The President of the Australian Senate is the presiding officer of the Australian Senate

Australian Senate

The Senate is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Australia, the lower house being the House of Representatives. Senators are popularly elected under a system of proportional representation. Senators are elected for a term that is usually six years; after a double dissolution, however,...

, the upper house of the Parliament of Australia

Parliament of Australia

The Parliament of Australia, also known as the Commonwealth Parliament or Federal Parliament, is the legislative branch of the government of Australia. It is bicameral, largely modelled in the Westminster tradition, but with some influences from the United States Congress...

. The presiding officer of the lower house is the Speaker of the House of Representatives

Speaker of the Australian House of Representatives

The Speaker of the House of Representatives is the presiding officer of the House of Representatives, the lower house of the Parliament of Australia. The presiding officer in the upper house is the President of the Senate....

.

The Australian Senate occupies a different position in the Australian Parliament from that of the House of Lords

House of Lords

The House of Lords is the upper house of the Parliament of the United Kingdom. Like the House of Commons, it meets in the Palace of Westminster....

 in the Parliament of the United Kingdom

Parliament of the United Kingdom

The Parliament of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland is the supreme legislative body in the United Kingdom, British Crown dependencies and British overseas territories, located in London...

, on which the Australian Parliament is partly modelled, because the Senate has always been a popularly-elected body.

Election

The President is elected by the Senate in a secret ballot. The Clerk

Clerk of the Australian Senate

The Clerk of the Australian Senate is the head of the Department of the Senate, which is the parliamentary department supporting the work of the Australian Senate...

 conducts the election. The Presidency has always been a partisan office and the nominee of the government party has nearly always been elected—although this cannot be guaranteed since the government of the day does not necessarily have a majority in the Senate. The President is assisted by an elected Deputy President. The traditional practice has been that the government nominates a Senator to be elected as President, and the Opposition nominates a Senator to be Deputy President. If there are no other nominations, no election is required, however the Australian Greens

Australian Greens

The Australian Greens, commonly known as The Greens, is an Australian green political party.The party was formed in 1992; however, its origins can be traced to the early environmental movement in Australia and the formation of the United Tasmania Group , the first Green party in the world, which...

 in 2005 and again in 2007 put forward Senator Kerry Nettle

Kerry Nettle

Kerry Michelle Nettle is a former Australian Senator and member of the Australian Greens in New South Wales. Elected at the 2001 federal election on a primary vote of 4.36 percent with One Nation and micro-party preferences, she failed to gain re-election at the 2007 federal election, despite an...

 as a rival candidate when the position of President was vacant. Neither Government nor Opposition Senators supported that candidacy.

The position of President has been disproportionately held by Senators representing the least populous states and territories. Of the 21 Senate presidents since 1901, 13 have come from the least populous states (Western Australia

Western Australia

Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...

, South Australia

South Australia

South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...

 and Tasmania

Tasmania

Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...

) or the Australian Capital Territory

Australian Capital Territory

The Australian Capital Territory, often abbreviated ACT, is the capital territory of the Commonwealth of Australia and is the smallest self-governing internal territory...

, and only eight have come from the three most populous states (New South Wales

New South Wales

New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...

, Victoria

Victoria (Australia)

Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....

 and Queensland

Queensland

Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...

).

Following the election of the Howard government

Howard Government

The Howard Government refers to the federal Executive Government of Australia led by Prime Minister John Howard. It was made up of members of the Liberal–National Coalition, which won a majority of seats in the Australian House of Representatives at four successive elections. The Howard Government...

 at the 1996 election, Labor's Mal Colston

Mal Colston

Malcolm Arthur "Mal" Colston , Australian politician, was a Senator in the Parliament of Australia representing the state of Queensland between 1975 and 1999...

 became an independent MP and Deputy President of the Senate. House examples of party-turned-independent speakers include Frederick Holder

Frederick Holder

Sir Frederick William Holder KCMG was the 19th Premier of South Australia and a prominent member of the inaugural Australian Commonwealth Parliament, including the first Speaker of the House of Representatives.-Life:...

 and Peter Slipper

Peter Slipper

Peter Neil Slipper , Australian politician, has served as the 27th Speaker of the Australian House of Representatives since November 2011, after serving as Deputy Speaker following the 2010 election...

.

Impartiality

Unlike the Speaker, the President has a deliberative, but not a casting vote (in the event of an equality of votes, the motion fails). This is because the Senate is in theory a states' house, and depriving the President of a deliberative vote would have robbed one of the states or territories one of its Senators' votes (in practice the Senate has always been a party house).

Like the Speaker, the President continues to attend party meetings, and at general elections stands as a party candidate. On the other hand, the President does not usually take part in debates in the Senate and does not speak in public on party-political issues. He or she is expected to conduct the business of the Senate in an impartial manner.

