protectionist), John Thomson (Commonwealth Liberal and Nationalist), and Garry Nehl (National). As of May 2025, one other constituency has the same distinction: Griffith, represented by William Conelan, Wilfred Coutts, Don Cameron, and Ben Humphreys — all of them belonging to the Labor Party except for Cameron (a Liberal). Oddly, the last three served in the seat consecutively from 1961 to 1996, although Coutts had previously represented the division from 1954 to 1958.
Australian Labor Party
Whip Date Deputy Whip Date Leader Frank Tudor(Yarra) 12 June 1901 Chris Watson Andrew Fisher David Watkins(Newcastle) 12 November 1908 Frank Tudor Jim Page(Maranoa) 8 July 1913 James Fenton(Maribyrnong) 3 June 1921 Matthew Charlton James Scullin Edward Charles Riley(Cook) 22 October 1929 George Lawson(Brisbane) 22 October 1934 John Curtin William Conelan(Griffith) 6 October 1941 Tom Sheehan(Cook) 20 September 1943 Ben Chifley Arthur Fuller(Hume) 31 October 1946 Fred Daly(Grayndler) 21 February 1950 H. V. Evatt Gil Duthie(Wilmot) 13 February 1956 Arthur Calwell Wilfred Coutts(Griffith) c. 1963 Bert James(Hunter) 8 February 1967 Gough Whitlam Brendan Hansen(Wide Bay) 18 December 1972 Martin Nicholls(Bonython) 18 December 1972 Martin Nicholls(Bonython) 10 June 1974 Bert James(Hunter) 10 June 1974 Les JohnsonLater Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives.(Hughes) 9 March 1977 Bill Hayden Keith Johnson(Burke) 2 February 1978 Ben Humphreys(Griffith) 8 November 1980 Ben Humphreys(Griffith) 10 March 1983 Barry Cunningham(McMillan) 10 March 1983 Bob Hawke Barry Cunningham(McMillan) 14 September 1987 Tony Lamb(La Trobe) 14 September 1987 George Gear(Canning) 8 May 1990 Ted Grace(Fowler) 8 May 1990 Paul Keating Leo McLeayPreviously Speaker of the Australian House of Representatives(Watson) 24 March 1993 The position of Government Chief Whip was created on 12 May 1994. The one Deputy Government Whip was replaced by two Government Whips.
Chief Whip Date Whip Date Whip Date Leader Leo McLeay(Watson) 12 May 1994 Ted Grace(Fowler) 12 May 1994 Rod Sawford(Port Adelaide) 12 May 1994 Paul Keating Kim Beazley Bob Sercombe(Maribyrnong) 20 October 1998 Janice Crosio(Prospect) 22 November 2001 Michael Danby(Melbourne Ports) 22 November 2001 Harry Quick(Franklin) 22 November 2001 Simon Crean Mark Latham Roger Price(Chifley) 22 October 2004 Jill Hall(Shortland) 22 October 2004 Kim Beazley Kevin Rudd Chris Hayes(Fowler) 3 December 2007 Julia Gillard Joel Fitzgibbon(Hunter) 27 September 2010 Ed Husic(Chifley) 5 July 2011 Janelle Saffin(Page) 27 November 2012 Chris Hayes(Fowler) 14 May 2013 Graham Perrett(Moreton) 14 May 2013 Rob Mitchell(McEwen) 14 May 2013 Kevin Rudd Jill Hall(Shortland) 14 October 2013 Joanne Ryan(Lalor) 16 October 2013 Bill Shorten Graham Perrett(Moreton) 30 August 2016 Anne Stanley(Werriwa) 2 July 2019 Anthony AlbaneseJoanne Ryan(Lalor) 31 May 2022David Smith(Bean) 31 May 2022 Notes
Coalition
Liberal Party of Australia
