Ministers and shadow ministers
Understand the role of minsters and shadow ministers with this fact sheet. It describes what a minster is, how they are chosen and what their role is.
What will I learn?
- Ministers are in charge of an area of government responsibility.
- Ministers are experienced members of the government.
- Shadow Ministers are members of the opposition who focus on a policy area.
Curriculum alignment
Year 7 ACHCK048
Ministers in the House of Representatives.
DPS Auspic
Ministers in the House of Representatives.
DPS Auspic
Description
Ministers seated in the House of Representatives.
Copyright information
Permission should be sought from DPS AUSPIC for third-party or commercial uses of this image. To contact DPS AUSPIC email: auspic@aph.gov.au or phone: 02 6277 3342.
Role of frontbenchers in the Australian Parliament.
Parliamentary Education Office (peo.gov.au)
Role of frontbenchers in the Australian Parliament.
Parliamentary Education Office (peo.gov.au)
Description
This graphic shows that ministers and shadow ministers are also known as 'frontbenchers' because they sit on the front bench of the chamber. Their roles include: making and scrutinising key decisions; specialising in key areas of governance; and debating and voting on bills.
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What is a minister?
Ministers are members of the Australian Government who have been given an area of responsibility for how Australia is run – a portfolio. Examples of ministerial portfolios include health, environment, defence, and immigration. Ministers can be referred to as frontbenchers, as they sit on the front row of seats in the House of Representatives or the Senate.
The Prime Minister and ministers are part of the executive government. The executive is responsible for developing government policy and putting government decisions into action.
How minsters are chosen
The Prime Minister chooses experienced and knowledgeable government members to be ministers and expects them to work together on behalf of the government. There are usually about 20 ministers in the House of Representatives and 10 in the Senate.
Larger portfolios are given to the most experienced government members, and they become part of the Cabinet. Cabinet is the main decision-making group within executive government.
Role
Most ministers are in charge of a government department or help another minister to run a department. A government department is an organisation of people employed in the Australian Public Service such as the Department of Defence, Department of Education or Department of Finance.
Ministers:
- work with their department, community organisations and professional associations to prepare bills – proposals for new laws
- explain why a proposed law is needed and how it will solve a particular problem. If the bill becomes a law, the minister and their department are responsible for putting the law into action
- are accountable for the actions of their department; if something goes wrong, they are expected to take responsibility for it.
Members of parliament can hold the government to account by examining the work of any minister and their department. Ministers must be able to appear in Parliament each day during Question Time and respond to questions about how the government is running Australia.
Ministers are required to attend Senate estimates hearings to explain the work of the department.
Shadow ministers in the House of Representatives.
DPS Auspic
Shadow ministers in the House of Representatives.
DPS Auspic
Description
Shadow ministers in the House of Representatives.
Copyright information
Permission should be sought from DPS AUSPIC for third-party or commercial uses of this image. To contact DPS AUSPIC email: auspic@aph.gov.au or phone: 02 6277 3342.
What is a shadow minister?
Shadow ministers are members of the opposition who scrutinise – closely examine – the work of the government and individual ministers. They are chosen by the Leader of the Opposition. Each shadow minister concentrates on the work of a particular minister and government department. Top-level shadow ministers form a shadow Cabinet which meets regularly to develop opposition policies.
If there is a change of government a shadow minister may become a minister. It is important for them to understand the work of the department they 'shadow' – closely follow – and consider how they would run their portfolio.