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131-550: John Christian Watson (born Johan Cristian Tanck ; 9 April 1867 – 18 November 1941) was an Australian politician who served as the third prime minister of Australia from 27 April to 18 August 1904. He was the inaugural federal leader of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) from 1901 to 1907 and was the first member of the party to serve as prime minister. Watson was born in Valparaíso , Chile ,
262-567: A Main Roads Board and borrow money to improve local highways. It was initially hampered by its small membership and lack of financial resources, with a budget of only £15 per week. Watson was able to attract publicity through the launch of a magazine and a successful campaign to raise speed limits . He was again chosen as president in 1923 when the NRA was reorganised into the NRMA , and would retain
393-471: A Nationalist , although he never again stood for public office. He subsequently had a successful business career, including as president of the NRMA and chairman of Ampol . While Watson did not succeed in passing legislation while in office, his term as prime minister is seen as significant as a demonstration that the ALP could form a competent government. His successor as party leader Andrew Fisher would lead
524-562: A constitutional crisis as he tried to suspend parliament and nullify the written constitution of 1819. He also presided over the country during the turbulent Revolutions of 1848 . His son, George V , assumed the throne in 1851. In 1866, during the Austro-Prussian War , Hanover attempted to maintain a neutral position, along with some other member states of the German Confederation . Hanover's vote in favor of
655-538: A minority government in April 1904, aged 37, after the ALP withdrew its support from Deakin. He was one of the first socialists to head a government in a parliamentary system, attracting international attention, and remains Australia's youngest prime minister. After less than four months in office, the Watson government lost a confidence motion and Watson was succeeded as prime minister by anti-socialist George Reid . He
786-494: A London newspaper that "The Labour section has much cause for gratitude to Mr Watson, the leader whose tact and judgement have enabled it to achieve many of its Parliamentary successes." Watson was a white nationalist and white supremacist who played a key role in the creation of the White Australia policy . According to Hearn (2007) , the "ideal of a white Australia stood at the centre of Watson's political ideology,
917-551: A deal, involving the party executive, that included the nomination of four Labour members to the New South Wales Legislative Council . At the March 1899 annual party conference, Billy Hughes and Holman moved to have those arrangements nullified and party policy on Federation changed, thus thwarting Reid's plans. Although rarely known to resort to anger, on this occasion Watson 'jumped to his feet in
1048-531: A dispute between the Trades and Labour Council and the Labour Party and as a result became the president of the council and chairman of the party. In 1893 and 1894, he worked hard to resolve the debate over the solidarity pledge and established the Labour Party's basic practices, including the sovereignty of the party conference, caucus solidarity, the pledge required of parliamentarians and the powerful role of
1179-650: A founding member of the ALP caucus in federal parliament and was elected as the party's inaugural leader. During the first term of parliament he supported the Liberal Protectionist governments of Edmund Barton and Alfred Deakin , and was a strong supporter of the White Australia policy . At the 1903 election , the ALP secured the balance of power in the House and a strong position in the Senate . Watson formed
1310-575: A junior branch of the House of Hanover. In 1884, that branch became extinct with the death of William , a distant cousin of Ernest Augustus. Since Ernest Augustus refused to renounce his claim to annexed Hanover, the Bundesrat of the German Empire ruled that he would disturb the peace of the empire if he ascended the throne of Brunswick. As a result, Brunswick was ruled by a regency until 1913, when his son, also named Ernest Augustus , married
1441-702: A majority of the Protectionist Party merged with the Anti-Socialist Party , creating the Commonwealth Liberal Party which received 45 percent. In the Australian Labor Party split of 1916 , numerous Labor MPs were expelled from the party for supporting World War I conscription in Australia . Watson sided with ex-Labor Prime Minister Billy Hughes and the conscriptionists and had his party membership terminated as
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#17327974196501572-421: A majority. Labour at this time had a policy of "support in return for concessions", and Watson voted with his colleagues to strategically provide such legislative support to the incumbent government. Following the 1898 colonial election , despite a significant swing against the incumbent government, Watson and Labour leader James McGowen decided to allow the incumbent government to remain so that it could complete
1703-635: A male took precedence only over his own sisters. The Congress of Vienna instituted a territorial adjustment between Hanover and Prussia to form more contiguous borders. Hanover increased its area substantially, gaining the Prince-Bishopric of Hildesheim , East Frisia , the Prince-Bishopric of Osnabrück , the Lower County of Lingen and the northern part of the Prince-Bishopric of Münster . Hanover also annexed territories that had previously been ruled in personal union by its Elector, such as
1834-644: A merchant seaman, possibly a ship's carpenter, on trade routes across the Pacific. He arrived in New Zealand aboard La Joven Julia on 24 December 1865 and married Martha Minchin in Port Chalmers less than a month later, on 19 January 1866. Their marriage was later registered at Valparaíso's Iglesia de la Matriz . Watson's mother was born in County Tipperary , Ireland, and was 16 years old at
1965-596: A most excited manner and in heated tones ... contended ... that they should not interfere with the referendum'. The motion was lost and the four party men were nominated to the council on 4 April. The bill approving the second referendum, to be held on 20 June 1899, was passed on 20 April. Labour leaders, including Watson opposed the final terms of the Commonwealth Constitution . Nonetheless, they could not stop it from going ahead, and Watson, unlike Holman and Hughes, believed that it should be submitted to
2096-478: A national level. He was aged only 37, and remains the youngest prime minister in Australia's history. Billy Hughes later recalled the first meeting of the Labour Cabinet with characteristic sharp wit: Mr Watson, the new Prime Minister entered the room, and seated himself at the head of the table. All eyes were riveted on him; he was worth going miles to see. He had dressed for the part; his Vandyke beard
2227-615: A newspaper run by prominent reformist politician William Steward , with the public affairs exposure augmenting his minor formal schooling. Following the death of his mother and the loss of his job, he migrated to Sydney in 1886 at nineteen years of age. He worked for a month as a stablehand at Government House , then found employment as a compositor for a number of newspapers including The Daily Telegraph , Sydney Morning Herald and The Australian Star . Through this proximity to newspapers, books and writers he furthered his education and developed an interest in politics and became active in
