Speaker of the Senate
 This article is a part of the Politics and Government of Ibagli series. |
| Executive |
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Monarch (King Charles III) |
| Legislative (Parliament) |
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House of Commons (Speaker) |
| Judicial |
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Supreme Court (Chief Justice) |
The Speaker of the Senate is the presiding officer of the Senate, the upper house of the Parliament of Ibagli. The current Speaker of the Senate is Kenneth Thompson.
The Speaker of the Senate is appointed by the Governor-General, on the advice of the Executive Council. By convention, however, this advice is generally expressed exclusively by the Prime Minister. Therefore, while the appointment is made de jure by the Queen's representative, the de facto appointment is made by the Prime Minister alone.
The role of the Speaker in the Senate is based on that of the Lord Chancellor of the House of Lords of the United Kingdom. In keeping with the role of the Lord Chancellor, the Speaker of the Senate is expected to be partisan; he or she can at all times have the right to leave the Chair, to participate in debates, and to hold an original vote — unlike the Speaker of the House of Commons, who has a casting vote only in the event of a tie.
The Speaker of the Senate is also similar to the Lord Chancellor is that he or she is considered equal to other senators. Decisions of the Chair are not binding on the Senate unless the Speaker's decision is also the pleasure of a majority of senators. Also similar to the practice of the Lords is that the Speaker will not intervene unless another senator brings the matter to the attention of the Speaker. Decisions from the Chair remain subject to appeals from the Senate.
List of Speakers of the Senate
| Name | Term | Party |
|---|---|---|
| Wilfred Albertson | 1955–1958 | Liberal |
| Gerald Pinter | 1958–1959 | Liberal |
| John Nettles | 1959–1963 | Conservative |
| Alan Frank | 1963–1966 | Conservative |
| Ryan Darndt | 1966–1967 | Conservative |
| Carl Veston | 1967–1969 | Conservative |
| Arnold Racker | 1969–1971 | Conservative |
| Richard Trent | 1971–1972 | Conservative |
| Alex Barnett | 1972–1976 | Liberal |
| Richard Trent | 1976–1977 | Conservative |
| Alex Barnett | 1977–1981 | Liberal |
| Richard Trent | 1981–1985 | Conservative |
| Austin Lehman | 1985–1989 | Conservative |
| Frank Neering | 1989 | Conservative |
| Randall Cunningham | 1989–1994 | Liberal |
| Sophie Vendemyer | 1994–1999 | Conservative |
| Kenneth Thompson | 1999–2004 | Conservative |
| Theresa Brenton | 2004–2006 | Liberal |
| Kenneth Thompson | 2006 | Conservative |
| Theresa Brenton | 2006 | Liberal |
| Russell McHenry | 2006 | Liberal |
| Kenneth Thompson | 2006– | Conservative |