Prime Minister of Australia

1901

The prime minister has two official residences: The Lodge in Canberra and Kirribilli House in Sydney, as well as an office at Parliament House. Thirty people have served as prime minister, the first of whom was Edmund Barton taking office on 1 January 1901 following federation.

1902

As a result, some held the position of acting prime minister for significant periods of time, including William Watt (16 months, 1918–1919), George Pearce (7 months, 1916), Alfred Deakin (6 months, 1902), Joseph Cook (5 months, 1921), James Fenton (19 weeks, 1930–1931), John Forrest (4 months, 1907), and Arthur Fadden (4 months, 1941).

Only one former Prime Minister, John Howard, has been awarded a British Honour since 1975, being the Order of Merit (within the Queen's personal gift) in 2012. Nine former Prime Ministers were awarded knighthoods: Barton (GCMG, 1902), Reid (GCMG, 1911), Cook (GCMG, 1918), Page (GCMG, 1938), Menzies (KT, 1963), Fadden (KCMG, 1951), McEwen (GCMG, 1971), Gorton (GCMG, 1977), and McMahon (GCMG, 1977).

1907

1911

1916

The leaders of the three parties, Alfred Deakin, George Reid and Chris Watson each served as Prime Minister before losing a vote of confidence. As a result of the Labor Party's split over conscription, Billy Hughes and his supporters were expelled from the Labor Party in November 1916.

Reid (GCB, 1916), Menzies (AK, 1976) and Fadden (GCMG, 1958) were awarded a second knighthood after leaving office. Non-titular honours were also bestowed on former Prime Ministers, usually the Order of the Companions of Honour.

1917

The Commonwealth Liberal Party – despite still forming the official Opposition – provided confidence and supply until February 1917, when the two parties agreed to merge and formed the Nationalist Party. During the 1975 constitutional crisis, on 11 November 1975, the governor-general, Sir John Kerr, dismissed the Labor Party's Gough Whitlam as Prime Minister.

1918

1921

1929

Stanley Bruce was defeated in his own seat in 1929 while Prime Minister but was re-elected to parliament in 1931.

1930

1931

Stanley Bruce was defeated in his own seat in 1929 while Prime Minister but was re-elected to parliament in 1931.

1938

1939

This occurred when Earle Page became caretaker prime minister following the death of Joseph Lyons in 1939, and when John McEwen became caretaker prime minister following the disappearance of Harold Holt in 1967.

1941

Fadden was acting prime minister for a cumulative total of 676 days (over 22 months) between 1941 and 1958. ==Former prime ministers== As of , there are six living former Australian prime ministers. The greatest number of living former prime ministers at any one time was eight.

1945

He served under the United Australia Party and the Liberal Party respectively. The shortest-serving prime minister was Frank Forde, who was appointed to the position on 6 July 1945 after the death of John Curtin, and served until 13 July 1945 when Ben Chifley was elected leader of the Australian Labor Party. The last prime minister to serve out a full government term in the office was John Howard, who won the 2004 election and led his party to the 2007 election, but lost.

1951

1958

1963

1967

1971

1975

Some commentators argue that the governor-general may also dismiss a prime minister who is unable to pass the government's supply bill through both houses of parliament, including the Australian Senate, where the government doesn't normally command the majority, as happened in the 1975 constitutional crisis.

Other commentators argue that the governor-general acted improperly in 1975 as Whitlam still retained the confidence of the House of Representatives, and there are no generally accepted conventions to guide the use of the governor-general's reserve powers in this circumstance.

This uncertainty, and the possibility of a "race" between the governor-general and prime minister to dismiss the other, was a key question in the 1975 constitutional crisis.

Prime Ministers were awarded honours within the British honours system before 1975, when appointment to the Order of Australia began.

1976

1977

1979

Bob Hawke was appointed a Companion in 1979, for service to trade unionism and industrial relations, before becoming Prime Minister in 1983.

1983

Bob Hawke was appointed a Companion in 1979, for service to trade unionism and industrial relations, before becoming Prime Minister in 1983.

1992

Since 1992, the prime minister also acts as the chair of the Council of Australian Governments (COAG), an intergovernmental forum between the federal government and the state governments in which the prime minister, the state premiers and chief ministers, and a representative of local governments meet annually. ==Privileges of office== ===Salary=== As of 1 July 2019, Australia's prime minister is paid a total salary of $549,250.

1997

Keating refused appointment in 1997.

2004

2007

2010

On her appointment on 24 June 2010, Julia Gillard said she would not be living in The Lodge until such time as she was returned to office by popular vote at the next general election, as she became Prime Minister by replacing an incumbent during a parliamentary term.

2012

John Howard was appointed to the Order of Merit in 2012. In almost all occasions these honours were only accepted by non-Labor/conservative Prime Ministers.

2017

In 2017, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull said the pass should be available only to former prime ministers, though he would not use it when he was no longer PM. Only one prime minister who had left the Federal Parliament ever returned.

2018

The incumbent prime minister is Scott Morrison, who took office in August 2018 as leader of the Liberal Party. Formally appointed by the governor-general, the office of the prime minister is governed by Westminster system convention as it is not described in the Australian constitution.

2019

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Page generated on 2021-08-05