Each political party represented in the Federal Parliament elects leaders in each house.
Just as the government is decided in the House of Representatives, so the parties elect their leaders and deputy leaders from amongst their representatives in the House. If the party is not represented in the lower house, its leader will be chosen from amongst its members in the Senate.
| House of Representatives | ||
|---|---|---|
| Party | Leader | Deputy Leader |
| Liberal Party | John Howard Member for Bennelong (NSW) |
Peter Costello Member for Higgins (Vic) |
| National Party | Mark Vaile Member for Lyne (NSW) |
Warren Truss Member for Wide Bay (Qld) |
| Australian Labor Party | Kevin Rudd Member for Griffith (Qld) |
Julia Gillard Member for Lalor (Vic) |
The major parties also elect leaders and deputy leaders in the Senate. These people form part of the leadership group and act as the focal point for their parties in the upper house.
For example, the current Liberal Party leader in the Senate, Nick Minchin, is referred to as the Government Leader in the Senate. Senator Chris Evans is referred to as the Opposition Leader in the Senate.
| Senate | ||
|---|---|---|
| Party | Leader | Deputy Leader |
| Liberal Party | Senator Nick Minchin (South Australia) |
Senator Helen Coonan (New South Wales) |
| National Party | Senator Ron Boswell (Queensland) |
Senator Nigel Scullion (Northern Territory) |
| Australian Labor Party | Senator Chris Evans (Western Australia) |
Senator Stephen Conroy (Victoria) |
| Australian Democrats | Senator Andrew Bartlett (Queensland) |
Senator Lyn Allison (Victoria) |
| Australian Greens | Senator Bob Brown (Tasmania) |
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| Family First | Senator Steve Fielding (Victoria) |
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Footnote: Convention dictates that the official leader of the main parties will be a member of the House of Representatives. In 1968, following the death of its Prime Minister, Harold Holt, the Liberal Party chose its upper house leader, Senator John Gorton, as the new prime minister. Gorton immediately resigned his Senate seat and contested the by-election for Holt’s lower house electorate, Higgins. Thus, Australia had a prime minister for several weeks who was not a member of either house. This is allowed for in Section 64 of the Constitution.
A major condolence debate took place in the Victorian Legislative Assembly this week.