In Georgeland politics, the Leader of the Government in the Senate is the most senior member of the government who sits in the Senate of Georgeland. The position exists by convention only, and was not paid until 1964. Indeed, prior to 1924 the position was not recognised at all under standing orders.
The position is always held by a Cabinet minister who usually, but not always, also holds a senior ministerial portfolio. The only Leader in recent years who was not in charge of a department was John Saunderson, who was sacked as Attorney-General in 1997 but retained his leadership because the position was elected and he had the confidence of his party senators. Saunderson served in the cabinet without a portfolio until he resigned in 1999.
The title is held by the leader of the senators from the governing party, regardless of whether or not that party has a majority in the Senate. The Leader is assisted by a Deputy Leader and a Manager of Senate Business. His or her opposition equivalent is the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate.
The position is either appointed or elected, depending on the party. The Conservative Party of Georgeland and Liberal Democratic Party elect their Senate leadership, with all senators voting. The Liberal Democrats, however, had their Senate leaders appointed by the overall leader of the party from 2010 until 2019, when the practice of electing them was re-established.
Under normal circumstances, the position is given to the Senate leader of the governing party, or from the largest party in the governing coalition, in the same way the Prime Minister is leader of the largest governing party. In 2019, Dr Ryan Stone was chosen to fill the position by a joint ballot of both coalition parties, the Georgeland Alliance and Reform, even though Reform has fewer Senators and MPs than Reform. This was because Stone was leader of Reform and considered himself ineligible to become Deputy Prime Minister (although there is no constitutional reason for this to be the case). When Edwina Haggard, Stone's deputy and an MP, as well as being Deputy Prime Minister, was elected Reform leader in 2021, Stone stepped down from the position and Andrew Taylor, the Alliance senate leader and deputy to Stone in the Senate, assumed the role.
List of Leaders of the Government in the Senate[]
| No. | Leader | Term | Portfolio | Party | Prime Minister |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Patrick Cowley | 1 Jul 1891 -
16 Aug 1903 |
War | Conservative | Robert Pearce |
| 2 | George Elliot |
16 Aug 1903 - 23 Jun 1911 |
Finance
Trade |
Protectionist | Nicholas Turner |
| 3 | Richard Merton | 23 Jun 1911 -
11 Mar 1915 |
War | Labour | Eric Donaldson |
| 4 | William Abbott | 11 Mar 1915 -
16 Feb 1917 |
Postmaster-General | Conservative | Gregory Green |
| 5 | Henry Knight | 16 Feb 1917 -
17 Apr 1919 |
Home Affairs | Conservative | David Turner |
| 6 | Walter Williams | 17 Apr 1919 -
3 Dec 1921 |
Minister without Portfolio
Trade & Customs |
Conservative | David Turner |
| 7 | Charles Chester | 3 Dec 1921 -
3 Jan 1924 |
Works & Shipping | Conservative | Frederick Eccles |
| 8 | James Cox | 3 Jan 1924 -
1 Dec 1927 |
Trade & Customs
Postmaster-General |
Labour | Oscar Lyne |
| 9 | John Cummings | 1 Dec 1927 -
18 Apr 1928 |
Home Affairs | Labour | Oscar Lyne |
| - | Charles Chester | 18 Apr 1928 -
28 Jun 1931 |
Trade & Customs
Minister without Portfolio |
Conservative | Frederick Eccles |
| 10 | Walter Price-Murdoch | 28 Jun 1931 -
17 Jun 1938 |
Works & Shipping
Trade & Customs |
Conservative |
Frederick Eccles James Gray Bertram Powell |
| 11 | Stan Collings | 17 Jun 1938 -
9 Jan 1946 |
Postmaster-General
Trade & Customs Postmaster-General |
Labour | Fenton Thomas |
| 12 | John Hume | 9 Jan 1946 -
19 Jun 1950 |
Army | Labour | Fenton Thomas
Nathan Keegan |
| 13 | Alfred Brookes | 19 Jun 1950 -
27 Oct 1951 |
Defence | Conservative | Bradford Smith |
| 14 | John Walker | 27 Oct 1951 -
7 May 1954 |
Navy & Shipping | Conservative | Bradford Smith
Stanley Baynes |
| - | John Hume | 7 May 1954 -
7 Jul 1958 |
Shipping & Maritime Industry | Labour | Nathan Keegan |
| 15 | Clive Billings | 7 Jul 1958 -
9 Dec 1967 |
Agriculture | Conservative | Stanley Baynes
Thomas Hunter Zachary Tamworth |
| 16 | Reginald Keith | 6 Dec 1967 -
9 Sep 1970 |
Shipping & Maritime Industry | Conservative | Thomas Richardson |
| 17 | Norman Smith | 9 Sep 1970 -
11 May 1975 |
Urban Development & Works | Labour | Victor Howard
Bradley Van Goen |