Role

The President’s principal duty is to preside over the Senate, although he or she is assisted in this by the Deputy President and a panel of Acting Deputy Presidents, who usually preside during routine debates. The occupant of the Chair must maintain order in the Senate, uphold the Standing Orders (rules of procedure) and protect the rights of backbench Senators. The President, in conjunction with the Speaker of the House of Representatives, also administers Parliament House, Canberra

Parliament House, Canberra

Parliament House is the meeting facility of the Parliament of Australia located in Canberra, the capital of Australia. The building was designed by Mitchell/Giurgola Architects and opened on 1988 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia...

, with the assistance of administrative staff.

Although the President does not have the same degree of disciplinary power as the Speaker does, the Senate is not as rowdy as most Australian legislative chambers, and thus his or her disciplinary powers are seldom exercised.

List of Presidents of the Senate

#	Name	Party, State	Term in Office
1	Hon. Sir Richard Baker Richard Baker (Australian politician) Sir Richard Chaffey Baker KCMG was an Australian politician. A barrister by trade, he embarked on a successful career in South Australian colonial politics, serving as state attorney-general and President of the Legislative Council before switching to federal politics after federation...	FT-AS Free Trade Party The Free Trade Party which was officially known as the Australian Free Trade and Liberal Association, also referred to as the Revenue Tariff Party in some states and renamed the Anti-Socialist Party in 1906, was an Australian political party, formally organised between 1889 and 1909... , SA South Australia South Australia is a state of Australia in the southern central part of the country. It covers some of the most arid parts of the continent; with a total land area of , it is the fourth largest of Australia's six states and two territories.South Australia shares borders with all of the mainland...	9 May 1901 to 31 December 1906
2	Hon. Sir Albert Gould Albert Gould Sir Albert John Gould was an Australian politician and solicitor who served as the second President of the Australian Senate....	AS-Lib Commonwealth Liberal Party The Commonwealth Liberal Party was a political movement active in Australia from 1909 to 1916, shortly after federation.... , NSW New South Wales New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...	20 February 1907 to 30 June 1910
3	Hon. Harry Turley	ALP Australian Labor Party The Australian Labor Party is an Australian political party. It has been the governing party of the Commonwealth of Australia since the 2007 federal election. Julia Gillard is the party's federal parliamentary leader and Prime Minister of Australia... , Qld Queensland Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...	1 July 1910 to 8 July 1913
4	Hon. Thomas Givens Thomas Givens Thomas Givens was an Irish-born Australian politician. Born in County Tipperary, he received a primary education before migrating to Australia in 1882. He became a bush worker and miner in Queensland, and was secretary of the Queensland Miners' Union, as well as proprietor of the Cairns Daily Times...	ALP-Nat Nationalist Party of Australia The Nationalist Party of Australia was an Australian political party. It was formed on 17 February 1917 from a merger between the conservative Commonwealth Liberal Party and the National Labor Party, the name given to the pro-conscription defectors from the Australian Labor Party led by Prime... , Qld	9 July 1913 to 30 June 1926
5	Hon. Sir John Newlands John Newlands (Australian politician) Sir John Newlands , formerly John Newland, was a Scottish-born Australian politician. Born in Nairnshire, he was educated in Scotland before migrating to Australia in 1883, where he became a railway worker...	Nat, SA	1 July 1926 to 13 August 1929
6	Hon. Sir Walter Kingsmill Walter Kingsmill Sir Walter Kingsmill was an Australian politician.Born in Glenelg, South Australia, he was educated at St Peter's College in Adelaide and at the University of Adelaide before becoming a geologist. Moving to Western Australia in 1888, he became a mine manager...	Nat-UAP United Australia Party The United Australia Party was an Australian political party that was founded in 1931 and dissolved in 1945. It was the political successor to the Nationalist Party of Australia and predecessor to the Liberal Party of Australia... , WA Western Australia Western Australia is a state of Australia, occupying the entire western third of the Australian continent. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Great Australian Bight and Indian Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east and South Australia to the south-east...	14 August 1929 to 30 August 1932
7	Hon. Patrick Lynch Patrick Lynch (Australian politician) Patrick Joseph Lynch was an Australian politician.Lynch was born in Skeark, County Meath, Ireland and educated at Cormeen National School and Bailieborough Model School, County Cavan. He migrated to Queensland in 1886 and cut railway sleepers near Charleville and then travelled to the Croydon...	UAP, WA	31 August 1932 to 30 June 1938
8	Hon. John Hayes John Hayes (Australian politician) John Blyth Hayes was Premier of Tasmania from 12 August 1922 to 14 August 1923. Hayes was also the President of the Australian Senate from 1 July 1938 to 30 June 1941.Hayes was born in Bridgewater, and died in Launceston....	UAP, Tas Tasmania Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...	1 July 1938 to 30 June 1941
