Vice-President of the Executive Council

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Vice-President of the Executive Council
Coat of Arms of Australia.svg
Commonwealth Coat of Arms
Flag of Australia (converted).svg
Flag of Australia
Katy Gallagher 2022.jpg
Incumbent
Katy Gallagher
since 23 May 2022 (2022-05-23)
Australian Government
Federal Executive Council
Style The Honourable
Appointer Governor-General on the recommendation of the Prime Minister of Australia
Inaugural holder Richard O'Connor
Formation1 January 1901 (1901-01-01)

The Vice-President of the Executive Council is the minister in the Government of Australia who acts as the presiding officer of meetings of the Federal Executive Council when the Governor-General is absent. [1] The Vice-President of the Executive Council is appointed by the Governor-General on the advice of the Prime Minister of Australia, and serves at the Governor-General's pleasure. The Vice-President is usually a senior minister in Cabinet, who may summon executive councillors and preside at council meetings when the Governor-General is not present. However, the Vice-President cannot sign Executive Council documents on behalf of the Governor-General.

Contents

The current Vice President of the Executive Council is Senator Katy Gallagher, who was appointed on 23 May 2022.

Duties and history

The duties of the Vice-President of the Executive Council are not rigorous, and the position is usually held by a Member of the Cabinet, who is not paid additional salary or allowance.[ citation needed ]

The position is usually not held by a 'Minister without portfolio', but the position has at times been held by persons who did not hold a Ministerial portfolio—such as Enid Lyons (1949–1951) in the Fourth Menzies Ministry and James Killen (1982–1983) in the Third Fraser Ministry. A small Department of the Vice-President of the Executive Council existed from 22 March to 31 May 1971, during the prime ministership of William McMahon. It was administered by Alan Hulme, who was also Postmaster-General. The department was recreated in 1982 and James Killen was controversially appointed to administer the office. Killen held no other Ministerial portfolio, but was nevertheless considered a member of the Fraser Ministry by virtue only of this office. The appointment was controversial because it was seen as a sinecure given that Killen held no Ministerial portfolio, as the cabinet appointment entitled him to receive a ministerial salary. The Department was again abolished in 1983 by incoming Prime Minister Bob Hawke.

During the Turnbull government in 2015, the Leader of the Government in the Senate has been the Vice-President. This practice was continued by the Morrison government. Under the Albanese Government, the roles are separated though the Vice-President remains a senator.

Colonial and state governments

Prior to the creation of the Commonwealth of Australia in 1901, colonial and state governments also appointed a Vice-President of the Executive Council, and some have kept the title. The Colony of New South Wales was the first to appoint a Vice-President of the Executive Council (New South Wales), on 3 October 1856, in the Parker ministry of the first elected colonial government. The New South Wales government currently retains the title for a senior government minister, who since 30 October 2020 has been Damien Tudehope, Leader of the Government in the Legislative Council.

The Executive Council of Victoria is made up of the Premier and his or her Ministers who have been sworn into that office by the Governor, usually immediately after they have been sworn in as Ministers. While not a member, the Governor usually attends and presides at meetings of the Executive Council.

List of vice-presidents

The following individuals have been appointed as Vice-President of the Executive Council: [2]

