Treasurer of Australia
The treasurer of Australia, also known as the Federal treasurer or simply the treasurer, is the minister of state of the Commonwealth of Australia charged with overseeing government revenue collection, federal expenditure and economic policy as the head of the Department of the Treasury. The current treasurer is Jim Chalmers, who was appointed by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese in May 2022 following the 2022 Australian federal election.
| Treasurer of Australia | |
|---|---|
| Department of the Treasury | |
| Style | The Honourable |
| Member of | Cabinet Federal Executive Council National Security Committee |
| Reports to | Prime Minister |
| Seat | Canberra, ACT |
| Nominator | Prime Minister |
| Appointer | Governor-General on the advice of the prime minister |
| Term length | At the Governor-General's pleasure |
| Constituting instrument | None (constitutional convention) |
| Formation | 1 January 1901 |
| First holder | Sir George Turner |
| Website | ministers |
The Treasurer implements ministerial powers through the Department of the Treasury and a range of other government agencies. According to constitutional convention, the Treasurer is always a member of the Parliament of Australia with a seat in the House of Representatives. The office is generally seen as equivalent to the Chancellor of the Exchequer in the United Kingdom or the Secretary of the Treasury in the United States or, in some other countries, the finance minister. It is one of only four ministerial positions (along with Prime Minister, Minister for Defence and Attorney-General) that have existed since Federation.