9	Hon. James Cunningham James Cunningham (Australian politician) James Cunningham was an Australian politician. Born in Western Australia, he received a primary education before becoming a goldminer at Norseman and then Boulder. He was secretary of the Federated Miners' Union before his election to the Western Australian Legislative Council in 1916 as a Labor...	ALP, WA	1 July 1941 to 4 July 1943 (died in office)
10	Hon. Gordon Brown Gordon Brown (Australian politician) Gordon Brown was a long-serving Australian politician.Born in Derbyshire, England, he was educated at Clay Cross Grammar School before becoming a printer and engineer. He migrated to Australia in 1912, where he became an organiser of the Shop Assistants' Union and of the Socialist Party...	ALP, Qld	23 September 1943 to 19 March 1951
11	Hon. Ted Mattner	Lib Liberal Party of Australia The Liberal Party of Australia is an Australian political party.Founded a year after the 1943 federal election to replace the United Australia Party, the centre-right Liberal Party typically competes with the centre-left Australian Labor Party for political office... , SA	12 June 1951 to 7 September 1953
12	Hon. Sir Alister McMullin Alister McMullin Sir Alister Maxwell McMullin was an Australian politician. Born in Scone, New South Wales, he was educated at state schools before becoming a farmer and grazier. He served in the Royal Australian Air Force in 1940-1945, and when he returned served on Upper Hunter Shire Council...	Lib, NSW	8 September 1953 to 30 June 1971
13	Hon. Sir Magnus Cormack Magnus Cormack Sir Magnus Cameron Cormack KBE was a Scottish-born Australian politician.Born in Caithness-shire, he migrated to Australia as a child, and was educated at St Peter's College in Adelaide. He became a farmer and grazier in the western district of Victoria before serving in the military during World...	Lib, Vic Victoria (Australia) Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....	17 August 1971 to 11 April 1974
14	Hon. Justin O'Byrne Justin O'Byrne Justin Hilary O'Byrne, AO was a long-serving Australian Labor Party politician who represented Tasmania in the Federal Senate from 1947 to 1981, acting as President of the Senate from 1974 to 1975.-Biography:...	ALP, Tas	9 July 1974 to 11 November 1975
15	Hon. Sir Condor Laucke Condor Laucke Sir Condor Louis Laucke, KCMG was an Australian Liberal Party politician who served in both the South Australian House of Assembly and the Federal Senate, before becoming Lieutenant Governor of South Australia....	Lib, SA	17 February 1976 to 30 June 1981
16	Hon. Sir Harold Young Harold Young Sir Harold William Young KCMG was an Australian Liberal Party politician who represented South Australia in the Senate from 1968 to 1983, acting as President of the Senate from 1981 to 1983.-Biography:...	Lib, SA	18 August 1981 to 4 February 1983
17	Hon. Doug McClelland	ALP, NSW	21 April 1983 to 23 January 1987
18	Hon. Kerry Sibraa Kerry Sibraa Kerry Walter Sibraa, AO was an Australian Senator who represented the Labor Party for the state of New South Wales. He served as a Senator for from 1 July 1975 to 30 June 1978, and then again from 9 August 1978 until 1 February 1994, and was President of the Senate from 17 February 1987 to 1...	ALP, NSW	17 February 1987 to 1 February 1994
19	Hon. Michael Beahan Michael Beahan Michael Eamon Beahan, AM was the 19th President of the Australian Senate, holding that position from 1 February 1994 to 20 August 1996...	ALP, WA	1 February 1994 to 20 August 1996
20	Hon. Margaret Reid Margaret Reid Margaret Elizabeth Reid AO is a former Australian politician. She was the first woman to be President of the Australian Senate.-Early years:...	Lib, ACT Australian Capital Territory The Australian Capital Territory, often abbreviated ACT, is the capital territory of the Commonwealth of Australia and is the smallest self-governing internal territory...	20 August 1996 to 19 August 2002
21	Hon. Paul Calvert Paul Calvert Paul Henry Calvert, AO , Australian politician, was a Senator for Tasmania from 1987 to 2007, and was President of the Australian Senate from 2002 to 2007....	Lib, Tas	19 August 2002 to 13 August 2007
22	Hon. Alan Ferguson Alan Ferguson The Hon. Alan Baird Ferguson , Australian politician, has been a Liberal member of the Australian Senate since May 1992, representing South Australia. On 14 August 2007 Senator Ferguson became the 22nd President of the Australian Senate, succeeding Senator Paul Calvert of Tasmania...	Lib, SA	14 August 2007 to 25 August 2008
23	Hon. John Hogg John Hogg John Joseph Hogg is an Australian politician, and has been a member of the Australian Senate for the state of Queensland since July 1996, representing the Australian Labor Party. He was elected the 23rd President of the Senate on 26 August 2008.Hogg was born in Brisbane to Francis Patrick and...	ALP, QLD	26 August 2008 to Present

The current Deputy President is Senator Stephen Parry

Stephen Parry (politician)

Stephen Shane Parry , Australian politician, has been a Liberal Party member of the Australian Senate since July 2005, representing the state of Tasmania. He was elected Government Deputy Whip in the Senate in November 2006 and elected Government Whip in April 2007 in succession to the late...

(Lib, Tas)

External links

• The President of the Senate, Senate Brief No 6, October 2009