Leader of the House (Australia)

The office of Leader of the House in the House of Representatives of the Parliament of Australia exists in order for the management of government business, involving such matters as the following:

• the order in which Government issues are to be dealt with
• tactical matters in reaction to impediments to such management
• negotiation with the Opposition's counterpart (the Manager of Opposition Business) about the order in which bills are to be debated, and
• time allotted for debate.

As the 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.

Although the work of the Leader is always in a parliamentary context, the office is not in the control of the House of Representatives in the way that the Speaker is, for example. The Leader of the House is appointed by the Prime Minister and it is always an additional office held by a Minister, never by a backbencher.

The office was instituted in 1951 by Robert Menzies. The inaugural Leader was Eric Harrison. The current Leader is Anthony Albanese.

Due to the greater demands placed on the office, the Leader of the House is paid more than a regular Member of Parliament.

There is an equivalent office in the upper house: the Manager of Government Business in the Senate.

Resources

• House of Representatives Practice, Chapter 2 (PDF)