New England Online > Government & Politics > Executive > First Minister
First Minister of New England
| First Minister of New England | |
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| Incumbent: Rt. Hon. Matthew Jones |
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| Rank: | First |
| Appointed by: | James II |
| First: | Sir Jonathon Braddock |
| Formation: | 1 October 2012 |
The First Minister of New England is the head of the government and is the individual responsible for the policy and decisions of that government. As head of the government the First Minister also oversees the operation of the Civil Service and crown statutory agencies, appoints members of the Executive Council, and is the principal Government figure in the House of Assembly.
The current First Minister Matthew Jones came to power after the 2052 election. Matthew is eleventh First Minister of New England since independence in 2012.
Qualification
The First Minister, along with the other ministers of the Executive Council, is formally appointed by the King. However, by constitutional convention designed to maintain stability in government, the monarch will almost always call on the leader of the party which holds the most seats in the House of Assembly to form a government.
The First Minister may be any New England citizen of voting age who is a sitting member of the House of Assembly. If the First Minister is removed as leader of his party, or if he loses a vote of no-confidence in the House of Assembly, he must resign the office or be dismissed by the Monarch. Additionally, a First Minister that loses his seat in the House is obliged by convention to immediatly resign his commission.
Functions & Powers
For more, see Cabinet of New England and Executive Office of the First Minister.
The First Minister is the leader of of the Cabinet of New England and and plays a leading role in the determination of government business before the House of Assembly. The First Minister also acts as the face of the government, and is ultimately responsible for the fate of his or her government at an election. The First Minister plays a prominent role in most legislation passed by the Parliament. The vast majority of legislation originates in the Cabinet, largely from the ranks of his or her party's MPs. The Cabinet must have unanimous consent on all decisions they make.
The First Minister is assisted in his day to day administration of the government by two critically important, yet separate, offices. The adminstrative functions of government are carried out by the Office of the First Minister and Cabinet, which is a part of the civil service and is therefore apolitical. The political and policy functions of the job are carried out the Executive Office of the First Minister, which employs the party political advisors and advocates to the First Minister.
Former First Ministers
For a full list, see List of First Ministers of New England.
To date, there have been twelve First Ministers of New England. The longest serving First Minister is Dame Antonia Davidson, who served for ten years, one month and twenty-one days. Only one, the Phillip Corbett, has died in office. Corbett died after just thirty-two days in office, making him the second shortest serving First Minister. Corbett's successor, Cassandra Yee, was sworn in as First Minister until the National Party could elect a new leader. Yee served for seventeen days, which remains the shortest term of a First Minister so far. It is common for former First Ministers to be made Chancellor when their party is returned to office.
Residences of the First Minister
For more, see Residences of the First Minister.
The official residence of the First Minister is Lindsay House, on the edge of Central Park in Armidale. The building and grounds had served as a guesthouse and hotel for many years before it was purchased as the First Minister's residence in 2011. It is adjacent to the executive office buildings of the First Minister, known as SH Smith House.
The lawns and gardens of Lindsay House are small, being located on just three-quarters of an acre on the corner of Faulkner and Barney Streets. The entire complex is surrounded by a three metre high hedge. Next door to Lindsay House is the Guesthouse, a small colonial building that serves as accommodation for visiting dignitaries when they stay in Armidale.
There is also a country residence for the First Minister, known as Sinclair House. It is located near Wellingrove in the north of New England, just outside of Glen Innes. The country residence is often used as a place for meetings between the First Minister and overseas dignitaries visiting New England. To date, the most prominent world leader to visit was European President, Arnold Visser.