2358-473: A non-British father would have made him an alien ineligible for election to federal parliament under section 44(i) of the constitution . Watson attended the state school in Oamaru , North Otago , New Zealand until ten years of age when he left to become a rail nipper . Then after a period of helping on the family farm, at thirteen years of age he was apprenticed as a compositor at The North Otago Times ,
2489-789: A result. Watson remained active in the affairs of Hughes' Nationalist Party until 1922, but after that he drifted out of politics altogether. In 1931 he was state president of the Australian Industries Protection League and supported the Scullin government 's high-tariff policies. In December 1910, Watson was recruited by a syndicate of Sydney businessmen to lead a gold-seeking expedition in South Africa. He also engaged in land speculation in Sutherland , but development did not occur rapidly enough. He
2620-482: A touchstone of Australian identity that Watson repeatedly stressed in interviews, speeches and articles". However, some of his biographers have noted that his racial views were widespread among Australians at the time and that all three major parties supported White Australia. During the debate over what became the Immigration Restriction Act 1901 , Watson stated that the issue of racial purity
2751-784: A villa in Double Bay in 1934. In retirement he became a keen bridge player and was also a regular attendee at Randwick Racecourse and the Sydney Cricket Ground , serving on the Sydney Cricket Ground Trust . He visited the United States for business reasons and also returned to New Zealand on a number of occasions in a private capacity. After several weeks of ill health, Watson died at his home in Double Bay on 18 November 1941, aged 74. He
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#17327974196502882-495: A vote of no confidence in the government or due to a failure to pass supply through the lower house. In either event, the prime minister is required by convention to either resign or call an election. Whether a prime minister is required to resign or call an election following an inability to pass supply through the Senate was the animating issue of the 1975 constitutional crisis . In that event, governor-general Sir John Kerr dismissed
3013-903: Is the Lodge in Canberra . Most prime ministers have chosen the Lodge as their primary residence because of its security facilities and close proximity to Parliament House. There have been some exceptions, however. James Scullin preferred to live at the Hotel Canberra (now the Hyatt Hotel) and Ben Chifley lived in the Hotel Kurrajong . More recently, John Howard used the Sydney prime ministerial residence, Kirribilli House , as his primary accommodation. On her appointment on 24 June 2010, Julia Gillard said she would not be living in
3144-529: Is also the responsible minister for the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet , whose tasks include general policy development across the government, inter-governmental communications, honours and symbols policy and Indigenous government programmes. Since the emergence of the strong party system in Australia in the 1920s, prime ministers have almost always been the parliamentary leader of
3275-484: Is currently the Ambassador to the United States. The deputy prime minister becomes acting prime minister if the prime minister is unable to undertake the role for a short time, for example if they are ill, overseas or on leave (and if both are unavailable, then another senior minister takes on this role). The Acts Interpretation Act 1901 confers upon acting ministers "the same power and authority with respect to
3406-410: Is entitled to become prime minister and form a government. Generally, a party or coalition will have a majority in the lower house in order to provide confidence, however in periods of minority government, the larger party will rely on confidence and supply from minor parties or independents. By convention, the prime minister must be a member of the lower house. The only case where a member of the Senate
3537-490: Is escorted by police vehicles from state and federal authorities. Politicians, including prime ministers, are usually granted certain privileges after leaving office, such as office accommodation, staff assistance, and a Life Gold Pass which entitles the holder to travel within Australia for non-commercial purposes at government expense. In 2017, then prime minister Malcolm Turnbull said the pass should be available only to former prime ministers, though he would not use it when he
3668-602: Is uncertain, as no records of his death have been found. On 15 February 1869, his mother married George Thomas Watson at the registry office in Waipori , describing herself as a widow. Her second husband was a 30-year-old miner born in Ballymoney , Ireland, who had come to New Zealand after several years working in Scotland. Watson came to have nine half-siblings from his mother's second marriage, born between 1869 and 1887. He
3799-615: The 1947 New Year Honours . In addition to these honours, all deceased former prime ministers of Australia currently have federal electorates named after them. The most newly created of these electorates is the Division of Hawke , named in honour of the recently deceased Bob Hawke in 2021. The longest-serving prime minister was Robert Menzies , who served in office twice: from 26 April 1939 to 28 August 1941, and again from 19 December 1949 to 26 January 1966. In total Robert Menzies spent 18 years, 5 months and 12 days in office. He served under
3930-785: The Australian Federal Police College when in Canberra. During his first term, Rudd had a staff at the Lodge consisting of a senior chef and an assistant chef, a child carer, one senior house attendant, and two junior house attendants. At Kirribilli House in Sydney, there are a full-time chef and a full-time house attendant. The official residences are fully staffed and catered for both the prime minister and their family. In addition, both have extensive security facilities. These residences are regularly used for official entertaining, such as receptions for Australian of
4061-593: The Australian constitution but rather defined by constitutional convention deriving from the Westminster system and responsible government . The prime minister is formally appointed by the governor-general , who is ordinarily constrained by convention to choose the parliamentarian able to command the confidence of the House of Representatives (the lower house). Since Federation , this has almost always been
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4192-584: The Austro-Prussian War , his kingdom was conquered by Prussia in 1866 and ceased to exist as an independent kingdom, becoming the Prussian Province of Hanover . In January 1871, along with the rest of Prussia, Hanover became part of the German Empire upon the unification of Germany . Briefly revived as the State of Hanover in 1946, the state was later merged with some smaller states to form