Whip Date Deputy Whip Date Leader Allan Guy(Wilmot) 21 February 1945 Robert Menzies Allan McDonald(Corangamite) 8 November 1946 Jo Gullett(Henty) 16 February 1950 Reginald Swartz(Darling Downs) c. Sept 1950 (N.B. The Prime Minister, Robert Menzies, convinced Gullett not to resign, despite the headline.) Hubert Opperman(Corio) 20 August 1952 Hubert Opperman(Corio) 15 December 1955 Henry Pearce(Capricornia) Unknown Henry Pearce(Capricornia) 5 February 1960 William AstonLater Speaker of the Australian House of Representatives(Phillip) 10 March 1960 Fred Chaney, Sr.(Perth) 23 January 1962 Peter Howson(Fawkner) 23 February 1962 Peter Howson(Fawkner) 22 December 1963 William Aston(Phillip) 22 December 1963 William Aston(Phillip) 10 June 1964 Bert Kelly(Wakefield) c. August 1964 Harold Holt Dudley Erwin(Ballarat) 21 February 1967 James Killen(Moreton) 21 February 1967 Kevin Cairns(Lilley) 23 August 1967 John Gorton Max Fox(Henty) 12 February 1969 Geoffrey Giles(Angas) 24 November 1969 William McMahon Billy Snedden Victor Garland(Curtin) 14 June 1974 Don Cameron(Griffith) 14 June 1974 Malcolm Fraser John Bourchier(Bendigo) 26 March 1975 John Hodges(Petrie) 16 March 1978 Ross McLean(Perth) May 1982 Don Dobie(Cook) 16 March 1983 Ewen Cameron(Indi) 16 March 1983 Andrew Peacock Ewen Cameron(Indi) 9 September 1985 Neil Andrew(Wakefield) 9 September 1985 John Howard Michael MacKellar(Warringah) 12 May 1989 David Hawker(Wannon) 12 May 1989 Andrew Peacock Bob Halverson(Casey) 11 April 1990 Neil Andrew(Wakefield) 11 April 1990 John Hewson Rod Atkinson(Isaacs) 7 April 1993 Paul Filing(Moore) 7 April 1993 Chief Whip Date Whip Date Whip Date Leader Bob Halverson(Casey) 26 May 1994 David Hawker(Wannon) 26 May 1994 John Bradford(McPherson) 2 June 1994 Alexander Downer Kathy Sullivan(Moncrieff) 20 October 1994 John Howard Alan Cadman(Mitchell) 11 March 1996 Stewart McArthur(Corangamite) 11 March 1996 Trish Worth(Adelaide) 11 March 1996 Neil Andrew(Wakefield) 11 July 1997 Peter Slipper(Fisher) 11 July 1997 Michael Ronaldson(Ballarat) 18 October 1998 Kay Elson(Forde) 18 October 1998 Jim Lloyd(Robertson) 23 November 2001 Joanna Gash(Gilmore) 23 November 2001 Kerry Bartlett(Macquarie) 18 July 2004 Alex Somlyay(Fairfax) 12 February 2008 Nola Marino(Forrest) 12 February 2008 Michael Johnson(Ryan) 12 February 2008 Brendan Nelson Malcolm Turnbull Tony Abbott Patrick Secker(Barker) 26 February 2010 Warren Entsch(Leichhardt) 14 September 2010 Philip Ruddock(Berowra) 18 September 2013 Scott Buchholz(Wright) 18 September 2013 Scott Buchholz(Wright) 13 February 2015 Andrew Nikolic(Bass) 13 February 2015 Nola Marino(Forrest) 12 October 2015 Ewen Jones(Herbert) 12 October 2015 Brett Whiteley(Braddon) 12 October 2015 Malcolm Turnbull Bert van Manen(Forde) 30 August 2016 Rowan Ramsey(Grey) 30 August 2016 Scott Morrison Bert van Manen(Forde) 28 May 2019 Nicolle Flint(Boothby) 28 May 2019 Melissa Lee Price(Durack) 26 July 2022 Peter Dutton Aaron Violi(Casey) 28 May 2025 Cameron Caldwell(Fadden) 28 May 2025 Henry Pike(Bowman) 28 May 2025 Sussan Ley Cameron Caldwell(Fadden) 23 February 2026 Ben Small(Forrest) 23 February 2026 Mary Aldred(Monash) 23 February 2026 Angus Taylor
Notes
Country Party/National Party of Australia
Whip Date Deputy Whip Date Leader Earle PageLater Leader of the Country Party (1922–39) and Prime Minister of Australia (1939).(Cowper) 25 February 1920 William McWilliams William Gibson(Corangamite) 5 April 1921 Earle Page Percy Stewart(Wimmera) 16 January 1923 John ProwseLater Later Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives.