# List of whips in the Australian Senate

Whips have managed business and maintained party discipline for Australia's federal political parties in the Senate since Federation. The term has origins in the British parliamentary system.
Though the Remuneration Tribunal and parliamentary website refer to the senior Labor and Liberal whips as "chief" whips and their junior whips as "deputy whips", the parties tend to refer to the senior whips as "whips" when announcing their officeholders to the Senate. A number of Senate whips have gone on to serve as ministers, and several as Leader of the Government or Leader of the Opposition in the Senate.

## Australian Labor Party

In addition to those below, Kay Denman served as a deputy whip from 18 September to 31 December 1995, a period when one of Labor's two whips was on leave of absence while conducting parliamentary business overseas.
| Whip | Date | Leader |
| James Stewart | 21 May 1901 | Chris Watson |
| David O'Keefe | 29 April 1904 | Chris Watson |
| Hugh de Largie | 20 February 1907 | Chris Watson |
| Hugh de Largie | 20 February 1907 | Andrew Fisher |
| Rudolph Ready | 18 September 1914 | Andrew Fisher |
| Rudolph Ready | 18 September 1914 | Billy Hughes |
| Rudolph Ready | 18 September 1914 | Frank Tudor |
| Ted Needham | 8 May 1917 | Frank Tudor |
| Vacant | 1 July 1920 | Frank Tudor |
| Vacant | 1 July 1920 | Matthew Charlton |
| Ted Needham | 6 July 1923 | Matthew Charlton |
| Charles McHugh | 9 July 1926 | Matthew Charlton |
| Charles Graham | 28 September 1927 | Matthew Charlton |
| Charles Graham | 28 September 1927 | James Scullin |
| James Dunn | 14 August 1929 | James Scullin |
| Bert Hoare | 18 March 1931 | James Scullin |
| John V. MacDonald | 1 July 1935 | James Scullin |
| John V. MacDonald | 1 July 1935 | John Curtin |
| Bill Ashley | 20 September 1938 | John Curtin |
| Robert Clothier | 6 October 1941 | John Curtin |
| Robert Clothier | 6 October 1941 | Ben Chifley |
| Jack Critchley | 13 June 1950 | Ben Chifley |
| Jack Critchley | 13 June 1950 | H. V. Evatt |
| Sid O'Flaherty | 4 September 1957 | H. V. Evatt |
| Sid O'Flaherty | 4 September 1957 | Arthur Calwell |
| Whip | Date | Deputy Whip | Date | Deputy Whip | Date | Leader |
| Justin O'Byrne | 20 February 1962 | Bob Poke | 20 February 1962 | | | Arthur Calwell |
| Justin O'Byrne | 20 February 1962 | Bob Poke | 20 February 1962 | | | Gough Whitlam |
| Justin O'Byrne | 20 February 1962 | George Poyser | 18 December 1972 | | | Gough Whitlam |
| George Poyser | 10 June 1974 | Don Devitt | 10 June 1974 | | | Gough Whitlam |
| George Georges | 27 January 1976 | Gordon McIntosh | 27 January 1976 | | | Gough Whitlam |
| George Georges | 27 January 1976 | Gordon McIntosh | 27 January 1976 | | | Bill Hayden |
| Ted Robertson | 24 November 1980 | Kerry Sibraa | 24 November 1980 | | | Bill Hayden |
| Ted Robertson | 24 November 1980 | Gordon McIntosh | 10 March 1983 | | | Bob Hawke |
| Ted Robertson | 24 November 1980 | Gordon McIntosh | 10 March 1983 | Gerry Jones | 22 August 1985 | Bob Hawke |
| Gerry Jones | 14 September 1987 | Graham Maguire | 14 September 1987 | Jim McKiernan | 14 September 1987 | Bob Hawke |
| Gerry Jones | 14 September 1987 | Dominic Foreman | 4 November 1988 | Jim McKiernan | 14 September 1987 | Bob Hawke |
| Gerry Jones | 14 September 1987 | Dominic Foreman | 4 November 1988 | John Faulkner | 12 February 1991 | Bob Hawke |
| Gerry Jones | 14 September 1987 | Dominic Foreman | 4 November 1988 | John Faulkner | 12 February 1991 | Paul Keating |
