Leader of the House (Australia)


In the Parliament of Australia, the position of Leader of the House is held by Christian Porter since 2019. This 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 about the order in which bills are to be debated, and the time allotted for debates.
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 duties of the Deputy Leader of the House is largely contingent, coming into play only when the Leader of the House is absent from the House or is on leave, when he or she is referred to as Acting Leader of the House.
On 26 May 2019, Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced that incumbent Attorney-General Christian Porter would become the Leader of the House following the resignation of the incumbent Leader Christopher Pyne from Parliament.

List of Leaders of the House

The following individuals have been appointed as Leader of the Australian House of Representatives:
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.