4323-539: The Cabinet of Australia and thus the head of the federal executive government . Under the principles of responsible government , the prime minister is both responsible to and a member of the Commonwealth Parliament . The current prime minister is Anthony Albanese of the Australian Labor Party , who assumed the office on 23 May 2022. The role and duties of the prime minister are not described by
4454-618: The Conciliation and Arbitration Bill to cover state public servants, the fallout causing Deakin to resign. Reid declined to take office, which saw Watson become the first Labour Prime Minister of Australia , the world's first Labour head of government at a national level ( Anderson Dawson had led a short-lived Labour government in Queensland in December 1899), indeed the world's first socialist or social democratic government at
4585-775: The County of Hohenstein [ de ] , a Hanoverian exclave in the Eastern Harz mountains), in Osnabrück (for the former Prince-Bishopric of Osnabrück ), in Otterndorf (existed 1535–1885 for the Land of Hadeln ) as well as in Stade (existed 1650–1903, until 1885 for the former Bremen-Verden proper without Hadeln, then including the complete Stade region ). A general superintendent chaired each consistory. In 1848,
4716-766: The Hanover Land-Rabbinate [ de ] ( Hanover and Lüneburg regions ), the Hildesheim Land-Rabbinate (Hildesheim region and Clausthal Mountain Captaincy [ de ] ), and the Stade Land-Rabbinate [ nds ] ( Stade region ). In many diaspora areas Jews regarded this a progress and a burden alike, because of the implied financial burden for rabbis and religion teacher, synagogues or schools . The local authorities now requested that
4847-632: The Napoleonic era . It succeeded the former Electorate of Hanover , and joined 38 other sovereign states in the German Confederation in June 1815. The kingdom was ruled by the House of Hanover , a cadet branch of the House of Welf , in personal union with Great Britain between 1714 and 1837. Since its monarch resided in London, a viceroy , usually a younger member of the British royal family , handled
4978-657: The Netherlands , called the Guelphic Legion . It was eventually disbanded in 1870. Nevertheless, George refused to accept the Prussian takeover of his realm and claimed he was still the legitimate king of Hanover. His only son, Ernest Augustus, Crown Prince of Hanover , inherited the claim upon George's death in 1878. Ernest Augustus was also first in line to the throne of the Duchy of Brunswick , whose rulers had been
5109-721: The Privy Council of the United Kingdom was accepted by all prime ministers until 1983 (with the exception of Alfred Deakin, Chris Watson and Gough Whitlam), with Malcolm Fraser being the last prime ministerial appointee. Since its introduction in 1975, former prime ministers of Australia have been appointed to the Order of Australia and to its highest level – Companion: Whitlam (1978), Fraser (1988), Gorton (1988), Howard (2008), Gillard (2017), Rudd (2019), Abbott (2020), and Turnbull (2021). Keating refused appointment in
5240-592: The Protectionist Party minority governments of Edmund Barton and Alfred Deakin in exchange for legislation enacting the Labour platform, such as the immensely popular White Australia policy which left the free Trade Party led by George Reid to form the opposition . Watson, as a Labor moderate, genuinely admired Deakin and shared his liberal views on many subjects. Deakin reciprocated this sentiment. Deakin wrote in one of his anonymous articles in
5371-564: The Senate as proposed was much too powerful, similar to the anti-reformist Colonial state upper houses and the UK House of Lords . When the draft was submitted to a referendum on 3 June 1898, Labour opposed it, with Watson prominent in the campaign, and saw the referendum rejected. Watson was devoted to the idea of the referendum as an ideal feature of democracy. To ensure that Reid might finally bring New South Wales into national union on an amended draft constitution, Watson helped to negotiate
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5502-760: The Ständeversammlung (lit. Estates Assembly , the Hanoverian parliament) to pass a new law as to the constitution of the Lutheran church. The constitution provided a state synod (parishioners' parliament, German : Landessynode ). But its first session only materialised in 1869 when, after the 1866 Prussian annexation of the Kingdom of Hanover, the Hanoverian Lutherans desired a representative body separate from Prussian rule, though it
5633-430: The Westminster system were thought to be sufficiently entrenched in Australia by the authors of the Constitution that it was deemed unnecessary to detail these. Indeed, prior to Federation in 1901 the terms "premier" and "prime minister" were used interchangeably for the head of government in a colony. Following a resignation in other circumstances or the death of a prime minister, the governor-general generally appoints
5764-413: The deputy prime minister as the new prime minister, until or if such time as the governing party or senior coalition party elects an alternative party leader. This has resulted in the party leaders from the Country Party (now named National Party ) being appointed as prime minister, despite being the smaller party of their coalition. This occurred when Earle Page became caretaker prime minister following
5895-486: The party (or leader of the senior party in a coalition of parties) that has a majority in the House of Representatives (which has been either the Labor Party or the Liberal Party since the 1940s). Responsible government has always required the prime minister and government to have the confidence of a majority of the lower house in order to govern, however the emergence of strong parties with members strongly punished for voting against party policy (also known as crossing
6026-425: The 1940s, the prime minister has asserted their authority to select the governor-general alone, instead of this being a cabinet decision. The power is exercised through advice to the King of Australia , who holds the de jure power to make the appointment and is by convention bound to accept such advice. The prime minister can also advise the monarch to dismiss the governor-general, though it remains unclear how quickly
6157-399: The 1970s. Prior to that, in accordance with longstanding Australian constitutional practice, convention held that an outgoing prime minister would stay on as a caretaker until the full election results were tallied. Starting with the 1972 Australian federal election on 2 December 1972, Gough Whitlam and his deputy were sworn in on 5 December 1972 to form an interim government for two weeks, as
6288-417: The 1997 Australia Day Honours, saying that he had long believed honours should be reserved for those whose work in the community went unrecognised and that having been Prime Minister was sufficient public recognition. Bob Hawke was appointed a Companion in 1979, for service to trade unionism and industrial relations, before becoming prime minister in 1983. Menzies was appointed to the higher grade of Knight of
6419-400: The 2019 election and led his party to the 2022 election, but was defeated and lost his title as prime minister. Lists of the 31 people who have so far held the premiership: Kingdom of Hanover The Kingdom of Hanover ( German : Königreich Hannover ) was established in October 1814 by the Congress of Vienna , with the restoration of George III to his Hanoverian territories after
