Speaker of the Australian House of Representatives facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Speaker of the House of Representatives
Incumbent The Hon. Tony Smith since 10 August 2015
Style	The Honourable (formal) Mister/Madam Speaker (informal)
Appointer	Elected by the House of Representatives
Term length	As long as the House wants Elected by the House at the start of each Parliament, and if the job becomes empty
Constituting instrument	Section 35 of the Constitution of Australia
Inaugural holder	Sir Frederick Holder 9 May 1901
Formation	9 July 1900
Deputy	Llew O'Brien (since 10 February 2020)
Salary	$369,700 (2019–20)

The Speaker of the House of Representatives is like the referee or leader of the House of Representatives. This is the main part of the Parliament of Australia where laws are made. The person in charge of the other part, the Senate, is called the President of the Senate.

The current Speaker is Tony Smith. So far, three women have been Speaker: Joan Child, Anna Burke, and Bronwyn Bishop. The job of Speaker was created by Australia's rulebook, the Constitution of Australia. It's a role that was inspired by the House of Commons of the United Kingdom in Britain.

How is the Speaker Elected?

The Speaker is chosen by the members of the House of Representatives. They vote in a secret ballot. The person in charge of the election is the Clerk of the Australian House of Representatives. There must always be a Speaker. If the job becomes empty, an election must happen before the Parliament can do anything else.

In Australia, the Speaker usually stays an active member of their political party. They still go to party meetings. When there's a general election, they run as a candidate for their party. However, two Speakers, Sir Frederick Holder and Peter Slipper, left their parties and became independent.

Sometimes, a Speaker might face opposition in a general election. Three Speakers have lost their seats in elections: Groom in 1929, Nairn in 1943, and Aston in 1972. The Speaker is usually from the party that forms the government. So, if the government changes, the Speaker usually changes too. The opposition party sometimes suggests one of their own members for Speaker. This is a symbolic act, as the government party always supports its own candidates.

Speakers do not have to leave Parliament when their term ends. Two former Speakers, Makin and Scholes, later became government ministers. Most Speakers have been long-serving members of their parties. Some have even been former government ministers or state leaders.

Where Did the Name "Speaker" Come From?

The name "Speaker" comes from old times in the House of Commons in England. "Mr Speaker" was the Member of Parliament chosen to speak for all the other members to the king. The first time the word "speaker" was used was in 1377.

In the past, kings were very powerful. They would often call Parliament together only to ask for new taxes. The Speaker would tell the king what Parliament had decided. This could be dangerous if it wasn't what the king wanted to hear. Some early Speakers were even killed. This is why, even today, when a new Speaker is elected, they pretend to be unwilling to take the job. In Australia, this tradition continues with the new Speaker being walked to their chair by other members.

What Does the Speaker Do?

The Speaker's main job is to be in charge of the House of Representatives. They are helped by two Deputy Speakers and a group of Acting Speakers. One Deputy Speaker is chosen from an opposition party. These helpers often take charge during regular debates.

The Speaker's role includes:

• Keeping order in the House.
• Making sure the rules (called Standing Orders) are followed.
• Making decisions on questions about the rules.
• Protecting the rights of all members, especially those who are not ministers.
• Managing Parliament House, along with the President of the Senate.

Australian parliaments can sometimes be very noisy, and members might not behave well. The Speaker has powers to control their behaviour using the Standing Orders. The Speaker can tell a member to leave the House for one hour. For more serious rule-breaking, the Speaker can "name" a member. This means the Speaker says, "I name the Honourable Member for X." (Members are always called by the name of their electorate in Parliament). The House then votes on whether to remove the member for 24 hours. In the past, the House could even permanently remove a member, but a new law in 1987 stopped this.

Is the Speaker Fair?

Australian Speakers are expected to be impartial, meaning they should be fair and not take sides. They do not join in debates, and they usually do not vote. They only vote if there is a rare tie. They also do not speak publicly about party politics, except during their own election campaigns.

Even though it's not an active political job, Speakers see it as their duty to help the government pass its laws. They usually agree with the government on rule questions raised by opposition members. If members are unhappy with the Speaker, they can try to pass motions of disagreement or even no confidence. These motions almost always fail because members vote to support their own party.

There have been some famous disagreements between Speakers and the government:

• In 1929, Speaker Sir Littleton Groom refused to come into the House and vote. His vote would have saved the Bruce government from losing. He was removed from his party and lost his seat in the next election.
• In 1975, the Whitlam government did not support Speaker Jim Cope when he named a government minister. The Speaker resigned right away. This was the only time a government failed to support a Speaker after a member was named.
• In 1982, Speaker Sir Billy Snedden refused to make Bob Hawke take back his claim that the Prime Minister was a liar. Snedden stood firm, even though government members demanded that Hawke be made to take back his words or be named.

In 2011, Speaker Harry Jenkins stayed in his job even after the House did not support his decision to name a Liberal MP. The government wanted the MP to be suspended, but he was supported by other parties and independent members. The vote to suspend the MP failed. Normally, the Speaker would have resigned, but the House immediately voted to show confidence in Speaker Jenkins, and he continued in office.

Speakers Not From the Government

Sometimes, Speakers have not been members of the government party. Peter Slipper, a former LNP member, became an independent when the Labor government offered him the job in 2011. Frederick Holder was elected for the Free Trade Party in 1901. He left his party and was an independent Speaker until he died in 1909.

After the 1940 election, Walter Nairn from the United Australia Party was Speaker during John Curtin's Labor government. Opposition MP Carty Salmon was Speaker for Andrew Fisher's Labor government after the 1910 election. In 1913, Charles McDonald from the Labor party was asked to stay as Speaker by the new government, but he refused. He became Speaker again after Labor won the 1914 election. McDonald kept the job even when the Nationalist Party took over the government.

What Benefits Does the Speaker Get?

A member elected as Speaker is given the title 'The Honourable'. With the Queen's approval, they can use this title for life. It is usually given only to those who have been Speaker for three years or more. Harry Jenkins was the first Speaker to ask that "The Hon." not be used for him.

George Mackay as Speaker (1932–1934), wearing the full traditional dress.

Following the House of Commons of the United Kingdom, the Speaker's traditional clothing is formal court dress. This can include a black silk gown, a special collar, a lace jabot (a frilly neck decoration), and a full-bottomed wig. The wig used by the Speaker was given by Herbert 'Doc' Evatt in 1951. He had worn it when he was a High Court judge. The wig is now on loan to the Museum of Australian Democracy. On formal occasions, Speakers might also wear court shoes and special stockings.

The Speaker's clothing has often changed depending on the political party in power. However, it is the Speaker's personal choice. All Labor party Speakers have worn business suits, following the example of their first Speaker, Charles McDonald.

Today, the Speaker no longer wears the full traditional dress. Billy Snedden (1976–1983) was the last Speaker to do so. Labor Speakers wore normal business clothes from 1983 until 1996. The new Speaker Bob Halverson chose to wear the court dress in 1996, but without the wig. Speaker Ian Sinclair chose to wear normal business clothes in 1998. However, Speakers Andrew and Hawker brought back wearing the silk gown. Speaker Jenkins returned to the Labor practice of normal clothes from 2007. Speaker Peter Slipper wore traditional dress with a tie. Speaker Anna Burke went back to wearing normal business clothes.

List of Speakers

Images for kids

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  The Speaker's chair in the House of Representatives.

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  Sir Littleton Groom (Speaker 1926–1929) standing by the Speaker's chair in Old Parliament House, Canberra, in traditional Speaker's clothing.

See also

In Spanish: Presidente de la Cámara de Representantes de Australia para niños