| Gerry Jones | 14 September 1987 | Dominic Foreman | 4 November 1988 | Bryant Burns | 4 May 1993 | Paul Keating |
| Chris Evans | 20 March 1996 | Dominic Foreman | 4 November 1988 | Stephen Conroy | 30 April 1996 | Kim Beazley |
| Chris Evans | 20 March 1996 | Kay Denman | 24 September 1997 | Stephen Conroy | 30 April 1996 | Kim Beazley |
| Kerry O'Brien | 19 October 1998 | Kay Denman | 24 September 1997 | John Quirke | 19 October 1998 | Kim Beazley |
| Kerry O'Brien | 19 October 1998 | Kay Denman | 24 September 1997 | Joe Ludwig | 17 August 2000 | Kim Beazley |
| Susan Mackay | 22 November 2001 | Trish Crossin | 22 November 2001 | Geoff Buckland | 22 November 2001 | Simon Crean |
| Susan Mackay | 22 November 2001 | Trish Crossin | 22 November 2001 | Geoff Buckland | 22 November 2001 | Mark Latham |
| George Campbell | 22 October 2004 | Ruth Webber | 22 October 2004 | Geoff Buckland | 22 November 2001 | Mark Latham |
| George Campbell | 22 October 2004 | Ruth Webber | 22 October 2004 | Geoff Buckland | 22 November 2001 | Kim Beazley |
| George Campbell | 22 October 2004 | Ruth Webber | 22 October 2004 | Linda Kirk | 1 July 2005 | Kim Beazley |
| George Campbell | 22 October 2004 | Ruth Webber | 22 October 2004 | Linda Kirk | 1 July 2005 | Kevin Rudd |
| Kerry O'Brien | 3 December 2007 | Ruth Webber | 22 October 2004 | Dana Wortley | 3 December 2007 | Kevin Rudd |
| Kerry O'Brien | 3 December 2007 | Anne McEwen | 1 July 2008 | Don Farrell | 1 July 2008 | Kevin Rudd |
| Kerry O'Brien | 3 December 2007 | Anne McEwen | 1 July 2008 | Don Farrell | 1 July 2008 | Julia Gillard |
| Anne McEwen | 27 September 2010 | Carol Brown | 27 September 2010 | Helen Polley | 27 September 2010 | Julia Gillard |
| Anne McEwen | 27 September 2010 | Carol Brown | 27 September 2010 | Helen Polley | 27 September 2010 | Kevin Rudd |
| Anne McEwen | 27 September 2010 | Catryna Bilyk | 18 October 2013 | Anne Urquhart | 18 October 2013 | Bill Shorten |
| Anne Urquhart | 30 August 2016 | Catryna Bilyk | 18 October 2013 | Jenny McAllister | 30 August 2016 | Bill Shorten |
| Anne Urquhart | 30 August 2016 | Sam Dastyari | 3 February 2017 | Jenny McAllister | 30 August 2016 | Bill Shorten |
| Anne Urquhart | 30 August 2016 | Chris Ketter | 5 December 2017 | Jenny McAllister | 30 August 2016 | Bill Shorten |
| Anne Urquhart | 31 May 2022 |
| Anne Urquhart | 31 May 2022 | Raff Ciccone | 31 May 2022 |
| Anne Urquhart | 31 May 2022 | Raff Ciccone | 31 May 2022 | Louise Pratt | 31 May 2022 | Anthony Albanese |

### Notes

* ↑ Albert Gardiner was the only Labor senator from 1 July 1920 to December 1922.
* ↑ On 1 July 1935, the composition of the Senate changed such that there were three Labor senators. MacDonald was the whip, the others being leader and deputy leader of the party in the Senate. MacDonald died on 17 August 1935, and his replacement, Ben Courtice, was appointed in September. Courtice had to defend the seat at the federal election in October 1937, and he succeeded. In addition, two other Labor candidates won elections for casual Senate vacancies at that election, raising Labor's Senate caucus to five members. It is unclear if any of the five was elected whip for the 22 sitting days between November 1937 and the end of June 1938.
* 1 2 Later served as President of the Australian Senate.
* 1 2 Poyser and Devitt were the Labor whips in the 29th Parliament. The pre-sessional caucus was held on 10 June 1974.