6550-439: The ALP to a majority government at the 1910 election, in which many of Watson's ministers played a key role. Watson was born Johan Cristian Tanck on 9 April 1867 in Valparaíso , Chile. He was the only child of Martha (née Minchin) and Johan Cristian Tanck, senior. His father was also born in Valparaíso, a German Chilean whose ancestors had emigrated from the Kingdom of Hanover and established an import–export firm. He worked as
6681-482: The Calvinist congregations elsewhere in Hanover were in a somewhat sorry state. Though some Calvinist congregations of Huguenot origin were organised in the Lower Saxon Confederation ( German : Niedersächsische Konföderation ). The Lutheran church being the state church of Hanover also supervised the Calvinist diaspora parishes outside East Frisia and Bentheim. In 1848 the new Hanoverian law also provided for presbyteries in these Calvinist parishes, which exactly fit
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#17327974196506812-563: The Duchies of Bremen-Verden and the County of Bentheim . It lost those parts of Saxe-Lauenburg to the northeast of the Elbe , which was assigned in personal union to Denmark , except the Amt Neuhaus . Further small exclaves in the east were lost. Hanover comprised a number of territories, which had been Imperial Estates within the Holy Roman Empire . Their respective governments, now called provincial governments, were organised according to partially very old traditions, including different levels of estate participation in rule. In 1823,
6943-420: The German Emperor's daughter, Princess Viktoria Luise and swore allegiance to the German Empire. The Duke then renounced his claim to Brunswick in favour of his son, and the Bundesrat allowed the younger Ernest Augustus to take possession of Brunswick as a kind of dowry compensation for Hanover. The German-Hanoverian Party , which at times supported secession from the Reich , demanded a separate status for
7074-516: The Jewish congregations establish synagogues and Jewish education for the pupils. The land-rabbins , chairing the land-rabbinates, simultaneously fulfilled religious and state functions, like supervising Jewish elementary schools and the teaching of Jewish religion in all schools. The Kingdom of Hanover was thus one of the few states within the German Confederation, where rabbins held a similar semi-state authoritative position as to Jews as did, e.g., Lutheran clergy towards Lutherans. In 1813, George III
7205-440: The Jews , the government took the decisions of the German Confederation on the rights of the Jews, in Johann Smidt 's manipulated formulation, as the legal grounds. In 1842, Hanover finally granted equal rights to Jews and promoted to build up Jewish congregations, where this did not already happen earlier, and a superstructure of four regional land-rabbinates . These were the Emden Land-Rabbinate (Aurich and Osnabrück regions),
7336-402: The Kingdom of Hanover with the King being summus episcopus (Supreme Governor of the Lutheran Church). Regional consistories supervised church and clergy. These were in Aurich , a simultaneously Lutheran and Calvinist consistory dominated by Lutherans (for East Frisia ) and the Lutheran consistories in Hanover (for the former Electorate of Brunswick-Lüneburg proper), in Ilfeld (for
7467-438: The Lodge until such time as she was returned to office by popular vote at the next general election , as she became prime minister by replacing an incumbent during a parliamentary term. Tony Abbott was never able to occupy the Lodge during his term (2013–15) because it was undergoing extensive renovations, which continued into the early part of his successor Malcolm Turnbull 's term. Instead, Abbott resided in dedicated rooms at
7598-543: The Lutheran parishes were democratised by the introduction of presbyteries ( German : Kirchenvorstände , singular Kirchenvorstand ; literally: church boards ), elected by all major male parishioners and chairing each congregation in co-operation with the pastor , being before the sole chairman. This introduction of presbyteries was somewhat revolutionary in the rather hierarchically structured Lutheran church. In 1864, Carl Lichtenberg , Hanoverian minister of education, cultural and religious affairs (1862–65), persuaded
7729-446: The Order, which is no longer awarded, in 1976. John Howard was also appointed to the Order of Merit in 2012, whose appointments are within the personal gift of the monarch. Menzies' Knight of the Order of the Thistle awarding was also in the personal gift of Queen Elizabeth II in 1963. Although not strictly an honour, one former prime minister was raised to the peerage; Stanley Bruce was created 1st Viscount Bruce of Melbourne in
7860-428: The Prussians during its march south towards Austria, at the Battle of Langensalza . However, it was later surrounded and forced to surrender to Prussia. After the personal union with the United Kingdom ended in 1837 with the accession of Queen Victoria, Hanover kept the British royal arms and standard , only introducing a new Crown, after the British model. The centre of this coat of arms and royal standard included
7991-519: The Roman Catholic Vicariate Apostolic of the Nordic Missions , into the existing dioceses of the former prince-bishoprics, whose diocesan territories were thus extended into the diaspora areas. Jews lived all over Hanover in diaspora . Until 1806, they were not allowed to reside in some areas. By the Westphalian and French annexations in 1807 and 1810, all-male inhabitants in later restituted Hanover became Westphalian or French citizens of equal rights. On 17 March 1808, Napoléon Bonaparte restricted
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#17327974196508122-434: The UK), and Frank Forde was re-elected to the Queensland Parliament (after his term as High Commissioner to Canada, and a failed attempt to re-enter the Federal Parliament). As well as Reid and Forde, five other prime ministers went on to hold diplomatic posts. Andrew Fisher, Joseph Cook and Stanley Bruce also served as High Commissioners to the United Kingdom, Gough Whitlam had served as Ambassador to UNESCO and Kevin Rudd
8253-417: The United Australia Party and the Liberal Party respectively. The shortest-serving prime minister was Frank Forde , who was appointed to the position on 6 July 1945 after the death of John Curtin , and served until 13 July 1945 when Ben Chifley was elected leader of the Australian Labor Party . The most recent prime minister to serve out a full government term in the office was Scott Morrison , who won
8384-410: The Watson government was the advancement of the troublesome Conciliation and Arbitration Bill . Another accomplishment was the appointing of a Royal Commission on a Bill related to Navigation and Shipping, whose report (presented a couple of years later) led to "major redrafting of the Navigation Act" and improvements in conditions for Australian seamen. Once he became the Prime Minister Watson recognised
8515-416: The Whitlam government following the Senate's deferral of the government's budget and demand that they would not pass supply until the government called an election. The constitutional propriety of the governor-general's action during that period remains subject to vigorous debate. Despite the importance of the office of prime minister, the Constitution does not mention the office by name. The conventions of
