Premier of Queensland

Last updated

Premier of Queensland
Coat of Arms of Queensland.svg
Flag of Queensland.svg
Dr Steven Miles MP (cropped).jpg
Incumbent
Steven Miles
since 15 December 2023
Department of the Premier and Cabinet
Style
Status Head of Government
Member of
Reports to Parliament
Seat 1 William Street, Brisbane
Appointer Governor of Queensland
by convention, based on appointee's ability to command confidence in the Legislative Assembly
Term length At the governor's pleasure
contingent on the premier's ability to command confidence in the house of Parliament
Constituting instrumentSection 42, Constitution of Queensland
Formation10 December 1859
First holder Robert Herbert
Deputy Deputy Premier of Queensland
Salary$469,367 (as of 1 September 2021) [1] [lower-alpha 1]
Website www.thepremier.qld.gov.au

The premier of Queensland is the head of government in the Australian state of Queensland.

Contents

By convention the premier is the leader of the party with a parliamentary majority in the unicameral Legislative Assembly of Queensland. The premier is appointed by the governor of Queensland.

The incumbent premier of Queensland is Steven Miles of the Labor Party.

Constitutional role

Under section 42 of the Constitution of Queensland the premier and other members of Cabinet are appointed by the governor and are collectively responsible to Parliament. The text of the Constitution assigns to the premier certain powers, such as the power to assign roles (s. 25) to assistant ministers (formerly known as parliamentary secretaries), and to appoint ministers as acting ministers (s. 45) for a period of 14 days.

In practice, under the conventions of the Westminster System followed in Queensland, the premier's power is derived from two sources: command of a majority in the Legislative Assembly, and the premier's role as chair of Cabinet, determining the appointment and roles of ministers. Although ministerial appointments are the prerogative of the governor of Queensland, in normal circumstances the governor will make these appointments under the "advice" (in reality, direction) of the premier.

Immediately following an election for the Legislative Assembly, the governor will call on the leader of the party which commands a majority in the Legislative Assembly to become premier and ask them to commission a government. A re-elected government will be resworn, with adjustments to the ministry as determined by the premier. [2]

Prior to the existence of political parties within the Leglislative Assembly, to become premier, that member had to be able to command the support of a majority of the individual members of the assembly; this group of members were known informally as Ministerialists, while those who did not support the member who became premier were known informally as Oppositionists (or the Opposition).

Premier's office

The premier has an office in the Executive Annexe of Parliament House, Brisbane, which is normally used while Parliament is sitting. At other times the premier's ministerial office is in 1 William Street, which is across the road from the Executive Annexe.

List of premiers of Queensland

Before the 1890s, there was no developed party system in Queensland. Political affiliation labels before that time indicate a general tendency only. Before the end of the first decade of the twentieth century, political parties were more akin to parliamentary factions, and were fluid, informal and disorganised by modern standards.

