Who is the speaker of the house, what do they do and how long do they hold that position?

The Speaker of the House of Representatives is a member of the House of Representatives. They are elected by a vote of all the members of the House to run the meetings of the House.

The Speaker has several responsibilities, including:

• running meetings of the House of Representatives
• making sure that the rules of the House of Representatives, known as the Standing Orders, are obeyed
• participating in ceremonial occasions
• overall responsibility for the Department of the House of Representatives.

The Speaker does not usually participate in debates and only votes if there is a tie.

The Speaker is usually elected by members of the government for the term of the parliament. They may continue as Speaker if the government is returned at the next election.