Prime Minister Of Australia
The Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia is the highest minister of the Crown, leader of the Cabinet and head of government, holding office on commission from the Governor-General of Australia. The office of Prime Minister is, in practice, the most powerful political office in Australia. Despite being at the apex of executive government in the country, the office is not mentioned in the Constitution of Australia specifically and exists through an unwritten political convention.
Barring exceptional circumstances, the prime minister is always the leader of the political party or coalition with majority support in the House of Representatives. The only case where a senator was appointed prime minister was that of John Gorton, who subsequently resigned his Senate position and was elected as a member of the House of Representatives (Senator George Pearce was acting prime minister for seven months in 1916 while Billy Hughes was overseas).
Julia Gillard is the current Prime Minister, leader of the Australian Labor Party, and the first female Prime Minister of Australia.
Read more about Prime Minister Of Australia: Appointment, Powers, Salary and Benefits, List of Prime Ministers, Graphical Timeline, Living Former Prime Ministers, Religious Beliefs, Convictions, Births and Deaths, Ages, Post-office Longevity
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