| Leader of the House | |
|---|---|
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| Australian Government House of Representatives | |
| Style | The Honourable |
| Appointer | The Prime Minister of Australia |
| Inaugural holder | Sir Eric Harrison |
| Formation | 11 May 1951 |
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.[1] 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.
- ^ "Chapter 2: House, Government and Opposition, Leader of the House". House of Representatives Practice. May 2018. pp. 63–64. Retrieved 7 November 2021.