## Coalition
### Liberal Party of Australia

| Whip | Date | Deputy Whip | Date | Leader |
| Unclear | 21 February 1945 | | | Robert Menzies |
| Annabelle Rankin | 1 July 1947 | | | Robert Menzies |
| Reg Wright | 21 February 1950 | | | Robert Menzies |
| Annabelle Rankin | 11 June 1951 | | | Robert Menzies |
| Malcolm Scott | 8 March 1966 | | | Harold Holt |
| Bob Cotton | 12 March 1968 | | | John Gorton |
| Reg Withers | 25 November 1969 | | | William McMahon |
| Harold Young | 16 August 1971 | | | William McMahon |
| Harold Young | 16 August 1971 | | | Billy Snedden |
| Harold Young | 16 August 1971 | Fred Chaney | 20 November 1974 | Billy Snedden |
| Fred Chaney | 8 April 1975 | Kathy Martin | 8 April 1975 | Malcolm Fraser |
| Fred Chaney | 8 April 1975 | Peter Baume | 11 October 1977 | Malcolm Fraser |
| Peter Baume | 28 February 1978 | John Knight | 1 March 1978 | Malcolm Fraser |
| John Knight | 25 November 1980 | Allan Rocher | 25 November 1980 | Malcolm Fraser |
| John Knight | 25 November 1980 | Bernie Kilgariff | 24 February 1981 | Malcolm Fraser |
| Bernie Kilgariff | 24 March 1981 | Andrew Thomas | 24 March 1981 | Malcolm Fraser |
| Bernie Kilgariff | 24 March 1981 | Margaret Reid | 18 November 1982 | Malcolm Fraser |
| Bernie Kilgariff | 24 March 1981 | Margaret Reid | 18 November 1982 | Andrew Peacock |
| Bernie Kilgariff | 24 March 1981 | Margaret Reid | 18 November 1982 | John Howard |
| Margaret Reid | 14 September 1987 | Sue Knowles | 14 September 1987 | John Howard |
| Margaret Reid | 14 September 1987 | Sue Knowles | 14 September 1987 | Andrew Peacock |
| Margaret Reid | 14 September 1987 | Sue Knowles | 14 September 1987 | John Hewson |
| Margaret Reid | 14 September 1987 | John Panizza | 4 May 1993 | John Hewson |
| Margaret Reid | 14 September 1987 | John Panizza | 4 May 1993 | Alexander Downer |
| Margaret Reid | 14 September 1987 | John Panizza | 4 May 1993 | John Howard |
| John Panizza | 9 May 1995 | Paul Calvert | 9 May 1995 | John Howard |
| Paul Calvert | 11 February 1997 | Bill Heffernan | 11 February 1997 | John Howard |
| Paul Calvert | 11 February 1997 | Helen Coonan | 10 November 1998 | John Howard |
| Paul Calvert | 11 February 1997 | Jeannie Ferris | 23 November 2001 | John Howard |
| Jeannie Ferris | 22 August 2002 | Alan Eggleston | 22 August 2002 | John Howard |
| Jeannie Ferris | 22 August 2002 | Stephen Parry | 11 September 2006 | John Howard |
| Stephen Parry | 12 April 2007 | Julian McGauran | 8 May 2007 | John Howard |
| Stephen Parry | 12 April 2007 | Judith Adams | 3 December 2007 | Brendan Nelson |
| Stephen Parry | 12 April 2007 | Judith Adams | 3 December 2007 | Malcolm Turnbull |
| Whip | Date | Deputy Whip | Date | Deputy Whip | Date | Leader |
| Stephen Parry | 12 April 2007 | Judith Adams | 3 December 2007 | David Bushby | 4 February 2009 | Malcolm Turnbull |
| Stephen Parry | 12 April 2007 | Judith Adams | 3 December 2007 | David Bushby | 4 February 2009 | Tony Abbott |
| Helen Kroger | 4 July 2011 | Judith Adams | 3 December 2007 | David Bushby | 4 February 2009 | Tony Abbott |
| Helen Kroger | 4 July 2011 | Chris Back | 8 May 2012 | David Bushby | 4 February 2009 | Tony Abbott |
| David Bushby | 1 July 2014 | Anne Ruston | 1 July 2014 | David Fawcett | 1 July 2014 | Tony Abbott |
| David Bushby | 1 July 2014 | Dean Smith | 13 October 2015 | David Fawcett | 1 July 2014 | Malcolm Turnbull |
| David Bushby | 1 July 2014 | Dean Smith | 13 October 2015 | Jane Hume | 7 September 2018 | Scott Morrison |
| Dean Smith | 22 January 2019 | Jonathon Duniam | 12 February 2019 | Jane Hume | 7 September 2018 | Scott Morrison |
| Wendy Askew | 26 July 2022 | Paul Scarr | 26 July 2022 | Matt O'Sullivan | 26 July 2022 | Peter Dutton |

