Leader of the Government in the Senate (Australia)
# Leader of the Government in the Senate (Australia)

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. His or her 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 he or she has overarching responsibility for all policy areas and acts as the government's principal spokesperson in the upper house. He or she is 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 | 2 years, 96 days | James Drake |
| Tom Playford | 24 September 1903 | 27 April 1904 | V-P Exec. Council | Protectionist | Deakin | 216 days | James Drake |
| Gregor McGregor | 27 April 1904 | 18 August 1904 | V-P Exec. Council | Labor | Watson | 113 days | Anderson Dawson |
| Josiah Symon | 18 August 1904 | 5 July 1905 | Attorney-General | Free Trade | Reid | 321 days | James Drake |
| Tom Playford | 5 July 1905 | 31 December 1906 | Defence | Protectionist | Deakin | 1 year, 179 days | John Keating |
| Robert Best | 20 February 1907 | 13 November 1908 | V-P Exec. Council | Protectionist | Deakin | 1 year, 267 days | John Keating |
| Gregor McGregor | 13 November 1908 | 2 June 1909 | V-P Exec. Council | Labor | Fisher | 201 days | George Pearce |
| Edward Millen | 2 June 1909 | 29 April 1910 | V-P Exec. Council | Commonwealth Liberal | Deakin | 331 days | Robert Best |
| Gregor McGregor | 29 April 1910 | 24 June 1913 | V-P Exec. Council | Labor | Fisher | 3 years, 56 days | George Pearce |
| Edward Millen | 24 June 1913 | 17 September 1914 | Defence | Commonwealth Liberal | Cook | 1 year, 85 days | James McColl |
| George Pearce | 17 September 1914 | 17 February 1917 | Defence | Labor | Fisher | 2 years, 153 days | Albert Gardiner |
| George Pearce | 17 September 1914 | 17 February 1917 | Defence | Labor | Hughes | 2 years, 153 days | Albert Gardiner |
| George Pearce | 17 September 1914 | 17 February 1917 | Defence | National Labor | Hughes | 2 years, 153 days | Patrick Lynch |
| Edward Millen | 17 February 1917 | 9 February 1923 | V-P Exec. Council Repatriation (from Sep 1917) | Nationalist | Hughes | 5 years, 357 days | George Pearce |
| George Pearce | 9 February 1923 | 19 October 1929 | Home and Territories (to 1926) V-P Exec. Council (from 1926) | Nationalist | Bruce | 6 years, 252 days | Victor Wilson |
| John Daly | 22 October 1929 | 3 March 1931 | V-P Exec. Council Defence (Feb–Mar 1931) | Labor | Scullin | 1 year, 132 days |
| John Barnes | 3 March 1931 | 6 January 1932 | V-P Exec. Council | Labor | Scullin | 309 days |
| George Pearce | 6 January 1932 | 29 November 1937 | Defence (to 1934) Home Affairs (from 1934) Territories (from 1934) | United Australia | Lyons | 5 years, 327 days |
| Alexander McLachlan | 29 November 1937 | 7 November 1938 | Postmaster-General | United Australia | Lyons | 343 days |
| George McLeay | 8 November 1938 | 7 October 1941 | V-P Exec. Council (to 1939) Commerce (1939 – Mar 1940) Trade and Customs (Mar–Oct 1940) Postmaster-General (Oct 1940–41) Repatriation (Oct 1940–41) V-P Exec. Council (from 1941) Supply and Development (from Jun 1941) | United Australia | Lyons | 2 years, 333 days |
| George McLeay | 8 November 1938 | 7 October 1941 | V-P Exec. Council (to 1939) Commerce (1939 – Mar 1940) Trade and Customs (Mar–Oct 1940) Postmaster-General (Oct 1940–41) Repatriation (Oct 1940–41) V-P Exec. Council (from 1941) Supply and Development (from Jun 1941) | United Australia | Page | 2 years, 333 days |
| George McLeay | 8 November 1938 | 7 October 1941 | V-P Exec. Council (to 1939) Commerce (1939 – Mar 1940) Trade and Customs (Mar–Oct 1940) Postmaster-General (Oct 1940–41) Repatriation (Oct 1940–41) V-P Exec. Council (from 1941) Supply and Development (from Jun 1941) | United Australia | Menzies | 2 years, 333 days |
| George McLeay | 8 November 1938 | 7 October 1941 | V-P Exec. Council (to 1939) Commerce (1939 – Mar 1940) Trade and Customs (Mar–Oct 1940) Postmaster-General (Oct 1940–41) Repatriation (Oct 1940–41) V-P Exec. Council (from 1941) Supply and Development (from Jun 1941) | United Australia | Fadden | 2 years, 333 days |
| Joe Collings | 7 October 1941 | 20 September 1943 | Interior | Labor | Curtin | 1 year, 348 days |
| Richard Keane | 20 September 1943 | 26 April 1946 | Trade and Customs | Labor | Curtin | 2 years, 218 days |
| Richard Keane | 20 September 1943 | 26 April 1946 | Trade and Customs | Labor | Forde | 2 years, 218 days |
| Richard Keane | 20 September 1943 | 26 April 1946 | Trade and Customs | Labor | Chifley | 2 years, 218 days |
