# Leader of the House (Australia)

In the Parliament of Australia, the Leader of the House is the government minister responsible for the management of government business in the House of Representatives, including the order in which the Government's agenda is to be dealt with, tactical matters in reaction to impediments to such management, negotiation with the Opposition's counterpart (the Manager of Opposition Business in the House) about the order in which bills are to be debated, and the time allotted for debates. The position is currently held by Tony Burke since June 2022.
As the Australian Parliament is bicameral, the Leader of the House must also be aware of developments in the Senate, for example, in order to anticipate whether a bill may be returned to the House with amendments.
The office was created in 1951 by the Prime Minister at the time, Robert Menzies. The Leader of the House and the Deputy Leader are appointed by the Prime Minister. The Deputy Leader's duties are largely contingent, coming into play only when the Leader of the House is absent from the House or is on leave, when they are referred to as Acting Leader of the House.
In the incumbent Albanese ministry, which took office in 2022, Tony Burke is the Leader of the House and Mark Butler his deputy. During the preceding Morrison ministry, Burke and Butler were the Manager of Opposition Business and Deputy Manager respectively.

## List of Leaders of the House

The following individuals have been appointed as Leader of the Australian House of Representatives:
| Order | Minister | Party | Prime Minister | Portfolio | Term start | Term end | Time in office |
| 1 | Sir Eric Harrison | Liberal | Menzies | Vice-President of the Executive Council Minister for Defence Production Minister for Army Minister for the Navy | 11 May 1951 | September 1956 | 5 years, 4 months |
| 2 | Harold Holt | Liberal | Menzies | Treasurer Minister for Labour and National Service | September 1956 | 26 January 1966 | 9 years, 4 months |
| 3 | Sir David Fairbairn | Liberal | Holt | Minister for National Development | 26 January 1966 | October 1966 | 9 months |
| 4 | Billy Snedden | Liberal | Holt | Minister for Immigration | February 1967 | November 1968 | 1 year, 9 months |
| 4 | Billy Snedden | Liberal | McEwen | Minister for Immigration | February 1967 | November 1968 | 1 year, 9 months |
| 4 | Billy Snedden | Liberal | Gorton | Minister for Immigration | February 1967 | November 1968 | 1 year, 9 months |
| 5 | Dudley Erwin | Liberal | Gorton | Minister for the Air | February 1969 | September 1969 | 7 months |
| (4) | Billy Snedden | Liberal | Gorton | Minister for Labour and National Service | November 1969 | 10 March 1971 | 1 year, 4 months |
| 6 | Reginald Swartz | Liberal | McMahon | Minister for National Development | 10 March 1971 | August 1972 | 1 year, 5 months |
| 7 | Don Chipp | Liberal | McMahon | Minister for Customs and Excise | 15 August 1972 | 5 December 1972 | 112 days |
| 8 | Fred Daly | Labor | Whitlam | Minister for Services and Property Minister for Administrative Services | 5 December 1972 | 22 December 1975 | 3 years, 17 days |
| 9 | Ian Sinclair | National Country | Fraser | Minister for Primary Industry | 22 December 1975 | 27 September 1979 | 3 years, 279 days |
| 10 | Ian Viner | Liberal | Fraser | Minister for Employment and Youth Affairs | 27 September 1979 | 19 August 1980 | 327 days |
| (9) | Ian Sinclair | National Country | Fraser | Minister for Special Trade Representations Minister for Communications | 19 August 1980 | 7 May 1982 | 1 year, 261 days |
| 11 | James Killen | Liberal | Fraser | Vice-President of the Executive Council | 7 May 1982 | 11 March 1983 | 308 days |
| 12 | Mick Young | Labor | Hawke | Special Minister of State Vice-President of the Executive Council | 11 March 1983 | 14 July 1983 | 125 days |
| 13 | Lionel Bowen | Labor | Hawke | Deputy Prime Minister Vice-President of the Executive Council | 14 July 1983 | 21 January 1984 | 191 days |
| (12) | Mick Young | Labor | Hawke | Special Minister of State Minister for Immigration and Ethnic Affairs Minister for Immigration, Local Government and Ethnic Affairs Vice-President of the Executive Council Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for Multicultural Affairs | 21 January 1984 | 12 February 1988 | 4 years, 22 days |
| 14 | Kim Beazley | Labor | Hawke | Vice-President of the Executive Council Minister for Defence Minister for Transport and Communications Minister for Employment, Education and Training Minister for Finance Deputy Prime Minister | 15 February 1988 | 11 March 1996 | 8 years, 25 days |
| 14 | Kim Beazley | Labor | Keating | Vice-President of the Executive Council Minister for Defence Minister for Transport and Communications Minister for Employment, Education and Training Minister for Finance Deputy Prime Minister | 15 February 1988 | 11 March 1996 | 8 years, 25 days |
| 15 | Peter Reith | Liberal | Howard | Minister for Industrial Relations Minister for Workplace Relations and Small Business Minister for Employment, Workplace Relations and Small Business Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Public Service Minister for Defence | 11 March 1996 | 8 October 2001 | 5 years, 211 days |
| 16 | Tony Abbott | Liberal | Howard | Minister for Employment, Workplace Relations and Small Business Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations Minister Assisting the Prime Minister for the Public Service Minister for Health and Ageing | 12 February 2002 | 17 October 2007 | 5 years, 247 days |
| 17 | Anthony Albanese | Labor | Rudd | Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy Minister for Regional Development and Local Government Deputy Prime Minister | 12 February 2008 | 5 August 2013 | 5 years, 174 days |
| 17 | Anthony Albanese | Labor | Gillard | Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy Minister for Regional Development and Local Government Deputy Prime Minister | 12 February 2008 | 5 August 2013 | 5 years, 174 days |
| 17 | Anthony Albanese | Labor | Rudd | Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy Minister for Regional Development and Local Government Deputy Prime Minister | 12 February 2008 | 5 August 2013 | 5 years, 174 days |
| 18 | Christopher Pyne | Liberal | Abbott | Minister for Education / Minister for Education and Training Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science Minister for Defence Industry Minister for Defence | 12 November 2013 | 11 April 2019 | 5 years, 150 days |
| 18 | Christopher Pyne | Liberal | Turnbull | Minister for Education / Minister for Education and Training Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science Minister for Defence Industry Minister for Defence | 12 November 2013 | 11 April 2019 | 5 years, 150 days |
| 18 | Christopher Pyne | Liberal | Morrison | Minister for Education / Minister for Education and Training Minister for Industry, Innovation and Science Minister for Defence Industry Minister for Defence | 12 November 2013 | 11 April 2019 | 5 years, 150 days |
| 19 | Christian Porter | Liberal | Morrison | Attorney-General Minister for Industrial Relations | 29 May 2019 | 30 March 2021 | 1 year, 305 days |
| 20 | Peter Dutton | Liberal | Morrison | Minister for Defence | 30 March 2021 | 23 May 2022 | 1 year, 54 days |
| 21 | Tony Burke | Labor | Albanese | Minister for Employment and Workplace relations Minister for the Arts | 1 June 2022 | Incumbent | 2 years, 202 days |
Note: For terms during the period 1951 to 1972, exact dates are taken from changes in Prime Minister. Other dates coincide with sitting periods of the House as an approximation of when terms began and ended.