#### Notes

* ↑ Allan MacDonald was elected the United Australia Party's Senate whip in October 1941. In parts of 1943, Oliver Uppill was acting whip due to MacDonald's illness. From July 1944, James McLachlan took over the duties associated with a whip, acting as a teller in divisions and requesting leave of absence for his party's senators. Except for periods when McLachlan was himself on leave and Burford Sampson performed those duties, McLachlan continued to act in the role of whip, suggesting he was elected to replace MacDonald in July 1944 (when senators elected at the 1943 election took their seats) and continued until June 1947, when he and all but one other Liberal were forced to vacate their seats following the party's electoral annihilation at the 1946.
* ↑ Dated from the announcement in the Senate of George McLeay that "[M]embers of the party which I have the honour to lead in this chamber, wish from henceforth to be regarded as members of the Liberal party of Australia."
* ↑ Wright was the whip during the 19 Parliament. In the early 1950s, Liberal Senate whips were elected, and party elections for the 19th Parliament were held on 21 February 1950.
* 1 2 3 4 5 6 Later served as President of the Australian Senate.

### National Country Party/National Party of Australia

| Whip | Date | Leader |
| Ron Maunsell | 27 February 1973 | Doug Anthony |
| Glen Sheil | 21 February 1980 | Doug Anthony |
| Stan Collard | 17 February 1981 | Doug Anthony |
| Stan Collard | 17 February 1981 | Ian Sinclair |
| Glen Sheil | 21 February 1985 | Ian Sinclair |
| Grant Tambling | 14 September 1987 | Ian Sinclair |
| Grant Tambling | 14 September 1987 | Charles Blunt |
| Grant Tambling | 14 September 1987 | Tim Fischer |
| David Brownhill | 1 July 1990 | Tim Fischer |
| Florence Bjelke-Petersen | 23 March 1993 | Tim Fischer |
| Bill O'Chee | 1 July 1993 | Tim Fischer |
| Julian McGauran | 1 July 1999 | John Anderson |
| Julian McGauran | 1 July 1999 | Mark Vaile |
| Nigel Scullion | 7 February 2006 | Mark Vaile |
| Fiona Nash | 6 February 2007 | Mark Vaile |
| Fiona Nash | 6 February 2007 | Warren Truss |
| John Williams | 22 September 2008 | Warren Truss |
| Bridget McKenzie | 13 September 2013 | Warren Truss |
| Barry O'Sullivan | 1 July 201 | Warren Truss |
| Matt Canavan | 10 September 2015 | Warren Truss |
| Barry O'Sullivan | 24 February 2016 | Barnaby Joyce |
| John Williams | 1 September 2016 | Barnaby Joyce |
| John Williams | 1 September 2016 | Michael McCormack |
| Perin Davey | 2 July 2019 | Michael McCormack |
| David Littleproud | Ross Cadell | 26 July 2022 |

