President of the Senate (Australia) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids President of the Senate
Flag of Australia
Commonwealth Coat of Arms
Incumbent Sue Lines since 26 July 2022
Australian Senate
Style	The Honourable
Appointer	Elected by the Senate
Inaugural holder	Sir Richard Baker
Formation	9 May 1901
Deputy	Senator Andrew McLachlan
Salary	A$369,674
Website	aph.gov.au

The President of the Senate is a very important person in the Australian Senate. The Senate is like the "upper house" of Australia's Parliament. Think of it as one of the two main groups where laws are made.

The President's job is to lead the Senate meetings. They make sure everyone follows the rules. They also decide which senators can speak. This role helps keep order during important discussions. The President also makes sure all Senate rules are followed.

This job was created in 1901. The current President is Sue Lines. She was chosen on July 26, 2022.

Senators choose one of their own to be President. This happens when a new group of senators starts. It also happens if the job becomes empty. Usually, the person chosen is from the party that leads the government. But this is not always the case.

Choosing the President

Rules for Choosing

The rules for choosing the President are in Australia's Constitution. Section 17 says:

The Senate must choose a senator to be the President. This happens before they do any other work. If the President's job becomes empty, they must choose a new one. The President stops being President if they stop being a senator. They can be removed by a vote of the Senate. They can also quit their job or their seat by writing to the Governor-General.

How the President is Chosen

The Senate chooses its President by a secret vote. This means no one knows who voted for whom. The Clerk of the Senate helps with this process.

The President's job is usually held by someone from a political party. The person nominated by the government party is almost always chosen. But the government does not always have the most senators. So, it's not always guaranteed.

The President also has a helper. This person is called the Deputy President. Usually, the government picks the President. The main opposition party picks the Deputy President. If only one person is nominated for each job, there is no need for a vote.

What the President Does

Parliamentary Duties

The President's main job is to lead the Senate. They keep order during meetings. They make sure everyone follows the Standing Orders. These are the official rules of how the Senate works. The President also protects the rights of all senators.

The Deputy President and other acting Deputy Presidents help the President. They often lead during regular discussions.

The Senate is usually not as noisy as other government groups in Australia. So, the President does not often need to use strong powers to keep order.

The President can vote like any other senator. But they do not have an extra "casting vote" if there is a tie. If there's a tie, the idea fails. This is because the Senate represents each state. Taking away the President's vote would mean one state loses a vote.

Managing the Senate

The President of the Senate is also in charge of the Department of the Senate. This is one of the four groups that help Parliament run. The President helps manage the budget for this department. They also look after how it is set up.

The President also works with the Speaker of the House of Representatives. Together, they manage Parliament House. This includes all the buildings and services for Parliament.

Special Ceremonial Duties

The President of the Senate has a high rank in Australia's official order of importance. They are usually ranked just before or after the Speaker of the House.

The President takes part in the official opening of Parliament. They also travel overseas to represent Australia's Parliament. They welcome important visitors from other countries.

Salary

The President of the Senate gets a salary. This amount is decided by a group called the Remuneration Tribunal. This group is independent.

As of July 1, 2019, a senator's basic salary is A$211,242. The President gets an extra amount. This extra amount is 75% of the basic salary, which is A$158,432. So, the total salary for the President is A$369,674 each year. They also get other benefits like other senators.

Past Presidents of the Senate

Since 1901, there have been 27 Presidents of the Senate. Many of them have come from states with fewer people. These include Western Australia, South Australia, Tasmania, and the Australian Capital Territory.

All Senate Presidents have been members of major political parties. But they were not always from the party that was leading the government.

No.	Image	Name	Party		State	Term start	Term end
1		Sir Richard Baker		Free Trade	South Australia	9 May 1901	31 December 1906
2		(Sir) Albert Gould		Free Trade / Anti-Socialist	New South Wales	20 February 1907	30 June 1910
				Liberal
3		Harry Turley		Labor	Queensland	1 July 1910	8 July 1913
4		Thomas Givens		Labor	Queensland	9 July 1913	30 June 1926
				National Labor
				Nationalist
5		Sir John Newlands		Nationalist	South Australia	1 July 1926	13 August 1929
6		Walter Kingsmill		Nationalist	Western Australia	14 August 1929	30 August 1932
				United Australia
7		Patrick Lynch		United Australia	Western Australia	31 August 1932	30 June 1938
8		John Hayes		United Australia	Tasmania	1 July 1938	30 June 1941
9		James Cunningham		Labor	Western Australia	1 July 1941	4 July 1943
10		Gordon Brown		Labor	Queensland	23 September 1943	19 March 1951
11		Ted Mattner		Liberal	South Australia	12 June 1951	7 September 1953
12		(Sir) Alister McMullin		Liberal	New South Wales	8 September 1953	30 June 1971
13		Sir Magnus Cormack		Liberal	Victoria	17 August 1971	11 April 1974
14		Justin O'Byrne		Labor	Tasmania	9 July 1974	11 November 1975
15		(Sir) Condor Laucke		Liberal	South Australia	17 February 1976	30 June 1981
16		(Sir) Harold Young		Liberal	South Australia	18 August 1981	4 February 1983
17		Doug McClelland		Labor	New South Wales	21 April 1983	23 January 1987
18		Kerry Sibraa		Labor	New South Wales	17 February 1987	31 January 1994
19		Michael Beahan		Labor	Western Australia	1 February 1994	30 June 1996
20		Margaret Reid		Liberal	ACT	20 August 1996	18 August 2002
21		Paul Calvert		Liberal	Tasmania	19 August 2002	14 August 2007
22		Alan Ferguson		Liberal	South Australia	14 August 2007	25 August 2008
23		John Hogg		Labor	Queensland	26 August 2008	30 June 2014
24		Stephen Parry		Liberal	Tasmania	7 July 2014	2 November 2017
25		Scott Ryan		Liberal	Victoria	13 November 2017	13 October 2021
26		Slade Brockman		Liberal	Western Australia	18 October 2021	26 July 2022
27		Sue Lines		Labor	Western Australia	26 July 2022	Incumbent

The Deputy President

Andrew McLachlan (Lib), Deputy President of the Senate since July 2022

The Senate also chooses a Deputy President. Their full title is Deputy President and Chairman of Committees. Before 1981, they were just called "Chairman of Committees." The name changed to better describe their job.

This job is not in the Constitution. It comes from the Senate's own rules. The Deputy President's main jobs are to lead "committees of the whole." These are special meetings where all senators discuss a bill in detail. The Deputy President also leads meetings when the President is away.

List of Deputy Presidents

There have been 37 Deputy Presidents of the Senate. Two people have held the job more than once.

See also

• Clerk of the Australian Senate