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speaker of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly

{{Short description|Presiding officer in the Legislative Assembly of Western Australia}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}

{{Infobox Political post

|post = Speaker

|body = the
Western Australian Legislative Assembly

|nativename =

|insignia =

|insigniasize = 100px

|insigniacaption = Crowned circlet

|department =

|image =

|alt =

|incumbent = Michelle Roberts

|incumbentsince = 29 April 2021

|residence =

|nominator =

|nominatorpost =

|appointerpost =

|style = The Honourable
Madam/Mr Speaker
{{smaller|(within the Assembly)}}

|appointer = The Monarch's representative at the behest of the Legislative Assembly

|termlength = Elected at start of each Parliament

|inaugural = Sir James George Lee-Steere

|formation = 30 December 1890

|last =

|abolished =

|succession =

|deputy = Stephen Price

|salary =

|website = {{URL|http://www.parliament.wa.gov.au/webcms/webcms.nsf/content/legislative-assembly-the-speaker-of-the-legislative-assembly|www.parliament.wa.gov.au}}

}}

The Speaker of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly is the presiding officer in the Legislative Assembly. The office has existed since the creation of the Legislative Assembly in 1890 under the Constitution Act 1889. The 31st and current Speaker is Labor MLA Michelle Roberts, who has held the role since the 2021 state election.

The role of the Speaker

The Speaker is elected to the position by a ballot of the members of the Legislative Assembly from among its members after being nominated by the Premier of Western Australia. It is generally a partisan position; the governing party almost always installs one of its members in the position. As with the other states and territories, the Speaker continues to attend party meetings and stands at general elections as a party candidate, if they are indeed a member of a party. There is no convention that the Speaker should be unopposed for reelection.

On the other hand, the Speaker is not a political figure like those in the United States. The Speaker does not take part in debates in the House, does not vote in the House except in the (rare) event of a tied vote, and does not speak in public on party-political issues (except at election time in his or her own constituency).

The Speaker's principal duty is to preside over the Assembly. The occupant of the chair must maintain order in the House, uphold the Standing Orders (rules of procedure) and protect the rights of backbench members. The Speaker is expected to conduct the business of the House in an impartial manner, and generally does so. The Speaker is assisted by a member-elected Deputy Speaker, who is usually also of the governing party.

List of speakers of the Western Australian Legislative Assembly

class="wikitable"

! Order !! Speaker !! Party !! Term begin !! Term end !! Term of office !! Notes

style="background:#ccddff"

| 1

Sir James George Lee-SteereMinisterial30 December 189030 November 1903{{age in years and days|1890|12|30|1903|11|30}}1
style="background:#e6e6aa"

| 2

Charles HarperOpposition2 December 190327 July 1904{{age in days|1903|12|2|1904|7|27}} days1
style="background:#ccc"

| 3

Mathieson JacobyIndependent28 July 190427 October 1905{{age in years and days|1904|7|28|1905|10|27}}1
style="background:#ccddff"

| 4

Timothy QuinlanMinisterial23 November 19058 October 1911{{age in years and days|1905|11|23|1911|10|8}}1
style="background:#ffd1d1"

| 5

Frank TroyLabor1 November 191113 February 1917{{age in years and days|1911|11|1|1917|2|13}}
style="background:#98fb98"

| 6

Edward Bertram JohnstonCountry13 February 19171 March 1917{{age in days|1917|2|13|1917|3|1}} days
style="background:#98fb98"

| 7

James GardinerCountry1 March 191728 June 1917{{age in days|1917|3|1|1917|6|28}} days
style="background:#d8bfd8"

| 8

George TaylorNational Labor19 July 191723 July 1924{{age in years and days|1917|7|19|1924|7|23}}
style="background:#ffd1d1"

| 9

Thomas WalkerLabor24 July 192429 July 1930{{age in years and days|1924|7|24|1930|7|29}}
style="background:#98fb98"