8646-442: The Year finalists. The prime minister receives a number of transport amenities for official business. A Royal Australian Air Force operated Airbus KC-30A , transports the prime minister overseas, with two Boeing 737 MAX 8 planes available for shorter flights. For ground travel, the prime minister is transported in an armoured BMW 7 Series model. It is referred to as "C-1", or Commonwealth One, because of its number plate. It
8777-524: The absent Minister's statutory responsibilities". If the prime minister were to die, then the deputy prime minister would be appointed prime minister by the governor-general until the government votes for another member to be its leader. This happened when Harold Holt disappeared in 1967, when John McEwen was appointed prime minister. On the other two occasions that the prime minister has died in office, in 1939 and 1945 , Earle Page and Frank Forde , respectively, were appointed prime minister. In
8908-444: The accession to the throne by a female if any male of the dynasty had survived. Ernest Augustus , now the eldest surviving son of George III, succeeded to the throne as King of Hanover. Adolph Frederick, the younger brother and long-time Viceroy, returned to Britain. Ernest Augustus had a personally-strained relationship with his niece Queen Victoria, and they frequently squabbled over family affairs. Domestically, his reign began with
9039-413: The administration of the Kingdom of Hanover. The personal union with the United Kingdom ended in 1837 upon the accession of Queen Victoria because semi-Salic law prevented females from inheriting the Hanoverian throne while a dynastic male was still alive. Her uncle Ernest Augustus thus became the ruler of Hanover. His only son succeeded him to the throne as George V . As he backed the losing side in
9170-462: The brief transition periods during changes of government or leadership elections, there have only been a handful of cases where someone other than the leader of the majority party or coalition in the House of Representatives was prime minister: Compared to other Westminster systems such as those of Canada 's federal and provincial governments, the transition from an outgoing prime minister to an incoming prime minister has been brief in Australia since
9301-464: The cabinet are chosen by the prime minister and may be removed at any time. Additionally, the prime minister chooses the portfolio of each minister and a prime minister's resignation or dismissal leads by convention to the resignation of all other ministers. The precise authority of each individual prime minister within cabinet is uncertain, as their deliberations are secret, however in recent decades their power has increased substantially. The authority of
9432-613: The current state of Lower Saxony in West Germany . The territory of Hanover had earlier been a principality within the Holy Roman Empire before being elevated into an electorate in 1708, when Hanover was formed by union of the dynastic divisions of the Duchy of Brunswick-Lüneburg , excepting the Principality of Brunswick-Wolfenbüttel . After his accession in 1714, George Louis of the House of Hanover ascended
9563-475: The death of Joseph Lyons in 1939, and when John McEwen became caretaker prime minister following the disappearance of Harold Holt in 1967. However, in 1941, Arthur Fadden became the leader of the Coalition and subsequently prime minister by the agreement of both coalition parties, despite being the leader of the smaller party in coalition, following the resignation of UAP leader Robert Menzies. Excluding
9694-446: The early 20th century, overseas travel generally required long journeys by ship. As a result, some held the position of acting prime minister for significant periods of time, including William Watt (16 months, 1918–1919), George Pearce (7 months, 1916), Alfred Deakin (6 months, 1902), Joseph Cook (5 months, 1921), James Fenton (19 weeks, 1930–1931), John Forrest (4 months, 1907), and Arthur Fadden (4 months, 1941). Fadden
9825-610: The election, Labour won the balance of power and provided confidence and supply to the Protectionist Party minority government led by Premier George Dibbs which brought down the incumbent majority government of the Free Trade Party led by Premier Henry Parkes . Watson was an active trade unionist, and became vice-president of the Sydney Trades and Labour Council in January 1892. In June 1892, he settled
9956-491: The extra-parliamentary executive. At the 1894 colonial election which saw the defeat of the Protectionist Party government, Watson was elected to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly for the country seat of Young . At the 1895 colonial election the incumbent Free Trade Party minority government led by Premier George Reid increased their support but remained several seats short of
10087-585: The first of whom was Edmund Barton taking office on 1 January 1901 following federation of the British colonies in Australia . The longest-serving prime minister was Robert Menzies , who served over 18 years, and the shortest-serving was Frank Forde , who served one week. In common with other political systems based on the Westminster system , the prime minister both leads the executive government and wields significant power in Parliament . Cabinet ,
10218-426: The floor ) has meant that most prime ministers and governments have significant control over the passage of bills in this house. However, bills must also be passed by the Senate (the upper house) in order to become law and the government rarely has a majority in this house, leading to some checks on the legislative powers of the government. The prime minister also controls the date of elections, through formal advice to
10349-539: The following: The Hanoverian subdivisions into high-bailiwicks and bailiwicks remained unchanged until 1 April 1885, when they were replaced by Prussian-style provinces ( Regierungsbezirke ) and districts ( Kreise ). The Kingdom of Hanover maintained an army after the Napoleonic Wars. In 1832, King William IV of Hanover and the United Kingdom issued his troops with British Army uniforms, but they differed slightly from their original British versions. When
10480-467: The governor-general, with such elections usually occurring within a 6-month period prior to the maximum 3-year term of the House of Representatives expiring. National Cabinet , the primary inter-governmental decision-making forum between the federal government and the states, is also chaired by the prime minister. While called a cabinet, the body is merely a discussion forum and the principles of secrecy and collective decision making do not apply. Since
10611-459: The historic first Australian Labour government was a qualified one – Labour did not have the numbers to implement key policies. The 'three elevens' – the lack of a definite majority in the parliament after the second federal election – dogged Watson just as it had Deakin. Six bills were enacted during Watson's brief government. All but one – an amended Acts Interpretation Act 1904 – were supply bills . The most significant legislative achievement of
10742-400: The inaugural chairman of petrol retailer Ampol . Watson's first wife Ada died in 1921. On 30 October 1925 he married Antonia Mary Gladys Dowlan in the same church as his first wedding. She was a 23-year-old waitress from Western Australia whom he had met when she served his table at a Sydney club. In 1927, they had one daughter, Jacqueline Dunn née Watson. Watson and his second wife moved to
