Deputy Prime Minister of Australia

Deputy Prime Minister of Australia
Ministry
Federal
Arms of Her Majesty's Australian Government
Incumbent Wayne Swan MP since 24 June 2010
Style	The Honourable
Appointed by	Quentin Bryce as Governor-General of Australia
First	John McEwen
Formation	10 January 1968
Term length	At Her Majesty's pleasure
Website	www.treasurer.gov.au

Australia

This article is part of a series about the Politics and government of Australia

Commonwealth • Queen (Elizabeth II) • Constitution Act • Statute of Westminster • Australia Act Executive • Governor-General (Quentin Bryce) • Prime Minister (Julia Gillard) • Cabinet • Federal Executive Council • Current ministry Legislative • Parliament    • Senate    • House of Representatives    • Opposition Leader (Tony Abbott) Judicial • High Court • Lower Courts Elections • Federal electoral system • Electoral divisions • Election of 1901 · 1903 - 1974 ·   1975 · 1977 · 1980 · 1983 · 1984 ·   1987 · 1990 · 1993 · 1996 · 1998 ·   2001 · 2004 · 2007 · 2010 · Next ·   By-elections

States/territories Executive • Governors and Administrators • Premiers and Chief Ministers • NSW · Vic · Qld · WA · SA · Tas ·   ACT · NT Legislative • Parliaments and Assemblies • State electoral systems

Local government • NSW · Vic · Qld · WA · SA · Tas · NT

Political parties Labor · Coalition (Liberal, National, LNP, CLP) · Greens · Family First ·

Foreign relations

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The Deputy Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia is the second-most senior officer in the Government of Australia. The Deputy Prime Ministership has been a ministerial portfolio since 1968, and the Deputy Prime Minister is appointed by the Governor-General on the advice of the Prime Minister.

The current Deputy Prime Minister is Labor politician Wayne Swan.

History

The office of Deputy Prime Minister was created in January 1968, as an honour for John McEwen, the long-serving leader of the Country Party (later renamed the National Party) and the immediately preceding caretaker Prime Minister. Prior to that time the term was sometimes used unofficially (without capital letters) for the second-highest ranking minister in the government.

In Labor governments, the Deputy Prime Minister is the party's deputy leader. In Liberal-National Coalition governments, the position has been held by the Leader of the National Party or its predecessors.

In November 2007, the Australian Labor Party won government and Julia Gillard became Australia's first female, and first foreign-born, Deputy Prime Minister.

Only two Deputy Prime Ministers have gone on to become Prime Minister: Paul Keating and Julia Gillard. In both cases, they succeeded incumbent prime ministers who lost the support of the Labor Party caucus mid-term.

Duties

The duties of the Deputy Prime Minister are to act on behalf of the Prime Minister in his or her absence overseas or on leave. The Deputy Prime Minister has always been a member of the Cabinet, and has always held at least one substantive portfolio. (It would be technically possible for a minister to hold only the portfolio of Deputy Prime Minister, but this has never happened.)

If the Prime Minister were to die, become incapacitated or resign, the Governor-General would normally appoint the Deputy Prime Minister as Prime Minister. If the governing or majority party had not yet elected a new leader, that appointment would be on an interim basis. Should a different leader emerge, that person would then be appointed Prime Minister.

Living former Deputy Prime Ministers

Nine former Deputy Prime Ministers of Australia are living: Doug Anthony (1971–72, 75-83), Lionel Bowen (1983–90), Paul Keating (1990–91), Brian Howe (1991–95), Kim Beazley (1995–96), Tim Fischer (1996–99), John Anderson (1999–2005), Mark Vaile (2005–07) and Julia Gillard (2007–10).

List of Deputy Prime Ministers of Australia

Name		Picture	Term of Office		Political party and position	Ministerial Offices	Prime Minister
	John McEwen		10 January 1968	5 February 1971	Country Leader 1958-71	Deputy Prime Minister Minister for Trade and Industry		John Gorton
	Doug Anthony		5 February 1971	10 March 1971	Country Leader 1971–84	Deputy Prime Minister Minister for Trade and Industry
			10 March 1971	5 December 1972				William McMahon
	Lance Barnard		5 December 1972	12 June 1974	Labor Deputy Leader 1967-74	Deputy Prime Minister Minister for Defence		Gough Whitlam
	Jim Cairns		12 June 1974	2 July 1975	Labor Deputy Leader 1974-75	Deputy Prime Minister Treasurer
	Frank Crean		2 July 1975	11 November 1975	Labor Deputy Leader 1975	Deputy Prime Minister Minister for Overseas Trade
	Doug Anthony		12 November 1975	11 March 1983	Country National Leader 1971–84	Deputy Prime Minister Minister for Trade and Industry		Malcolm Fraser
	Lionel Bowen		11 March 1983	4 April 1990	Labor Deputy Leader 1977-90	Deputy Prime Minister Minister for Trade Vice-President of the Executive Council Attorney-General		Bob Hawke
	Paul Keating		4 April 1990	3 June 1991	Labor Deputy Leader 1990-91	Deputy Prime Minister Treasurer
	Brian Howe		3 June 1991	20 June 1995	Labor Deputy Leader 1991-95	Deputy Prime Minister Minister for Health Minister for Housing Minister for Community Services Minister for Local Government Minister for Regional Affairs		Paul Keating
	Kim Beazley		20 June 1995	11 March 1996	Labor Deputy Leader 1995-96	Deputy Prime Minister Minister for Finance
	Tim Fischer		11 March 1996	20 July 1999	National Leader 1990-99	Deputy Prime Minister Minister for Trade		John Howard
	John Anderson		20 July 1999	6 July 2005	National Leader 1999-2005	Deputy Prime Minister Minister for Transport and Regional Development
	Mark Vaile		6 July 2005	3 December 2007	National Leader 2005-2007	Deputy Prime Minister Minister for Trade Minister for Transport and Regional Services
	Julia Gillard		3 December 2007	24 June 2010	Labor Deputy Leader 2006-2010	Deputy Prime Minister Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations Minister for Education Minister for Social Inclusion		Kevin Rudd
	Wayne Swan		24 June 2010		Labor Deputy Leader 2010-	Deputy Prime Minister Treasurer		Julia Gillard

External links

• The official site of the Deputy Prime Minister of Australia