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You are here: Home > Students > Fact Sheet Series > 23 The Prime Minister

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Fact Sheets in alphabetical order A Day in Parliament A Day in the Life of an MP Adjournment Debate Amendments Bills and Acts Budget Cabinet Clerk Coalition Coat of Arms Constitution Crossing the Floor Despatch Box Double Dissolution Elections Estimates Federation Frontbenchers & Backbenchers Functions of Parliament Governor-General Hansard House of Representatives Independents Inside Parliament House Joint Sitting of Parliament Leader of the Opposition Mace Main Committee Media Members of Parliament Ministers Ministers & Shadow Ministers Parliament House Facts Parliamentary Committees Party Leadership Party Meetings Party Whip Passing a Bill Petitions Political Party Preparing a Bill for Parliament President of the Senate Prime Minister Private Members & Senators Prorogation & Dissolution Question Time Senate Senators Separation of Powers Serjeant-at-Arms Speaker Speaker's Chair Standing Orders Three Levels of Government Usher of the Black Rod Where Bills Come From Fact Sheets in numerical order 01 The Coat of Arms 02 Despatch Box 03 The Speaker's Chair 04 The Usher of the Black Rod 05 Adjournment Debate 06 Amendments 07 Party Leadership 08 Main Committee 09 Party Meetings 10 The Serjeant-at-Arms 11 The Mace 12 Coalition 13 Prorogation & Dissolution 14 Independents 15 Leader of the Opposition 16 President of the Senate 17 The Governor-General 18 House of Representatives 19 Cabinet 20 Members of Parliament 21 Ministers & Shadow Ministers 22 Political Party 23 The Prime Minister 24 The Media 25 The Senate 26 The Party Whip 27 A Day in Parliament 28 Bills & Acts 29 Functions of Parliament 30 The Speaker 31 The Consitution 32 Senators 33 Double Dissolution 34 Federation 35 Separation of Powers 36 Passing a Bill 37 Frontbenchers & Backbenchers 38 Crossing the Floor 39 Question Time 40 A Day in the Life of an MP 41 Elections 42 Estimates 43 Parliament House Facts 44 Hansard 45 Inside Parliament House 46 Joint Sitting of Parliament 47 Private Members & Senators 48 Ministers 49 Parliamentary Committees 50 Petitions 51 Preparing a Bill for Parliament 52 Standing Orders 53 The Budget 54 The Clerk 55 Three Levels of Government 56 Where Bills Come From

23 The Prime Minister

The Prime Minister is a Member of Parliament in the House of Representatives. He or she is also the leader of the majority political party in the House. In the House of Representatives, the Prime Minister sits at the centre table in front of the government.

The Prime Minister is the most powerful person in Parliament and has many tasks. These include:

• chairing the weekly party meeting in which the party decides policy and examines new legislation
• selecting other members and senators from the same party to be ministers
• deciding with the ministers in Cabinet what new laws should be introduced into Parliament
• leading the government as the chief government spokesperson in the House of Representatives
• representing the Australian government overseas
• advising the Governor-General about important appointments such as the appointment of ambassadors, heads of government departments and other constitutional matters, and
• deciding when to call an election and leading the party in the election.

The Prime Minister also has a major influence on party policies and how the government runs the country because of his or her power and experience.

At any time, the party can vote the Prime Minister out and replace him or her with another government member of Parliament. After this happens, the Prime Minister reverts to being a backbencher.

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