Australia/Prime Minister

Australia/Prime Minister  (Prime Minister)
Start	1 January 1901
Leader of	Australia
Deputy	Deputy Prime Minister of Australia
Website	http://www.pm.gov.au/
Leader of the Australia. Boss of the Deputy Prime Minister of Australia.

The Australian Prime Minister, according to convention, is the leader of the majority party or largest coalition party of the Australian House of Representatives. However, there is no requirement that the prime minister sit in the House of Representatives, or even be a member of parliament.

War powers

The Prime Minster can send Australian troops overseas without parliamentary approval. There is no requirement to debate the decision before it is announced. The power is part of the executive power laid out in section 61 of the Constitution.

Freemasonry

Several Australian Prime Minsters have been freemasons. The list is probably incomplete for recent Prime Ministers.

• Sir Edmund Barton GCMG, KC (1849-1920), 1^st Australian Prime Minister (1901-1903). Initiated into Australian Lodge of Harmony No 555 English Constitution on 13 March 1878.
• Sir George Reid GCB, GCMG, KC (1845-1918), 4^th Prime Minister of Australia, Lodge Centennial No. 169, UGL of NSW on 16 Nov 1896 ,
• Sir Joseph Cook GCMG (1860-1947) 6^th Prime Minister of Australia. Initiated into Lodge Independent No 8 UGLNSW 12 Feb 1892.
• Viscount Stanley Melbourne Bruce (1883- 1967) 8^th Prime Minister of Australia. Only Prime Minister to lose his seat at an election in 1929. First Australian to sit in the House of Lords. Initiated at Old Melbournians Lodge No 317 UGLV on 12 June 1925. Resigned 1960.
• Sir Earle Christmas Grafton Page GCMG, CH (1880-1961) 11th Prime Minister of Australia . Initiated at Lodge Prince Leopold No 87 UGLNSW on 4 Dec 1917
• Sir Robert Gordon Menzies KT AK CH FAA FRS QC (1894-1978), 12th Prime Minister of Australia, Initiated into Austral Temple Lodge No 110, UGLV on 10 March 1920. Received a 50 Year Jewel.
• Sir Arthur William Fadden GCMG (1894-1972) 13th Prime Minister of Australia . Initiated into Freemasonry at Caledonia Lodge No 737 Scottish Constitution in Queensland on 20 July 1915
• Sir John McEwen GCMG, CH (1900-1980) 18^th Prime Minister of Australia. Initiated into Freemasonry at Lauderdale Lodge No 361 UGLV on 28 July 1926, Master that Lodge 1936, conferred PSGD 1939
• Sir John Grey Gorton (1911-2002) 19^th Prime Minister of Australia. Initiated into Freemasonry at Kerrang Lodge No 100 UGLV on 5 Feb 1948. Resigned 1990
• Sir William McMahon GCMG, AC, CH (1908-1988) 20^th Prime Minister of Australia. Initiated at Lodge University of Sydney No 544 UGLNSW on 22 March 1974.

 

Office Holders on Wikispooks

Name	From	To	Description
Anthony Albanese	23 May 2022
Scott Morrison	24 August 2018	23 May 2022
Malcolm Turnbull	15 September 2015	24 August 2018
Tony Abbott	18 September 2013	15 September 2015
Kevin Rudd	27 June 2013	18 September 2013
Julia Gillard	24 June 2010	27 June 2013
Kevin Rudd	3 December 2007	24 June 2010
John Howard	11 March 1996	3 December 2007
Paul Keating	20 December 1991	11 March 1996
Bob Hawke	11 March 1983	20 December 1991
Malcolm Fraser	11 November 1975	11 March 1983
Gough Whitlam	5 December 1972	11 November 1975	Ousted by the CIA and MI6 in the Australian 1975 coup d'état
William McMahon	10 March 1971	5 December 1972
John Gorton	10 January 1968	10 March 1971
Harold Holt	26 January 1966	17 December 1967
Robert Menzies	19 December 1949	26 January 1966	Backed by a US-backed campaign against his opponent Ben Chifley, whose government was considered "unsafe"
Ben Chifley	13 July 1945	19 December 1949
Robert Menzies	26 April 1939	29 August 1941

 

Employees on Wikispooks

Employee	Job	Appointed	End
Duncan Lewis	UK/National Security Adviser	2008	2011
John McTernan	Director of Communications	September 2011	June 2013

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