## Australian Greens
### Western Australian Greens

In May 1996, following the 1996 election, the two members of the Western Australian Greens in the Senate announced they were to be whip and deputy whip of their party. The deputy whip, Christabel Chamarette, had lost her seat at the election, and left the Senate just over a month after the announcement. The party lost its other seat (and its whip) at the 1998 election, with her leaving office in June 1999. The party only merged with the Australian Greens in 2003, after it lost its senators.
| Whip | Date | Deputy Whip | Date |
| Dee Margetts | 20 May 1996 | Christabel Chamarette | 20 May 1996 |
| Dee Margetts | 20 May 1996 | None | 1 July 1996 |
| None | 1 July 1999 | None | 1 July 1996 |

### Australian Greens

The Australian Greens appointed their first whip in the Senate when the party increased from two to four members in 2005. She became entitled to a salary when the party increased to five members in 2008.
| Whip | Date | Leader |
| Rachel Siewert | 9 August 2005 | Bob Brown |
| Rachel Siewert | 9 August 2005 | Christine Milne |
| Rachel Siewert | 9 August 2005 | Richard Di Natale |
| Rachel Siewert | 9 August 2005 | Adam Bandt |
| Nick McKim | 15 September 2021 | Adam Bandt |

## Pauline Hanson's One Nation

One Nation first entered the Senate in 1999, but had only one seat and consequently did not elect a whip. The party's senator was defeated in 2004 and left the Senate in 2005. In 2016, four One Nation senators were elected, and the party elected a whip for the first time.
| Whip | Date | Leader |
| Brian Burston | 1 September 2016 | Pauline Hanson |
| Peter Georgiou | 24 May 2018 | Pauline Hanson |

## Nick Xenophon Team

Senator Nick Xenophon entered the Senate as an independent in 2008. In 2016 he ran as part of the Nick Xenophon Team, which saw Xenophon and two of his running mates (and a lower house MP) elected, so the Nick Xenophon Team elected a whip.
| Whip | Date | Leader |
| Skye Kakoschke-Moore | 1 September 2016 | Nick Xenophon |

## Democratic Labour Party

The Democratic Labour Party (until 2013 the Democratic Labor Party) elected its first whip in 1968, when its membership increased from two to four. The party continued to do so until 1974, when the party lost all its seats at the double dissolution election. The party re-entered the Senate following the 2010 election, but did not have a whip as it only had one senator, who left the party in 2014.
| Whip | Date | Leader |
| Condon Byrne | 13 August 1968 | Vince Gair |
| Jack Little | 10 October 1973 | Frank McManus |
| None | 10 May 1974 | |

## Palmer United Party

The Palmer United Party won three Senate seats at the 2013 election, the new senators taking their seats on 1 July 2014. Two of the three had left within a year, but the remaining senator retained the position of whip until his defeat in 2016.
| Whip | Date | Leader |
| Zhenya Wang | 1 July 2014 | Glenn Lazarus |
| None | 9 May 2016 |

## Defunct
### Free Trade/Anti-Socialist Party (1901–09)

| Whip | Date | Leader |
| John Clemons | 1901 | George Reid |
| Henry Dobson | 21 November 1907 | George Reid |
| Thomas Chataway | 26 November 1908 | Joseph Cook |

### Protectionist Party (1901–09)

| Whip | Date | Leader |
| None | 1901 | Edmund Barton |
| John Keating | by 30 April 1902 | Edmund Barton |
| None | by 5 July 1905 | Alfred Deakin |

### Commonwealth Liberal Party (1909–17)

| Whip | Date | Leader |
| Thomas Chataway | 21 June 1909 | Alfred Deakin |
| Thomas Chataway | 21 June 1909 | Joseph Cook |
| Unclear | 1 July 1913 | Joseph Cook |