No.PortraitNameElectionTerm of officePolitical partyConstituency
Took officeLeft officeTerm in office
1 Queensland State Archives 2954 Portrait of The Honourable Sir Robert George Wyndham Herbert Premier of Queensland c 1862.png Robert Herbert 1860
1863
10 December 18591 February 18666 years, 53 daysSquatter Conservative Leichhardt
2 Arthur Macalister.jpg Arthur Macalister 1 February 186620 July 1866169 days Independent Town of Ipswich
(1) Queensland State Archives 2954 Portrait of The Honourable Sir Robert George Wyndham Herbert Premier of Queensland c 1862.png Robert Herbert 20 July 18667 August 186618 daysSquatter Conservative West Moreton
(2) Arthur Macalister.jpg Arthur Macalister 7 August 186615 August 18671 year, 8 days Independent Town of Ipswich
3 RobertRamsayMackenzie.jpg Robert Mackenzie 1867 15 August 186725 November 18681 year, 102 daysSquatter Conservative Burnett
4 Charles Lilley.jpg Charles Lilley 1868 25 November 18682 May 18701 year, 158 days Independent Hamlet of Fortitude Valley
5 Arthur Hunter Palmer.jpg Arthur Hunter Palmer 1870
1871
3 May 18707 January 18743 years, 249 daysSquatter Conservative Port Curtis
(2) Arthur Macalister.jpg Arthur Macalister, CMG 1873 8 January 18745 June 18762 years, 149 days Independent Ipswich
6 George Thorn.jpg George Thorn 5 June 18768 March 1877276 days Independent Ipswich
7 John Douglas.jpg John Douglas, CMG 8 March 187721 January 18791 year, 227 days Independent Maryborough
8 Thomas McIlwraith.jpg Sir Thomas McIlwraith, KCMG 1878 21 January 187913 November 18834 years, 296 daysConservative Mulgrave
9 SGriff1.jpg Sir Samuel Griffith, KCMG , QC 1883 13 November 188313 June 18884 years, 213 daysLiberal North Brisbane
(8) Thomas McIlwraith.jpg Sir Thomas McIlwraith, KCMG 13 June 188830 November 1888170 daysConservative Brisbane North
10 Boyd Morehead.jpg Boyd Dunlop Morehead 1888 30 November 188812 August 18901 year, 255 daysConservative Balonne
(9) SGriff1.jpg Sir Samuel Griffith, KCMG , QC 12 August 189027 March 18932 years, 227 daysLiberal North Brisbane
(8) Thomas McIlwraith.jpg Sir Thomas McIlwraith, KCMG 1893 27 March 189327 October 1893214 daysConservative Brisbane North
11 Sir Hugh Nelson.jpg Sir Hugh Nelson, KCMG 1896 27 October 189313 April 18984 years, 168 days Ministerial Murilla
12 Thomas Joseph Byrnes.jpg Thomas Joseph Byrnes 13 April 18981 October 1898171 days Ministerial Warwick
13 James Robert Dickson.jpg James Dickson 1899 1 October 18981 December 18991 year, 61 days Ministerial Bulimba
14 AndersonDawson.jpg Anderson Dawson 1 December 18997 December 18996 days Labour Charters Towers
15 Queensland State Archives 3062 Portrait of The Honourable Sir Robert Philp Premier of Queensland c 1900.png Robert Philp 1902 7 December 189917 September 19033 years, 284 days Ministerial Townsville
16 Sir Arthur Morgan.jpg Arthur Morgan 1904 17 September 190319 January 19062 years, 124 daysLiberal Warwick
17 William Kidston.jpg William Kidston 1907 19 January 190619 November 19071 year, 304 days Labor South Brisbane
(17) Kidstonite
(15) Queensland State Archives 3062 Portrait of The Honourable Sir Robert Philp Premier of Queensland c 1900.png Robert Philp 19 November 190718 February 190891 daysConservative Townsville
(17) William Kidston.jpg William Kidston 1908
1909
18 February 19087 February 19112 years, 354 days Kidston; Liberal Rockhampton
18 Digby Denham.jpg Digby Denham 1912 7 February 19111 June 19154 years, 114 days Liberal Oxley
19 TJRyanPortrait.jpg T. J. Ryan, KC 1915
1918
1 June 191522 October 19194 years, 143 days Labor Barcoo
20 Ted Theodore 1931.jpg Ted Theodore 1920
1923
22 October 191926 February 19255 years, 127 days Labor Chillagoe
21 William Gillies 1920.jpg William Gillies 26 February 192522 October 1925238 days Labor Eacham
22 William McCormack.jpg William McCormack 1926 22 October 192521 May 19293 years, 211 days Labor Cairns
23 Arthur Edward Moore.jpg Arthur Edward Moore 1929 21 May 192917 June 19323 years, 27 days CPNP Aubigny
24 William Forgan Smith.jpg William Forgan Smith 1932
1935
1938
1941
17 June 193216 September 194210 years, 91 days Labor Mackay
25 Frank Cooper, circa 1949.jpg Frank Arthur Cooper 1944 16 September 19427 March 19463 years, 172 days Labor Bremer
26 Queensland State Archives 4694 Premier Hanlon MLA c 1952.png Ned Hanlon 1947
1950
7 March 194617 January 19525 years, 316 days Labor Ithaca
27 Queensland State Archives 4750 Hon VC Gair Premier of Queensland c 1953.png Vince Gair 1953
1956
17 January 195212 August 19575 years, 207 days Labor South Brisbane
(27) Queensland Labor
28 Frank Nicklin 1963.jpg Frank Nicklin, MM 1957
1960
1963
1966
12 August 195717 January 196810 years, 158 days Country Landsborough
29 Jack Pizzey 1968.jpg Jack Pizzey 17 January 19681 August 1968197 days Country Isis
30 Gordon Chalk 1963.jpg Gordon Chalk 1 August 19688 August 19687 days Liberal Lockyer
31 Joh Bjelke-Petersen.jpg Sir Joh Bjelke-Petersen, KCMG
(knighted in 1984)
1969
1972
1974
1977
1980
1983
1986
8 August 19681 December 198719 years, 115 days Country/National Barambah
32 Mike Ahern, Parliament House, Brisbane City, October 1988.jpg Mike Ahern 1 December 198725 September 19891 year, 298 days National Landsborough
33 No image.png Russell Cooper 25 September 19897 December 198984 days National Roma
34 Wayne Goss.png Wayne Goss 1989
1992
1995
7 December 198919 February 19966 years, 74 days Labor Logan
35 No image.png Rob Borbidge 19 February 199620 June 19982 years, 121 days National Surfers Paradise
36 Peter Beattie, BYCC, August 2013 (cropped).jpg Peter Beattie 1998
2001
2004
2006
20 June 199813 September 20079 years, 85 days Labor Brisbane Central
37 Anna Bligh crop.jpg Anna Bligh 2009 13 September 200726 March 20124 years, 195 days Labor South Brisbane
38 Campbell Newman being interviewed (cropped).jpg Campbell Newman 2012 26 March 201214 February 20152 years, 325 days Liberal National Ashgrove
39 Annastacia Palaszczuk 2016.jpg Annastacia Palaszczuk 2015
2017
2020
14 February 201515 December 20238 years, 304 days Labor Inala
40 Dr Steven Miles MP (cropped).jpg Steven Miles 15 December 2023Incumbent121 days Labor Murrumba