10873-463: The kingdom was reorganised into high-bailiwicks ( German : Landdrosteien , singular: Landdrostei ), each led by a high-bailiff ( German : Landdrost ) according to unitary standards, doing away with the inherited provincial peculiarities. The high-bailiwicks were subdivided into bailiwicks ( German : Ämter , singular Amt ), presided by a bailiff ( Amtmann , plural Amtleute ). The high-bailiwicks, named after their capitals, were
11004-575: The leader of the majority party or coalition . In practice, this means the prime minister most often changes after an election results in a different party gaining control of the lower house or as a result of the majority party changing its leader internally between elections. The office of prime minister comes with various privileges, including the use of two official residences: The Lodge in Canberra and Kirribilli House in Sydney , as well as an office at Parliament House . Thirty-one people (thirty men and one woman) have served as prime minister,
11135-578: The limitations of his position in the Labour caucus and endorsed the concept of a deputy leader. Andrew Fisher won the position by one vote over the more dynamic Billy Hughes. Although Watson sought a dissolution of parliament so that an election could be held, the Governor-General Lord Northcote refused. Unable to command a majority in the House of Representatives, Watson resigned the premiership less than four months after taking office, his term ending on 18 August 1904 (Deakin
11266-477: The lower house (at which point they generally become leader of the opposition or resign) or through replacement by their parliamentary party colleagues. This later method has become increasingly common, with the office changing hands four times due to parliamentary spill and only twice due to an election in the period following the election defeat of John Howard in 2007 to the election of Anthony Albanese in 2022. A prime minister may also lose their position following
11397-490: The mobilisation of Confederation troops against Prussia on 14 June 1866 prompted Prussia to declare war. The outcome of the war led to the dissolution of Hanover as an independent kingdom, which was annexed by the Kingdom of Prussia and became the Prussian Province of Hanover . In 1871, along with the rest of Prussia, it became part of the German Empire . After George V fled Hanover in 1866, he raised forces loyal to him in
11528-400: The monarch would act on such advice in a constitutional crisis . This uncertainty, and the possibility of a race between the governor-general and prime minister to dismiss the other, was a key question in the 1975 constitutional crisis . [REDACTED] [REDACTED] In ordinary circumstances, the leader of the party or coalition that has the confidence of the House of Representatives
11659-554: The national capital. Watson retired from politics, aged only 42, prior to the 1910 federal election , at which Labour won with 50 percent of the primary vote. It was the first time a party had been elected to majority government in the House of Representatives , it was also the first time a party won a Senate majority, and it was the world's first Labour Party majority government at a national level. The ALP vote had risen rapidly, going from 15 percent against two larger and more established parties in 1901, to 50 percent in 1910, after
11790-679: The original arms of Hanover, which consisted of the two lions of the Brunswick , the rampant lion with hearts of Lüneburg and the horse of Hanover, surmounted by the Imperial Crown of the Holy Roman Empire for the Holy Roman office of Archbannerbearer/ Archtreasurer . As Hanover no longer was ruled by the British monarchs, the arms of Hanover was simultaneously removed from the British coat of arms and royal standard, so it
11921-411: The party should "cleanse their own doorstep with the hope that thus the street would be cleansed". Labour under Watson doubled their vote at the 1903 federal election and continued to hold the balance of power despite all three parties holding about the same number of seats. In April 1904, however, Watson and Deakin fell out over the issue of extending the scope of industrial relations laws concerning
12052-422: The party's campaign at the 1891 general election . Watson was elected to the New South Wales Legislative Assembly at the 1894 election , aged 27, and quickly became a leading figure in the ALP. He and most party members opposed Federation on the grounds that the proposed constitution was undemocratic. In 1901, Watson was elected to the House of Representatives at the inaugural federal election . He became
12183-584: The people. Nevertheless, Watson joined all but two of the Labour parliamentarians in campaigning against the 'Yes' vote at the referendum. When the Constitution was accepted, he agreed that 'the mandate of the majority will have to be obeyed'. Watson was elected to the new federal Parliament of Australia at the inaugural 1901 federal election , representing the rural House of Representatives rural seat of Bland . Watson arrived in Melbourne , which at
12314-484: The personal union with the United Kingdom ended in 1837 and Ernst August ascended to the crown of Hanover, he replaced their uniforms with Prussian Army -style ones, which included the pickelhaube spiked helmet for his Guard Corps. By 1866 they wore a more Austrian style of uniform , with only the guard corps keeping the Prussian one. During the Austro-Prussian War , the Hanoverian Army fought and defeated
12445-494: The position for the rest of his life. By the end of the following year the organisation had grown from 550 to 5,000 members. It subsequently expanded into vehicle insurance and motor touring , acquiring a series of properties for camping. As well as his involvement with the NRMA, Watson also was a director of a taxi company, Yellow Cabs of Australia, and as chairman of the state government's Traffic Advisory Committee. In 1936, he became
12576-517: The presbyterian structure of Calvinism. Catholics formed an overall minority in Hanover, but regionally majorities in the former prince-bishoprics. By the annexations in 1803 and 1814 Hanover had become a state of three Christian denominations. In 1824, Hanover and the Holy See thus agreed to integrate diaspora parishes which were located in prevailingly Protestant areas, until then supervised by
12707-411: The primary decision-making body of the executive government, is chaired by the prime minister. While the prime minister has been described as the "first among equals" of the other ministers that make up cabinet, they nevertheless wield primary influence in the body. They set the agenda and processes of cabinet meetings and has the final word where a collective decision cannot be reached. Ministers making up
12838-400: The prime minister (and all other ministers) must be a parliamentarians or become one within three months to be a minister. There are no term limits for the prime minister, and they are generally entitled to continue in their role whilst they retain the confidence of the lower house. Individuals most commonly cease to become prime minister after losing an election by not obtaining a majority in
12969-507: The prime minister to make independent policy decisions apart from Cabinet is also present, which such decisions also colloquially called "captain's calls". The prime minister also has significant influence in the setting of foreign policy, through their role as chair of the National Security Committee , a sub-committee of cabinet whose decisions do not need to be endorsed by the cabinet as a whole. The prime minister