OrderMinisterPartyPrime MinisterSubstantive portfoliosTerm startTerm endTerm in office
1 Senator Richard O'Connor   Protectionist Barton –1 January 190124 September 19032 years, 266 days
2Senator Thomas Playford Deakin –24 September 190327 April 1904216 days
3Senator Gregor McGregor Labor Watson –27 April 190417 August 1904112 days
4Senator James Drake Protectionist Reid –17 August 19045 July 1905322 days
5 Thomas Ewing ProtectionistDeakin–5 July 190512 October 19061 year, 99 days
6Senator John Keating Home Affairs 12 October 190630 July 1907291 days
7Senator Robert Best –30 July 190713 November 19081 year, 106 days
n/aSenator Gregor McGregorLabor Fisher –13 November 19082 June 1909201 days
8Senator Edward Millen Commonwealth Liberal Deakin–2 June 190929 April 1910331 days
n/aSenator Gregor McGregorLaborFisher–29 April 191024 June 19133 years, 56 days
9Senator James McColl Commonwealth Liberal Cook –24 June 191317 September 19141 year, 85 days
10Senator Albert Gardiner LaborFisher–17 September 191427 October 19152 years, 40 days
Hughes –27 October 191527 October 1916
11 William Spence National Labor Hughes–14 November 191617 February 191795 days
n/aSenator Edward Millen Nationalist Repatriation 17 February 191710 January 1918327 days
12 Littleton Groom –10 January 191827 March 191876 days
13Senator Edward Russell –27 March 191821 December 19213 years, 269 days
14Senator John Earle –21 December 19215 February 19231 year, 46 days
15 Llewellyn Atkinson Country Bruce –5 February 192318 June 19263 years, 133 days
16Senator George Pearce Nationalist–18 June 192622 October 19293 years, 126 days
17Senator John Daly Labor Scullin Defence (4 February 1931–3 March 1931)22 October 19293 March 19311 year, 132 days
18Senator John Barnes –3 March 19316 January 1932309 days
19Senator Alexander McLachlan UAP Lyons Development and Scientific and Industrial Research 6 January 193212 October 19342 years, 279 days
20 Billy Hughes Health; Repatriation12 October 19346 November 19351 year, 25 days
21 Joseph Lyons Prime Minister 6 November 193529 November 19372 years, 23 days
n/aBilly Hughes External Affairs; Territories 29 November 19377 November 1938343 days
22Senator George McLeay –7 November 19387 April 1939170 days
Page –7 April 193926 April 1939
23 James Fairbairn Menzies Civil Aviation (26 April 1939–26 January 1940); Air (13 November 1939–26 January 1940)26 April 193926 January 1940275 days
24 Percy Spender –26 January 194014 March 194048 days
25 Henry Gullett Scientific and Industrial Research; War Service Homes 14 March 194013 August 1940152 days
26Senator Herbert Collett 14 August 194028 October 194075 days
27Senator George McLeay Postmaster-General and Repatriation (28 October 1940–14 June 1941);
Supply and Development (14 June 1941–29 August 1941)		28 October 194029 August 1941344 days
Fadden Supply and Development29 August 19417 October 1941
28Senator Richard Keane Labor Curtin Trade and Customs 7 October 194121 September 19431 year, 349 days
29Senator Bill Ashley Postmaster-General21 September 19432 February 19451 year, 134 days
30 Jack Beasley –2 February 19456 July 1945161 days
Forde Defence6 July 194513 July 1945
31Senator Joe Collings Chifley –13 July 19451 November 19461 year, 111 days
32 William Scully –1 November 194619 December 19493 years, 48 days
33 Enid Lyons Liberal Menzies–19 December 19497 March 19511 year, 78 days
34 Robert Menzies Prime Minister7 March 195111 May 195165 days
35 Eric Harrison Defence Production; Army; Navy 11 May 195124 October 19565 years, 166 days
36Senator Neil O'Sullivan Attorney-General 24 October 195610 December 19582 years, 47 days
37Senator Bill Spooner National Development 10 December 195810 June 19645 years, 183 days
38 William McMahon Labour and National Service 10 June 196426 January 19661 year, 230 days
39 Alan Hulme Holt Postmaster-General
(Hulme was also the "Minister administering the Department of the Vice-President of the Executive Council", a department that was created and existed between 10 March 1971 and 30 May 1971.)		26 January 196619 December 19676 years, 314 days
McEwen 19 December 196710 January 1968
Gorton 10 January 196810 March 1971
McMahon 10 March 19715 December 1972
