The Vice-President of the Executive Council is the minister in the Government of Australia who acts as the presiding officer of meetings of the Federal Executive Council when the Governor-General is absent. The Vice-President of the Executive Council is appointed by the Governor-General on the advice of the Prime Minister of Australia, and serves at the Governor-General's pleasure. The Vice-President is usually a senior minister in Cabinet, who may summon executive councillors and preside at council meetings when the Governor-General is not present. However, the Vice-President cannot sign Executive Council documents on behalf of the Governor-General.
The current Vice President of the Executive Council is Senator Katy Gallagher, who was appointed on 23 May 2022.
Duties and history The duties of the vice-president of the executive council are not rigorous, and the position is usually held by a member of the Cabinet, who is not paid additional salary or allowance.
The position is usually not held by a 'minister without portfolio', but the position has at times been held by persons who did not hold a ministerial portfolio—such as Enid Lyons (1949–1951) in the Fourth Menzies Ministry and James Killen (1982–1983) in the Third Fraser Ministry. A small department of the vice-president of the executive council existed from 22 March to 31 May 1971, during the prime ministership of William McMahon. It was administered by Alan Hulme, who was also postmaster-general. The department was recreated in 1982 and James Killen was controversially appointed to administer the office. Killen held no other ministerial portfolio, but was nevertheless considered a member of the Fraser Ministry by virtue only of this office. The appointment was controversial because it was seen as a sinecure given that Killen held no ministerial portfolio, as the cabinet appointment entitled him to receive a ministerial salary. The department was again abolished in 1983 by incoming prime minister Bob Hawke.
During the Turnbull government in 2015, the Leader of the Government in the Senate has been the vice-president. This practice was continued by the Morrison government. Under the Albanese Government, the roles are separated though the vice-president remains a senator.
Colonial and state governments Prior to the creation of the Commonwealth of Australia in 1901, colonial and state governments also appointed a Vice-President of the Executive Council, and some have kept the title. The Colony of New South Wales was the first to appoint a Vice-President of the Executive Council (New South Wales), on 3 October 1856, in the Parker ministry of the first elected colonial government. The New South Wales government currently retains the title for a senior government minister, who since 30 October 2020 has been Damien Tudehope, Leader of the Government in the Legislative Council.
The Executive Council of Victoria is made up of the Premier and their Ministers who have been sworn into that office by the Governor, usually immediately after they have been sworn in as Ministers. While not a member, the Governor usually attends and presides at meetings of the Executive Council.
List of vice-presidents The following individuals have been appointed as Vice-President of the Executive Council: Order Minister Party Prime Minister Substantive portfolios Term start Term end Term in office 1 Senator Richard O'Connor Protectionist Barton – 2 Senator Thomas Playford Deakin – days 3 Senator Gregor McGregor Labor Watson – days 4 Senator James Drake Protectionist Reid – days 5 Thomas Ewing Protectionist Deakin – 6 Senator John Keating Home Affairs days 7 Senator Robert Best – n/a Senator Gregor McGregor Labor Fisher – days 8 Senator Edward Millen Commonwealth Liberal Deakin – days n/a Senator Gregor McGregor Labor Fisher – 9 Senator James McColl Commonwealth Liberal Cook – 10 Senator Albert Gardiner Labor Fisher – Hughes – 11 William Spence National Labor Hughes – days n/a Senator Edward Millen Nationalist Repatriation days 12 Littleton Groom – days 13 Senator Edward Russell – 14 Senator John Earle – 15 Llewellyn Atkinson Country Bruce – 16 Senator George Pearce Nationalist – 17 Senator John Daly Labor Scullin Defence (–) 18 Senator John Barnes – days 19 Senator Alexander McLachlan UAP Lyons Development and Scientific and Industrial Research 20 Billy Hughes Health; Repatriation 21 Joseph Lyons Prime Minister n/a Billy Hughes External Affairs; Territories days 22 Senator George McLeay – days Page– 23 James Fairbairn Menzies Civil Aviation (–); Air (–) days 24 Percy Spender – days 25 Henry Gullett Scientific and Industrial Research; War Service Homes days 26 Senator Herbert Collett days 27 Senator George McLeay Postmaster-General and Repatriation (–); Supply and Development (–) days Fadden Supply and Development 28 Senator Richard Keane Labor Curtin Trade and Customs 29 Senator Bill Ashley Postmaster-General 30 Jack Beasley – days Forde Defence 31 Senator Joe Collings Chifley – 32 William Scully – 33 Enid Lyons Liberal Menzies – 34 Robert Menzies Prime Minister days 35 Eric Harrison Defence Production; Army; Navy 36 Senator Neil O'Sullivan Attorney-General 37 Senator Bill Spooner National Development 38 William McMahon Labour and National Service 39 Alan Hulme Holt Postmaster-General (Hulme was also the "Minister administering the Department of the Vice-President of the Executive Council", a department that was created and existed between 10 March 1971 and 30 May 1971.) McEwen Gorton McMahon 40 Senator Don WilleseeLabor Whitlam Special Minister of State; Foreign Affairs days 41 Frank Stewart Tourism and Recreation 42 Senator Reg Withers Liberal Fraser Capital Territory; Media; Special Minister of State; Tourism and Recreation (–); Administrative Services (–) 43 Senator John Carrick Education (–); National Development and Energy (–) 44 James Killen (Killen had no other portfolio, but the Department of the Vice-President of the Executive Council was created for him to administer.) days 45 Mick Young Labor Hawke Special Minister of State days 46 Lionel Bowen Deputy Prime Minister; Trade (–); Attorney-General (–) n/a Mick Young Immigration, Local Government and Ethnic Affairs days 47 Kim Beazley Defence (–); Transport and Communications (–) 48 Senator Graham Richardson Social Security Keating Social Security (–); Transport and Communications (–) 49 Ralph Willis Finance days 50 Frank Walker Special Minister of State 51 Gary Johns Special Minister of State 52 John Moore Liberal Howard Industry, Science and Tourism 53 David Kemp Education, Training and Youth Affairs; Assistant Treasurer (–); Environment and Heritage (–) 54 Senator Nick Minchin Finance and Administration 55 Senator John Faulkner Labor Rudd Special Minister of State (–); Defence (–) Gillard Defence 56 Robert McClelland Attorney-General (–); Housing, Homelessness and Emergency Management(–) 57Tony Burke Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities (–) Rudd Minister for Immigration, Multicultural Affairs and Citizenship; Arts 58 Senator George Brandis Liberal Abbott Attorney-GeneralMinister for the Arts 15 September 2015 Turnbull Attorney-General 59 Senator Mathias Cormann Minister for FinanceSpecial Minister of State Morrison Minister for Finance and the Public Service (–)Minister for Finance (–30 October 2020) 60 Senator Simon Birmingham Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment (–)Minister for Finance (–22 May 2022) 61 Senator Katy Gallagher Labor Albanese Minister for FinanceMinister for the Public ServiceMinister for Women Incumbent
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