(Forrest) 9 February 1923 James Hunter(Maranoa) 8 August 1924 Victor Thompson(New England) 14 November 1934 Horace Nock(Riverina) 30 November 1937 Archie Cameron Bernard Corser(Wide Bay) 16 April 1940 Arthur Fadden Charles Davidson(Dawson) 21 February 1950 Winton Turnbull(Mallee) 14 February 1956 John McEwen Doug Anthony John England(Calare) 10 October 1972 James Corbett(Maranoa) c. 17 February 1976 Peter Fisher(Mallee) c. 17 February 1976 Peter Fisher(Mallee) 28 August 1980 Noel Hicks(Riverina, Riverina-Darling) 21 April 1983 Ian Sinclair Garry Nehl(Cowper) 12 May 1989 Charles Blunt Tim Fischer Chief Whip Date Whip Date Leader Noel Hicks(Riverina) 21 April 1983 Garry Nehl(Cowper) 12 May 1989 Tim Fischer Mark VaileLater Leader of the Country Party and Deputy Prime Minister (2005–07)(Lyne) 29 April 1996 Larry Anthony(Richmond) 21 October 1997 John Forrest(Mallee) 10 November 1998 Paul Neville(Hinkler) 23 October 1998 John Anderson Mark Vaile Kay Hull(Riverina) 14 August 2006 Warren Truss Mark Coulton(Parkes) 14 September 2010 George Christensen(Dawson) 17 October 2013 Barnaby Joyce George Christensen(Dawson) 30 August 2016 Michelle Landry(Capricornia) 30 August 2016 Damian Drum(Murray) 1 March 2017 Michelle Landry(Capricornia) 8 February 2018 Kevin Hogan(Page) 8 February 2018 Michael McCormack Llew O'Brien(Wide Bay) 26 March 2018 Damian Drum(Murray) 10 September 2018 Ken O'Dowd(Murray) 10 September 2018 Mark Coulton(Parkes) 26 July 2022 Sam Birrell(Nicholls) 26 July 2022 David Littleproud Chief Whip Date Deputy Whip Date Leader Michelle Landry(Capricornia) 30 May 2025 David Batt(Hinkler) 30 May 2025 David Littleproud Matt Canavan
Notes
Defunct parties
Free Trade/Anti-Socialist Party
Whip Date Leader Sydney Smith(Macquarie) 10 May 1901 George Reid William Wilks(Dalley) 3 September 1904 Willie Kelly(Wentworth) 20 February 1907 Joseph Cook
Protectionist Party Whip Date Leader Austin Chapman(Eden-Monaro) 17 May 1901 Edmund Barton Francis Clarke(Cowper) 29 September 1903 Alfred Deakin James Hume Cook(Bourke) 1 March 1904
Commonwealth Liberal Party
Whip Date Whip Date Leader James Hume Cook(Bourke) 21 June 1909 Alfred Deakin Elliot JohnsonLater Speaker of the Australian House of Representatives(Lang) by 1 July 1910 Walter Massy Greene(Richmond) 10 July 1913 John Thomson(Cowper) 10 July 1913 Joseph Cook
National Labor Whip Date Leader Reginald Burchell(Fremantle) 14 November 1916 Billy Hughes
Nationalist Party of Australia Party Whip Date Ministerial Whip Date Leader Walter Massy Greene(Richmond) 13 June 1917 John Thomson(Cowper) 13 June 1917 Billy Hughes Ministerial Whip Date Government Whip Date Leader John Thomson(Cowper) c. 26 March 1918 William Story(Boothby) c. 25 April 1918 Billy Hughes Government Whip Date Government Whip Date Leader William Story(Boothby) 3 February 1920 Reginald Burchell(Fremantle) 3 February 1920 Billy Hughes Charles Marr(Parkes) c. 21 October 1921 Charles Marr(Parkes) 9 February 1923 Stanley Bruce Ministerial Whip Date Leader Arthur Manning(Macquarie) 6 September 1927 Stanley Bruce Government Whip Date Leader John Perkins(Eden-Monaro) 27 January 1929 Stanley Bruce Opposition Whip Date Leader James BayleyLater Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives.(Oxley) 19 November 1929 John Latham
United Australia Party Whip Date Whip Date Leader James Bayley(Oxley) 8 May 1931 John Price(Boothby) 8 May 1931 Joseph Lyons Sydney Gardner(Robertson) 10 February 1932 Robert Menzies John Price(Boothby) 19 November 1940 Allan Guy(Wilmot) 12 February 1941 Billy Hughes Robert Menzies
Lang Labor