| Bill Ashley | 17 June 1946 | 19 December 1949 | Supply and Shipping Shipping and Fuel | Labor | Chifley | 3 years, 185 days |
| Neil O'Sullivan | 21 February 1950 | 8 December 1958 | Trade and Customs (to Jan 1956) the Navy (Jan–Oct 1956) Attorney-General (from Aug 1956) V-P Exec. Council (from Oct 1956) | Liberal | Menzies | 8 years, 290 days |
| Bill Spooner | 8 December 1958 | 2 June 1964 | V-P Exec. Council National Development | Liberal | Menzies | 5 years, 178 days | Shane Paltridge |
| Shane Paltridge | 10 June 1964 | 19 January 1966 | Defence | Liberal | Menzies | 1 year, 230 days | Denham Henty |
| Denham Henty | 26 January 1966 | 16 October 1967 | Supply | Liberal | Holt | 1 year, 263 days | John Gorton |
| John Gorton | 16 October 1967 | 1 February 1968 | Education and Science Prime Minister (from 10 Jan. 1968) | Liberal | Holt | 108 days | Denham Henty |
| John Gorton | 16 October 1967 | 1 February 1968 | Education and Science Prime Minister (from 10 Jan. 1968) | Liberal | McEwen | 108 days | Denham Henty |
| John Gorton | 16 October 1967 | 1 February 1968 | Education and Science Prime Minister (from 10 Jan. 1968) | Liberal | Himself | 108 days | Denham Henty |
| Ken Anderson | 28 February 1968 | 5 December 1972 | Supply (to 1971) Health | Liberal | Gorton | 4 years, 281 days | Denham Henty |
| Ken Anderson | 28 February 1968 | 5 December 1972 | Supply (to 1971) Health | Liberal | Gorton | 4 years, 281 days | Annabelle Rankin |
| Ken Anderson | 28 February 1968 | 5 December 1972 | Supply (to 1971) Health | Liberal | McMahon | 4 years, 281 days | Annabelle Rankin |
| Ken Anderson | 28 February 1968 | 5 December 1972 | Supply (to 1971) Health | Liberal | McMahon | 4 years, 281 days | Reg Wright |
| Lionel Murphy | 19 December 1972 | 9 February 1975 | Attorney-General Custom and Excise | Labor | Whitlam | 2 years, 52 days |
| Ken Wriedt | 10 February 1975 | 11 November 1975 | Agriculture (to Oct 1975) Minerals and Energy (from Oct 1975) | Labor | Whitlam | 274 days |
| Reg Withers | 12 November 1975 | 7 August 1978 | V-P Exec. Council Administrative Services | Liberal | Fraser | 2 years, 268 days |
| John Carrick | 7 August 1978 | 11 March 1983 | V-P Exec. Council (to 1982) Education (to 1979) National Development (from 1979) | Liberal | Fraser | 4 years, 216 days |
| John Button | 11 March 1983 | 24 March 1993 | Industry, Technology and Commerce | Labor | Hawke | 10 years, 13 days |
| John Button | 11 March 1983 | 24 March 1993 | Industry, Technology and Commerce | Labor | Keating | 10 years, 13 days |
| Gareth Evans | 24 March 1993 | 6 February 1996 | Foreign Affairs | Labor | Keating | 2 years, 319 days |
| Robert Hill | 11 March 1996 | 20 January 2006 | Environment and Heritage (to 2001) Defence | Liberal | Howard | 9 years, 315 days | Nick Minchin |
| Nick Minchin | 27 January 2006 | 3 December 2007 | V-P Exec. Council Finance and Administration | Liberal | Howard | 1 year, 310 days | Helen Coonan |
| Chris Evans | 12 December 2007 | 4 February 2013 | Immigration and Citizenship (to 2010) Tertiary Education, Skills, Jobs and Workplace Relations (from 2010) | Labor | Rudd | 5 years, 54 days | Stephen Conroy |
| Chris Evans | 12 December 2007 | 4 February 2013 | Immigration and Citizenship (to 2010) Tertiary Education, Skills, Jobs and Workplace Relations (from 2010) | Labor | Gillard | 5 years, 54 days | Stephen Conroy |
| Stephen Conroy | 4 February 2013 | 26 June 2013 | Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy | Labor | Gillard | 142 days | Penny Wong |
| Penny Wong | 26 June 2013 | 18 September 2013 | Finance and Deregulation | Labor | Rudd | 84 days | Jacinta Collins |
| Eric Abetz | 18 September 2013 | 21 September 2015 | Employment | Liberal | Abbott | 2 years, 2 days | George Brandis |
| George Brandis | 21 September 2015 | 20 December 2017 | Attorney-General V-P Exec. Council | Liberal | Turnbull | 2 years, 90 days | Mathias Cormann |
| Mathias Cormann | 20 December 2017 | 30 October 2020 | Finance and the Public Service V-P Exec. Council | Liberal | Turnbull | 5 years, 219 days | Mitch Fifield Simon Birmingham |
| Mathias Cormann | 20 December 2017 | 30 October 2020 | Finance and the Public Service V-P Exec. Council | Liberal | Morrison | 5 years, 219 days | Mitch Fifield Simon Birmingham |
| Simon Birmingham | 30 October 2020 | 23 May 2022 | Finance Trade, Tourism and Investment (to Dec 2020) V-P Exec. Council | Liberal | Morrison | 2 years, 270 days | Michaelia Cash |
| Penny Wong | 1 June 2022 | Incumbent | Foreign Affairs | Labor | Albanese | 1 year, 56 days | Don Farrell |
