In the Parliament of Australia, the Leader of the House is the government minister responsible for the management of government business in the House of Representatives, including the order in which the Government's agenda is to be dealt with, tactical matters in reaction to impediments to such management, negotiation with the Opposition's counterpart (the Manager of Opposition Business in the House) about the order in which bills are to be debated, and the time allotted for debates. The position is currently held by Tony Burke since June 2022.
As the Australian Parliament is bicameral, the Leader of the House must also be aware of developments in the Senate, for example, in order to anticipate whether a bill may be returned to the House with amendments.
The office was created in 1951 by the Prime Minister at the time, Robert Menzies. The Leader of the House and the Deputy Leader are appointed by the Prime Minister. The Deputy Leader's duties are largely contingent, coming into play only when the Leader of the House is absent from the House or is on leave, when they are referred to as Acting Leader of the House.
In the incumbent Albanese ministry, which took office in 2022, Tony Burke is the Leader of the House and Mark Butler his deputy. During the preceding Morrison ministry, Burke and Butler were the Manager of Opposition Business and Deputy Manager respectively.
List of Leaders of the House The following individuals have been appointed as Leader of the Australian House of Representatives:
Order Minister Party Prime Minister Portfolio Term start Term end Time in office 1
Menzies Vice-President of the Executive CouncilMinister for Defence ProductionMinister for ArmyMinister for the Navy
2 TreasurerMinister for Labour and National Service
3 Holt Minister for National Development
4
Minister for Immigration
McEwen Gorton 5 Minister for the Air
Minister for Labour and National Service
6 McMahon Minister for National Development
7 Minister for Customs and Excise
8
Whitlam Minister for Services and PropertyMinister for Administrative Services
9
Fraser Minister for Primary Industry
10
Minister for Employment and Youth Affairs
Minister for Special Trade RepresentationsMinister for Communications
11
Vice-President of the Executive Council
12
Hawke Special Minister of StateVice-President of the Executive Council
13 Deputy Prime MinisterVice-President of the Executive Council
Special Minister of StateMinister for Immigration and Ethnic AffairsMinister for Immigration, Local Government and Ethnic AffairsVice-President of the Executive CouncilMinister Assisting the Prime Minister for Multicultural Affairs
14 Vice-President of the Executive CouncilMinister for DefenceMinister for Transport and CommunicationsMinister for Employment, Education and TrainingMinister for FinanceDeputy Prime Minister
Keating 15
Howard Minister for Industrial RelationsMinister for Workplace Relations and Small BusinessMinister for Employment, Workplace Relations and Small BusinessMinister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Public ServiceMinister for Defence
16 Minister for Employment, Workplace Relations and Small BusinessMinister for Employment and Workplace RelationsMinister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Public ServiceMinister for Health and Ageing
17
Rudd Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government
Gillard Minister for Infrastructure and Transport
Minister for Infrastructure and TransportMinister for Regional Development and Local Government
Rudd Deputy Prime MinisterMinister for Infrastructure and TransportMinister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy
18
Abbott Minister for Education
Minister for Education and Training
Turnbull Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science
Minister for Defence Industry
Morrison Minister for Defence
19 Attorney-GeneralMinister for Industry, Science and TechnologyMinister for Industrial Relations
20 Minister for Defence
21
Albanese Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations Minister for the Arts
Minister for the ArtsMinister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs Minister for Home Affairs Minister for Cyber Security
Minister for the ArtsMinister for Immigration and Citizenship Minister for Home Affairs Minister for Cyber Security
Incumbent
Note: For terms during the period 1951 to 1972, exact dates are taken from changes in Prime Minister. Other dates coincide with sitting periods of the House as an approximation of when terms began and ended.
Deputy Leaders of the House The following individuals have been appointed as Deputy Leader of the Australian House of Representatives: Order Minister Party Prime Minister Portfolio Term start Term end Time in office 1
Howard Minister for Science and Technology
2 Minister for Customs and Consumer Affairs
(1) Minister for the Arts and the Centenary of Federation
Minister for Science
Minister for Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs
Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry
3 Rudd Minister for Foreign Affairs
Gillard
Minister for Foreign AffairsMinister for Trade
Minister for Defence
Rudd
4 Abbott Assistant Minister for Employment
Turnbull Minister for Vocational Education and Skills
5 Minister for Infrastructure and Transport
6 Minister for Veterans' AffairsMinister for Defence Personnel
(5)
Morrison
7 Minister Assisting the Minister for Trade and Investment
8
Albanese Minister for Health and Aged Care
Minister for Health and AgeingMinister for Disability and the National Disability Insurance Scheme
Incumbent
See also Leader of Government Business (disambiguation)
References