| 18 | Maurice Diver | 11 May 1975 -
20 Aug 1978 |
Attorney-General | Labour | Bradley Van Goen
Noel Quarton |
| 19 | John Martin | 20 Aug 1978 -
4 Nov 1979 |
Agriculture | Labour | Noel Quarton |
| 20 | John Bishop | 4 Nov 1979 -
19 Dec 1983 |
Social Security | Conservative | Robert Fisch |
| 21 | John Martin | 16 Dec 1983 -
14 Jan 1992 |
Agriculture & Forestry Defence |
Labour | Noel Quarton |
| 22 | David Spratt | 14 Jan 1992 -
17 Feb 1995 |
Communications
Education & Science |
Labour | Noel Quarton |
| 23 | Bob Urman | 17 Feb 1995 - 11 Oct 1995 | Foreign Affairs | Conservative | Eric Edge |
| 24 | John Saunderson | 11 Oct 1995 -
14 Feb 1999 |
Attorney-General
None |
Labour | Charlton Robards |
| 25 | Sarah Atwater | 14 Feb 1999 -
14 May 1999 |
Defence | Labour | Charlton Robards |
| - | Bob Urman | 14 May 1999 -
9 Jun 1999 |
Foreign Affairs | Conservative | Michael Fisch |
| Sarah Atwater | 9 Jun 1999 -
14 Oct 2002 |
Defence | Liberal | Charlton Robards | |
| 26 | Lawrence Porter | 14 Oct 2002 -
26 Mar 2005 |
Home Affairs & Administration Defence |
Liberal
Liberal Democratic |
Charlton Robards |
| 27 | Janet Hunt | 26 Mar 2005 -
6 Jul 2007 |
Environment, Conservation & Resources
Trade Home Affairs & Administration |
Liberal Democratic | Charlton Robards
Zoe Parker |
| 28 | Stephen Hamer | 6 Jul 2007 -
13 Aug 2010 |
Foreign Affairs | Conservative | Luke Macaulay |
| - | Janet Hunt | 13 Aug 2010 -
28 Aug 2016 |
Health, Family & Community Services
Environment & Conservation Culture, Heritage & the Arts |
Liberal Democratic | Lawrence Porter
Deborah Robards |
| 29 | Mark Duffy | 28 Aug 2016 -
25 Jan 2019 |
Environment & Sustainability
Environment & Heritage |
Liberal Democratic | Deborah Robards |
| 30 | Victoria Englehart | 25 Jan 2019 - 1 Jul 2019 | Culture, Heritage & the Arts | Liberal Democratic | Clare Price |
| 31 | Dr Ryan Stone | 1 Jul 2019 - 14 Apr 2021 | Constitutional Affairs & Political Reform | Reform | Tom Elderton |
| 32 | Andrew Taylor | 14 Apr 2021 - | Foreign Affairs | Georgeland Alliance |
Deputy Leaders of the Government in the Senate[]
The first official Deputy Leader of the Government in the Senate was appointed in 1950; prior to this, another senator, usually appointed, would take the place of the Government Leader when necessary. Conservative senators elected John Walker as the deputy to Alfred Brookes in 1950 as Brookes was elderly and unwell for much of his tenure. As with the Leader, the Deputy Leader is either appointed or elected depending on the party and its practices.
| No. | Deputy Leader | Term | Portfolio | Party | Prime Minister | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | John Walker | 19 Jun 1950 - 27 Oct 1951 | Navy & Shipping | Conservative | Bradford Smith | ||||
| 2 | Clive Billings | 27 Oct 1951 - 7 May 1954 | Agriculture | Conservative | Bradford Smith
Stanley Baynes | ||||
| 3 | Jack Burley | 7 May 1954 - 7 Jul 1958 | Commerce & Labour | Labour | Nathan Keegan | ||||
| 4 | Roger Ross | 7 Jul 1958 - 16 Mar 1962 | Health | Conservative | Stanley Baynes | ||||
| 5 | John Mars | 16 Mar 1962 - 1 Jun 1963 | Attorney-General | Conservative | Stanley Baynes | ||||
| 6 | Max Denham-Silk | 1 Jun 1963 - 9 Dec 1967 | Works, Housing & Railways
Home Affairs |
Conservative |
Stanley Baynes Thomas Hunter Zachary Tamworth Thomas Richardson | ||||
| 7 | Roy Hancock | 9 Dec 1967 - 9 Sep 1970 | Works, Housing & Railways | Conservative | Thomas Richardson | ||||
| 8 | Maurice Diver | 9 Sep 1970 - 11 May 1975 | Regional Development
Attorney-General |
Labour | Victor Howard
Bradley Van Goen | ||||
| 9 | John Martin | 11 May 1975 - 26 Aug 1978 | Agriculture | Labour | Bradley Van Goen
Noel Quarton | ||||
| 10 | Ed Huber | 26 Aug 1978 - 4 Nov 1979 | Trade & Industry | Labour | Noel Quarton | ||||
| 11 | John Rockwell | 4 Nov 1979 - 19 Dec 1983 | Attorney-General | Conservative | Robert Fisch | ||||
| - | Ed Huber | 19 Dec 1983 - 16 Apr 1987 | Communications & Arts | Labour | Noel Quarton | ||||
| 12 | James Forthright | 16 Apr 1987 - 17 Jun 1990 | Transport & Development | Democratic | Noel Quarton | ||||
| 13 | Leo Simons | 17 Jun 1990 - 17 Feb 1995 | Transport & Development
Transport, Housing & Urban Development |
Democratic | Noel Quarton | ||||
| 14 | Tony Boyle | 17 Feb 1995 - 11 Oct 1995 | Family & Social Services | Conservative | Eric Edge | ||||
| 15 | Peter Brothers | 11 Oct 1995 - 14 May 1999 | Employment & Industrial Relations
Environment, Conservation & Resources |
Labour | Charlton Robards | ||||
| 16 | |||||||||