Speaker of the House of Representatives

The Speaker of the House of Representatives and the President of the Senate are both Presiding Officers. The Speaker is addressed as Mr or Madam Speaker.

Choosing the Speaker

All members of the House of Representatives vote to elect a new Speaker. This is conducted by a secret vote in the House after the official opening of Parliament following a federal election. The Speaker is a member with a lot of parliamentary experience, usually nominated by the government. They are expected to treat all members of the House fairly and equally. A Deputy Speaker is also elected to assist the Speaker. The major parliamentary parties nominate a panel of Acting Deputy Speakers to share the load of chairing the House of Representatives throughout the day.

House of Representatives role

The Speaker has several responsibilities within the House, including:

• running meetings of the House of Representatives, much like a chairperson runs a meeting
• making sure that the rules of the House of Representatives, known as the standing orders, are obeyed
• participating in ceremonial occasions, such as the hosting of foreign heads of state who address the Parliament.

Department role

When not in the House, the Speaker works in an office in the House of Representatives and has several responsibilities, including:

• overall responsibility for the Department of the House of Representatives, including budgets, staffing and allocation of offices to members of the House of Representatives
• working with the President of the Senate to ensure that many services in Parliament House are maintained, including broadcasting and computing services and the cleaning and upkeep of Parliament House and its surrounds
• representing the House of Representatives in dealings with the Senate, the government, the Governor-General, and other parliaments or foreign heads of state.

Representation in the House

The Speaker does not usually participate in debates. In accordance with section 40 of the Australian Constitution, they do not vote unless there is a tie, in which case the Speaker has the casting vote.

Speaker's Chair

The Speaker's Chair is located at one end of the House of Representatives facing the U-shaped seating. It is the focus of parliamentary meetings, positioned so the Speaker can see and hear everything that happens, and so everyone in the House can see the Speaker.

The Speaker's microphone is always switched on, unlike those of other members of the House. This means that the Speaker can always be heard and so is able to maintain order.

The Mace

The Mace is the symbol of the Speaker's authority to preside over meetings of the House of Representatives. It is placed on the central table in the House whenever the Speaker or their deputy is in the Chair and the House of Representatives is meeting.

History

The office of Speaker dates back to 13th century England. In early English parliaments the Speaker informed the monarch about the decisions of the Parliament. The role of the Speaker in those times was a dangerous one. Some Speakers were murdered, imprisoned or exiled as a result of speaking on behalf of a parliament that was beginning to challenge the authority of the monarch.

Although the Australian Constitution was drafted with reference to the English and United States (US) systems of parliamentary democracy, the role of the Speaker in the House of Representatives is different from that of English and US parliamentary presiding officers.