The Prime Minister is the head of government and leader of the executive government. He or she is the person who leads the party or parties that command majority support in the House of Representatives. The Prime Minister is the chief adviser to the Governor-General.
The Prime Minister is the pivotal person in contemporary executive governments. The PM is the focus of public and media attention, and has immense power to shape the composition of the government and determine its policy directions.
- COMPLETE LIST of Australia’s 27 Prime Ministers Since 1901
- TERMS OF OFFICE of Australian PMs
- ROLES and POWERS of the Prime Minister – including a list of restraints on the power of the PM
- QUOTES about Prime Ministers
- Australian Prime Ministers – a speech by Federal Treasurer Peter Costello, at the 2000 launch of Michelle Grattan’s book, “Australian Prime Ministers”. Costello discusses the personal and political qualities of some of Australia’s former prime ministers.
Former Prime Ministers
- John Howard – Australia’s 25th PM
- Listen to John Howard being sworn in as Prime Minister for his third term (Nov 26, 2001)
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- Paul Keating – Australia’s 24th PM
- Bob Hawke – Australia’s 23rd PM, the third longest serving
- John Grey Gorton – Australia’s 19th PM, the only one to vote himself out of office
- Take a quiz on Australian Prime Ministers
- PeopleQuiz – multiple quizzes on Australian Prime Ministers – external link