Graphical timeline

Steven Miles (politician)Annastacia PalaszczukCampbell NewmanAnna BlighPeter BeattieRob BorbidgeWayne GossRussell CooperMichael Ahern (Australian politician)Joh Bjelke-PetersenGordon ChalkJack PizzeyFrancis NicklinVince GairNed Hanlon (politician)Frank CooperWilliam Forgan SmithArthur Edward MooreWilliam McCormackWilliam Gillies (Australian politician)Ted TheodoreT. J. RyanDigby DenhamWilliam KidstonArthur Morgan (Queensland politician)Robert PhilpAnderson DawsonJames DicksonThomas Joseph ByrnesHugh NelsonBoyd MoreheadSamuel GriffithThomas McIlwraithJohn Douglas (Queensland politician)George ThornArthur Hunter PalmerCharles LilleyRobert Mackenzie (Queensland politician)Arthur MacalisterRobert HerbertWorld War IIWorld War IPremier of Queensland

See also

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References

Notes

  1. Commonly, the premier is usually the leader of their respective party. However, the salary of such position is not included. Thus, if one were to hold both positions simultaneously (Premier, Leader of Party), the total annual salary would be: AU$469,367. This also does not factor in other positions that can be held simultaneously to one or both of those: Ministerial positions, Member/Chair of Committee.

Citations

  1. "Legislative Assembly of Queensland – Members' Remuneration Handbook" (PDF). documents.parliament.qld.gov.au. Office of the Clerk of Parliament. 15 September 2021. Archived (PDF) from the original on 30 September 2021.
  2. "The Premier of Queensland" (PDF). Queensland Parliament . July 2015. Archived (PDF) from the original on 17 July 2022. Retrieved 17 July 2022.