Who is the most powerful person in parliament?

Thanks for your question, Emma. The short answer is it depends on what you mean by power.

In meetings of the Senate and House of Representatives, the Presiding Officers – the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives – have the most power. This is because senators and members, including the prime minister, can only speak with their permission. The Speaker of the House also has the power to suspend members from the House for one hour if they are disruptive.

As the leader of the government, the prime minister has the power to make day-to-day decisions about how Australia is run and to shape its future. The government introduces most bills – ideas for laws – in Parliament and once these laws are passed, it is up to the executive government – prime minister and ministers – to put these laws in action.