| 10

Sydney StubbsCountry30 July 193017 July 1933{{age in years and days|1930|7|30|1933|7|17}}
style="background:#ffd1d1"

| 11

Alexander PantonLabor18 July 193324 March 1938{{age in years and days|1933|7|18|1938|3|24}}
style="background:#ffd1d1"

| 12

William JohnsonLabor4 August 19382 August 1939{{age in days|1938|8|4|1939|8|2}} days
style="background:#ffd1d1"

| 13

Joseph SleemanLabor3 August 193931 July 1947{{age in years and days|1939|8|3|1947|7|31}}
style="background:#ccddff"

| 14

Charles NorthLiberal31 July 19475 August 1953{{age in years and days|1947|7|31|1953|8|5}}
style="background:#ffd1d1"

| 15

Aloysius RodoredaLabor6 August 19531 August 1956{{age in years and days|1953|8|6|1956|8|1}}
style="background:#ffd1d1"

| 16

James HegneyLabor2 August 195629 June 1959{{age in years and days|1956|8|2|1959|6|29}}
style="background:#ccddff"

| 17

John HearmanLiberal30 June 195923 March 1968{{age in years and days|1959|6|30|1968|3|23}}
style="background:#ccddff"

| 18

Hugh GuthrieLiberal25 July 196820 February 1971{{age in years and days|1968|7|25|1971|2|20}}
style="background:#ffd1d1"

| 19

Merv TomsLabor15 July 19718 October 1971{{age in days|1971|7|15|1971|10|8}} days
style="background:#ffd1d1"

| 20

Daniel NortonLabor16 November 197130 March 1974{{age in years and days|1971|11|16|1974|3|30}}
style="background:#ccddff"

| 21

Sir Ross HutchinsonLiberal22 May 197419 February 1977{{age in years and days|1974|5|22|1977|2|19}}
style="background:#ccddff"

| 22

Ian ThompsonLiberal24 May 197721 March 1983{{age in years and days|1977|5|24|1983|3|21}}
style="background:#ffd1d1"

| 23

John HarmanLabor22 March 19838 February 1986{{age in years and days|1983|5|22|1986|2|8}}
style="background:#ffd1d1"

| 24

Mike BarnettLabor10 June 198617 June 1993{{age in years and days|1986|6|10|1993|6|17}}
style="background:#ccddff"

| 25

Jim ClarkoLiberal17 June 199314 December 1996{{age in years and days|1993|6|17|1996|12|14}}
style="background:#ccddff"

| 26

George StricklandLiberal6 March 199710 February 2001{{age in years and days|1997|3|6|2001|2|10}}
style="background:#ffd1d1"

| 27

Fred RiebelingLabor1 May 20016 September 2008{{age in years and days|2001|5|1|2008|9|6}}
style="background:#98fb98"

| 28

Grant WoodhamsNationals6 November 20089 March 2013{{age in years and days|2008|11|6|2013|3|9}}
style="background:#ccddff"

| 29

Michael SutherlandLiberal11 April 201311 March 2017{{age in years and days|2013|04|11|2017|3|11}}
style="background:#ffd1d1"

| 30

Peter WatsonLabor11 May 201729 April 2021{{age in years and days|2017|5|11|2021|4|29}}
style="background:#ffd1d1"

| 31

Michelle RobertsLabor29 April 2021Incumbent{{age in years and days|2021|4|29}}

  1. Members of the Legislative Assembly were not officially associated with organised parties until 1904.

See also

{{stack|{{portal|Western Australia|Politics}}}}

References

  • {{cite book|last=Black|first=David|author2=Mandy, John |title=The Western Australian Parliamentary Handbook (20th edition)|location=Perth|publisher=Western Australian Parliamentary History Project|year=2002}}
  • [http://www.parliament.wa.gov.au/WebCMS/webcms.nsf/resources/file-ap08-speaker/$file/AP08+Speaker.pdf Speaker of the Legislative Assembly]

{{Presiding officers of Australian legislatures}}

{{Government of Western Australia}}

Western Australia