13100-653: The printing union. He married Ada Jane Low , a British-born Sydney seamstress, at the Unitarian Church on Liverpool Street in Sydney on 27 November 1889. In the months prior to the 1891 New South Wales colonial election , Watson was a founding member of the Labour Electoral League of New South Wales which stemmed from the nascent Australian labour movement and would later develop into the Australian Labour (later Labor) Party. In
13231-688: The province in the Reichstag. The party existed until banned by the Nazi government. With Prussia on the verge of official dissolution (1947), Hanoverian politicians in 1946 took advantage of the opportunity and advocated that the Control Commission for Germany (British Element) [ de ] (CCG/BE) revive Hanoverian statehood, reconstituting the Prussian Province of Hanover as the State of Hanover . The state saw itself in
13362-695: The remainder awarded after leaving office. Reid ( GCB , 1916), Menzies ( AK , 1976) and Fadden (GCMG, 1958) were awarded a second knighthood after leaving office. Non-titular honours were also bestowed on former prime ministers, usually the Order of the Companions of Honour . This honour was awarded to Bruce (1927), Lyons (1936), Hughes (1941), Page (1942), Menzies (1951), Holt (1967), McEwen (1969), Gorton (1971), McMahon (1972), and Fraser (1977), mostly during office as prime minister. In almost all occasions these honours were only accepted by non-Labor/conservative prime ministers. However, appointment to
13493-774: The rights of Jews in the French-annexed territory by his so-called décret infâme . The Jewish congregations became subject to French regional Jewish consistories or the Royal Westphalian Consistory of the Israelites [ he ] , respectively. In 1813, when Hanover resumed independence and sovereignty, its government deprived the Jews their legal equality. Arguing it was the French or Westphalian state and not Hanover, which had emancipated
13624-474: The same debate he spoke of "racial contamination" and referred to Chinese people using a racial slur, rhetorically asking "whether we would desire that our sisters or our brothers should be married into any of these races to which we object". In 1905, Watson drafted a new plank for the ALP platform calling for "an Australian sentiment based upon the maintenance of racial purity". He successfully moved for its adoption at both state and federal conferences, stating that
13755-458: The seat of Bland was abolished, so he shifted to the seat of South Sydney . But in October 1907, recognising his work for the foundation of the parliamentary party was complete and also due to fatigue and concern over the health of his wife Ada, he resigned the Labour leadership in favour of Andrew Fisher . From August 1906, Watson was an early influential supporter of Canberra , as the site of
13886-687: The sincerity, courtesy and moderation which he always showed as a leader". Alfred Deakin wrote of Watson: "The Labour section has much cause for gratitude to Mr Watson, the leader whose tact and judgement have enabled it to achieve many of its Parliamentary successes". In April 2004 the Labor Party marked the centenary of the Watson government with a series of public events in Canberra and Melbourne, attended by then party leader Mark Latham and former ALP Prime Ministers Gough Whitlam , Bob Hawke and Paul Keating . Watson's daughter, Jacqueline Dunn, 77,
14017-548: The son of a German Chilean seaman. He grew up on the South Island of New Zealand , taking the surname of his step-father when his Irish-born mother remarried. He left school at a young age, working in the printing industry as a compositor . Watson moved to Sydney in 1886 and became prominent in the local labour movement . He helped establish the Labor Electoral League of New South Wales and directed
14148-546: The territory was overrun by Russian Cossacks . The Battle of Leipzig , shortly thereafter, spelled the definitive end of the Napoleonic client states , and the electorate was restored to the House of Hanover. The terms of the Congress of Vienna in 1814 not only restored Hanover but also elevated it to an independent kingdom with its Prince-Elector, George III of the United Kingdom, as King of Hanover . The new kingdom
14279-481: The throne of Great Britain as George I , and Hanover was joined in a personal union with Great Britain. In 1803, Hanover was conquered by the French and Prussian armies in the Napoleonic Wars . The Treaties of Tilsit in 1807 joined it to territories from Prussia and created the Kingdom of Westphalia , ruled by Napoleon 's youngest brother, Jérôme Bonaparte . French control lasted until October 1813, when
14410-519: The time of her marriage to Tanck. She joined him on board the Julia , which eventually returned to Chile and docked in Valparaíso a few days before Watson's birth. In the months after his birth the ship worked a regular route carrying timber between Valparaíso and Chiloé Island . In 1868, Watson moved to New Zealand with his mother, returning to her family on the South Island . The fate of his father
14541-700: The time served as the temporary seat of government, in May 1901. Watson was elected the first leader of the Federal Parliamentary Labor Party (usually known as the Caucus) on 8 May 1901, the day before the opening of the parliament. Watson pursued the same policy as Labor had done in New South Wales, where Labor was the smallest of the three parties but held the balance of power . Under Watson, Labor provided confidence and supply to
14672-413: The tradition of the kingdom. Its prime minister, Hinrich Wilhelm Kopf , played a central role when the state of Lower Saxony was founded just a few months later by merging Hanover with several smaller states, with the city of Hanover as its capital. The former territory of Hanover makes up 85 percent of Lower Saxony and is the origin of its coat of arms. The Lutheran church was the state church of
14803-412: The vote was being finalised and the full ministry makeup was being determined. On 23 May 2022 Anthony Albanese became prime minister with an interim four person ministry, two days after his victory in the election . This rapid shift was done in order for the new PM to attend a Quad meeting scheduled shortly after the election. When the results of the election were more clearly known the entire ministry
14934-608: The work of establishing the Federation of Australia . Watson was involved in shaping party policy regarding the movement for Federation from 1895, and was one of ten Labour candidates nominated for the Australasian Federal Convention on 4 March 1897, but none of these candidates managed to be elected. The party endorsed Federation, but nevertheless most leading party figures viewed the draft Commonwealth Constitution as undemocratic, and believed that
15065-412: Was leader of the opposition until 1905, when he helped reinstall Deakin as prime minister. The ALP continued to offer its support to Deakin after the 1906 election , despite the opposition of some in the party. Watson resigned the party's leadership in 1907, citing family concerns, and left parliament at the 1910 election . He was expelled from the ALP during the 1916 split over conscription and became