40Senator Don Willesee Labor Whitlam Special Minister of State; Foreign Affairs19 December 197230 November 1973346 days
41 Frank Stewart Tourism and Recreation 30 November 197311 November 19751 year, 346 days
42Senator Reg Withers Liberal Fraser Capital Territory; Media; Special Minister of State; Tourism and Recreation (11 November 1975–22 December 1975);
Administrative Services (22 December 1975–7 August 1978)		11 November 19757 August 19782 years, 269 days
43Senator John Carrick Education (22 December 1975–8 December 1979);
National Development and Energy (8 December 1979–11 March 1983)		7 August 19787 May 19823 years, 273 days
44 James Killen (Killen had no other portfolio, but the Department of the Vice-President of the Executive Council was created for him to administer.)7 May 198211 March 1983308 days
45 Mick Young Labor Hawke Special Minister of State11 March 198314 July 1983125 days
46 Lionel Bowen Deputy Prime Minister; Trade (11 March 1983–13 December 1984);
Attorney-General (13 December 1984–4 April 1990)		14 July 198324 July 19874 years, 10 days
n/aMick Young Immigration, Local Government and Ethnic Affairs 24 July 198712 February 1988203 days
47 Kim Beazley Defence (13 December 1984–4 April 1990);
Transport and Communications (4 April 1990–9 December 1991)		12 February 19881 February 19912 years, 354 days
48Senator Graham Richardson Social Security 1 February 199120 December 19911 year, 107 days
Keating Social Security (20 December 1991–27 December 1991);
Transport and Communications (27 December 1991–18 May 1992)		20 December 199118 May 1992
49 Ralph Willis Finance 27 May 199224 March 1993301 days
50 Frank Walker Special Minister of State24 March 199325 March 19941 year, 1 day
51 Gary Johns Special Minister of State25 March 199411 March 19961 year, 352 days
52 John Moore Liberal Howard Industry, Science and Tourism11 March 199621 October 19982 years, 224 days
53 David Kemp Education, Training and Youth Affairs; Assistant Treasurer (21 October 1998–26 November 2001);
Environment and Heritage (26 November 2001–18 July 2004)		21 October 199818 July 20045 years, 271 days
54Senator Nick Minchin Finance and Administration18 July 20043 December 20073 years, 138 days
55Senator John Faulkner Labor Rudd Special Minister of State (3 December 2007–9 June 2009);
Defence (9 June 2009–24 June 2010)		3 December 200724 June 20102 years, 285 days
Gillard Defence24 June 201014 September 2010
56 Robert McClelland Attorney-General (3 December 2007–14 December 2011);
Housing, Homelessness and Emergency Management (14 December 2011–5 March 2012)		14 September 20105 March 20121 year, 173 days
57 Tony Burke Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities (15 September 2010–1 July 2013)5 March 20121 July 20131 year, 197 days
RuddMinister for Immigration, Multicultural Affairs and Citizenship; Arts 1 July 201318 September 2013
58Senator George Brandis Liberal Abbott Attorney-General
Minister for the Arts		18 September 201315 September 20154 years, 93 days
Turnbull Attorney-General15 September 201520 December 2017
59Senator Mathias Cormann Minister for Finance
Special Minister of State		20 December 201723 August 20182 years, 315 days
Morrison Minister for Finance and the Public Service (28 August 2018–29 May 2019)
Minister for Finance (29 May 2019–30 October 2020)		28 August 201830 October 2020
60Senator Simon Birmingham Minister for Trade, Tourism and Investment (30 October 2020–22 December 2020)
Minister for Finance (30 October 2020–22 May 2022)		30 October 202022 May 20224 years, 97 days
61Senator Katy Gallagher Labor Albanese Minister for Finance
Minister for the Public Service
Minister for Women		23 May 2022Incumbent2 years, 257 days

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References

  1. ↑ "Federal Executive Council Handbook" (PDF). Government of Australia. June 2005. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 July 2007. Retrieved 7 July 2007.
  2. ↑ "Ministries and Cabinets". 43rd Parliamentary Handbook: Historical information on the Australian Parliament. Parliament of Australia. 2010. Retrieved 9 July 2013.
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