### National Labor (1916–17)

| Whip | Date | Leader |
| Hugh de Largie | 14 November 1916 | Billy Hughes |

### Nationalist Party of Australia (1917–31)

| Whip | Date | Leader |
| Hugh de Largie | 13 June 1917 | Billy Hughes |
| Edmund Drake-Brockman | 10 February 1923 | Stanley Bruce |
| Walter Duncan | c. 3 July 1925 | Stanley Bruce |
| Harry Foll | 1 July 1926 | Stanley Bruce |
| Harry Foll | 1 July 1926 | John Latham |

### United Australia Party (1931–45)

| Whip | Date | Leader |
| Harry Foll | 7 May 1931 | Joseph Lyons |
| George McLeay | 29 November 1937 | Joseph Lyons |
| Dick Dein | 7 November 1938 | Joseph Lyons |
| Dick Dein | 7 November 1938 | Robert Menzies |
| Allan MacDonald | 8 October 1941 | Billy Hughes |
| Allan MacDonald | 8 October 1941 | Robert Menzies |
| James McLachlan | July 1944? | Robert Menzies |

### Australian Democrats (1977–2015)

The Australian Democrats first elected a whip in 1981, reflecting an increase from two to five of the party's Senate membership. The party lost all its seats at the 2007 election, and its senators duly left their seats the following June.
| Whip | Date | Leader |
| Michael Macklin | by 19 November 1981 | Don Chipp |
| Michael Macklin | by 19 November 1981 | Janine Haines |
| Paul McLean | by 31 October 1989 | Janine Haines |
| Paul McLean | by 31 October 1989 | Janet Powell |
| Vicki Bourne | 3 September 1991 | John Coulter |
| Vicki Bourne | 3 September 1991 | Cheryl Kernot |
| Vicki Bourne | 3 September 1991 | Meg Lees |
| Vicki Bourne | 3 September 1991 | Natasha Stott Despoja |
| Lyn Allison | 1 July 2002 | Andrew Bartlett |
| Andrew Bartlett | 13 December 2004 | Lyn Allison |
| None | 1 July 2008 | |

#### Notes

* ↑ Keating was initially appointed to act for the ministry, not the party, solely during the pendency of the tariff bill. However, he seems to have acted as a more traditional whip by the press during that session. Keating continued as whip into the following session, though it is not clear whether the arrangement persisted when the Protectionists went into opposition in 1904. At the latest, Keating ceased to be whip upon becoming a minister in July 1905. No Government whip was appointed.
* ↑ Chataway's term as a senator ended on 30 June 1913. In June 1913, immediately before the formation of the Cook Ministry, there was speculation Senator Keating would become whip, but this does not appear to have eventuated. The Liberals may have chosen not to appoint a whip because they had only seven (of 36) senators, three of whom were in the ministry. This proposition receives some support from a mocking question asked by Senator Ready, the Labor whip: "I should like the Honorary Minister to inform the Senate who is the Whip of the large party sitting opposite?" The only answer came from a fellow Labor senator, James Long, who said, "They are all crackers. I do not know who is Whip." Various Liberals acted as teller during the Cook government, and while Thomas Bakhap and Charles Oakes did so the most, there is no evidence from Hansard that either was the whip. Following the 1914 double dissolution, the Liberals' numbers in the Senate fell to five.
* ↑ Senator de Largie was the National Labor whip, continued as Senate whip after the formation of the National Labor and Liberal coalition in February 1917, and remained whip after the parties merged on 13 June 1917.
* ↑ McLeay was in post by 4 December 1937, and caucus elections were held and portfolios assigned on 29 November.
* ↑ From July 1944, James McLachlan took over the duties associated with a whip, acting as a teller in divisions and requesting leave of absence for his party's senators. Except for periods when McLachlan was himself on leave and Burford Sampson performed those duties, McLachlan continued to act in the role of whip, suggesting he was elected to replace MacDonald in July 1944 (when senators elected at the 1943 election took their seats) and continued until June 1947, when he and all sitting Liberal were forced to vacate their seats following the party's electoral annihilation at the 1946.