15196-509: Was "the larger and more important one" for the passage of the bill, where some speakers had emphasised concerns over the economic impact of cheap foreign labour. He opposed the government's dictation test provision on the grounds that it could be easily circumvented, and that "education does not eliminate the objectionable qualities of the Baboo Hindoo". He instead sought to explicitly ban any Asian or African from entering Australia. During
15327-644: Was acting prime minister for a cumulative total of 676 days (over 22 months) between 1941 and 1958. Prime ministers have been granted numerous honours, typically after their period as prime minister has concluded, with a few exceptions. Nine former prime ministers were awarded knighthoods: Barton ( GCMG , 1902), Reid (GCMG, 1911), Cook (GCMG, 1918), Page (GCMG, 1938), Menzies ( KT , 1963), Fadden (KCMG, 1951), McEwen (GCMG, 1971), Gorton (GCMG, 1977), and McMahon (GCMG, 1977). Of those awarded, Barton and Menzies were knighted while still serving as prime minister, with Page awarded his before becoming prime minister, and
15458-536: Was also greatly expanded and became the fourth-largest state in the German Confederation (behind Prussia, Austria and Bavaria ) and the second-largest in northern Germany. George III never visited the kingdom during his 60-year reign. Having succumbed to dementia prior to the elevation of Hanover, it is unlikely that he ever understood that he had gained an additional kingship, and he took no role in its governance. Functional administration of Hanover
15589-507: Was appointed as a director of Labor Papers Limited, the publisher of the AWU's official newspaper The Australian Worker . Watson joined the council of the newly established National Roads Association (NRA) in March 1920, and in August was elected as the association's inaugural president. The NRA was intended as a peak body for New South Wales motorists, lobbying the state government to create
15720-498: Was appointed prime minister was John Gorton , who subsequently resigned his Senate position and was elected as the member for Higgins in the House of Representatives. The prime minister is formally appointed to the role by the governor-general under section 64 of the Australian Constitution, however their choice is limited in normal circumstances to the individual with the confidence of the lower house. However,
15851-450: Was exquisitely groomed, his abundant brown hair smoothly brushed. His morning coat and vest, set off by dark striped trousers, beautifully creased and shyly revealing the kind of socks that young men dream about; and shoes to match. He was the perfect picture of the statesman, the leader. Despite the apparent fitness of the new prime minister for his role, the government hung on the fine thread of Deakin's promise of 'fair play'. The triumph of
15982-657: Was formed with representatives from the regional consistories. While the Calvinist congregations in formerly-Prussian East Frisia had a common roof organisation with the Lutherans there ("Coetus") and the Reformed Church in the former County of Bentheim , then being the state church, had fully established church bodies for Bentheim only ( German : Königlich-Großbrittanisch-Hannoverscher Ober-Kirchenrath , English: Royal British-Hanoverian Supreme Church Council ),
16113-498: Was granted a state funeral at St Andrew's Cathedral , with Joseph Cook , Albert Gardiner , John Curtin and William McKell serving as pallbearers. His ashes were interred at the Northern Suburbs Crematorium . According to Percival Serle , Watson "left a much greater impression on his time than this would suggest. He came at the right moment for his party, and nothing could have done it more good than
16244-471: Was guest of honour at these functions. The Canberra suburb Watson and the federal electorate of Watson are named after him. In 1969 he was honoured on a postage stamp bearing his portrait issued by Australia Post . Prime minister of Australia The prime minister of Australia is the head of government of the Commonwealth of Australia . The prime minister is the chair of
16375-553: Was later defeated on a similar bill). Reid became prime minister and four months later his government managed to pass the Conciliation and Arbitration Bill after compromising to extend the scope to state public servants as Watson had proposed. Deakin again became prime minister after Reid lost confidence of the parliament in July 1905. Watson led Labour to the 1906 federal election and improved their position again. At this election
16506-593: Was no longer PM. Only one prime minister who had left the Federal Parliament ever returned. Stanley Bruce was defeated in his own seat in 1929 while prime minister but was re-elected to parliament in 1931 . Other prime ministers were elected to parliaments other than the Australian federal parliament: Sir George Reid was elected to the UK House of Commons (after his term as High Commissioner to
16637-534: Was restored to his Hanoverian territories, and in October 1814, they were constituted as the independent Kingdom of Hanover at the Congress of Vienna. The personal union with the United Kingdom ended in 1837 on the accession of Queen Victoria because the succession laws in Hanover, based on semi-Salic law , prevented a female inheriting the title if there was a surviving male heir. In the United Kingdom,
16768-575: Was restricted to Lutheran matters only. After the Prussian conquest in 1866, on 19 September 1866, the day before the official Prussian annexation took place and with the last summus episcopus , King George V of Hanover, in exile, the Kingdom's six consistories joined to form today's still-existing church body, the Lutheran State Church of Hanover . An all-Hanoverian consistory, the Landeskonsistorium (state consistory),
16899-491: Was sworn in on 1 June 2022. As of 27 August 2023, Australia's prime minister is paid a total salary of A$ 586,950 . This is made up of the 'base salary' received by all members of parliament ( A$ 225,750 ) plus a 160 percent 'additional salary' for the role of prime minister. Increases in the base salary of MPs and senators are determined annually by the independent Remuneration Tribunal. The prime minister has two official residences. The primary official residence
17030-842: Was treated as the biological child of George Watson, adopting his step-father's surname; his given names were also anglicised. As an adult, Watson gave incorrect and contradictory information about the circumstances of his birth and the identity of his parents. He allowed some biographical profiles to list him as born in New Zealand, while his second wife and daughter understood that he had been born to British parents in international waters outside Valparaíso. On legal documents he listed George Watson as his biological father and provided an incorrect maiden name for his mother. Watson's biographers have suggested he may have originally concealed his background for convenience, but later deliberately did so for political reasons, including concerns over parliamentary eligibility and possible xenophobia. Birth overseas to
17161-470: Was usually handled by a viceroy, which during the later years of George III's reign and the reigns of Kings George IV and William IV from 1816 to 1837, was Adolph Frederick , George III's youngest surviving son. When Queen Victoria succeeded to the British throne in 1837, the 123-year personal union of Great Britain and Hanover ended. Unlike in Britain, semi- Salic law operated in Hanover, prohibiting
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