Frontbencher

<h2 id="united-kingdom">United Kingdom</h2>

<p>In the <a href="/facts/House_of_Commons_of_the_United_Kingdom/IyyztqLo">House of Commons</a>, the <a href="/facts/Government/N4bYL0VC">Government</a> frontbench is traditionally called the Treasury bench (<a href="/facts/HM_Treasury/zdrtLRQT">HM Treasury</a> is the oldest government department). The government frontbench is on the right hand side as seen by the Chairman (typically the <a href="/facts/Speaker_of_the_House_of_Commons_(United_Kingdom)/LtrYGMLh">Speaker of the House of Commons</a> or the <a href="/facts/Lord_Speaker/ExttATDC">Lord Speaker</a>), and is occupied by Government <a href="/facts/Minister_(government)/URxFu4Pk">ministers</a>.  The <a href="/facts/Opposition_frontbench/rFCAkCeg">opposition frontbench</a> is occupied by <i>shadow</i> ministers, of whom the most senior form the <a href="/facts/Official_Opposition_Shadow_Cabinet_(United_Kingdom)/9cp8YIls">Shadow Cabinet</a>.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:2" href="#fn:2"><sup>2</sup></a>
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<h2 id="canada">Canada</h2>
<p>While backbenchers are referred to in the <a href="/facts/House_of_Commons_of_Canada/XAdyEgPs">House of Commons of Canada</a> (and the provincial legislatures), the front seats on the government side are reserved for cabinet ministers. Front row members of the governing party are not referred to as frontbenchers, but as cabinet ministers. Some "frontbenchers" actually sit in the centre of the second row, so as to be seen directly behind the party leader during Question Period (and thus, in the television frame).
</p><p>The same arrangement exists for each <a href="/facts/Legislative_assemblies_of_Canadian_provinces_and_territories/Ef7vpU8e">provincial legislature and the territorial legislature of Yukon</a>. In the case of <a href="/facts/Legislative_Assembly_of_Nunavut/d2aYrorh">Nunavut</a> and <a href="/facts/Legislative_Assembly_of_the_Northwest_Territories/N0rDT1Ql">Northwest Territories</a> where there is <a href="/facts/Consensus_government_in_Canada/QvFDAI59">consensus government</a> with a non-partisan makeup,  ministers sit amongst regular members.
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<h2 id="ireland">Ireland</h2>
<p>A <a href="/facts/Front_bench_(Ireland)/6uI7yqAq">front bench</a> in <a href="/facts/D%C3%A1il_%C3%89ireann/f1LVyjWC">Dáil Éireann</a>, the <a href="/facts/Lower_house/kxk4o5B7">lower house</a> of the <a href="/facts/Oireachtas/TuVB66X9">Oireachtas</a> of <a href="/facts/Republic_of_Ireland/k8JzXVze">Ireland</a>, refers to any organised group of party members who holds any degree of speaking power (derived from the party) on specific issues. The <a href="/facts/Teachta%C3%AD_D%C3%A1la/zz84t7QC">Teachtaí Dála</a> (TDs) who are members of the <a href="/facts/Government_of_Ireland/7sCXlqex">Government of Ireland</a> constitute the government front bench, while the members of parties in declared opposition to the government constitute the opposition front bench.
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<h2 id="australia">Australia</h2>
<p>The <a href="/facts/Parliament_of_Australia/LmueJbhg">Parliament of Australia</a> also has a front bench, which includes all ministers and shadow ministers.<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:3" href="#fn:3"><sup>3</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:4" href="#fn:4"><sup>4</sup></a>
</p><p>In more recent times, journalists have casually referred to ministers as frontbenchers<a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:5" href="#fn:5"><sup>5</sup></a><a class="footnote-ref" id="fnref:6" href="#fn:6"><sup>6</sup></a> rather than expressing the due deference of their ministerial positions.
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<h2 id="new-zealand">New Zealand</h2>
<p>New Zealand follows the <a href="/facts/Westminster_system/qaW6mkHp">Westminster tradition</a> whereby the front benches, or in the <a href="/facts/New_Zealand_House_of_Representatives/INp131hI">New Zealand House of Representatives</a> front <i>seats</i>, are reserved for the government and opposition leaders. The government ministers sit to the <a href="/facts/Speaker_of_the_New_Zealand_House_of_Representatives/Mt6d0PYn">Speaker's</a> right, whilst the opposition leaders sit to the Speaker's left (as seen from the Speaker's chair). The term frontbencher is therefore also used in New Zealand but usually refers to the foremost leaders and spokespersons of the <a href="/facts/Official_Opposition_(New_Zealand)/zXnzPJ0T">Official Opposition</a> rather than those on the government front benches.
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<h2 id="see-also">See also</h2>
<ul><li><a href="/facts/Backbencher/Emz8mPhA">Backbencher</a></li>
<li><a href="/facts/Frontbench_Team/djw361RB">Frontbench Team</a></li></ul>

<h2 id="external-links">External links</h2>
<ul><li><a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/82153.stm">Frontbench</a> definition from <a href="/facts/BBC_News/oGAe2H8E">BBC News</a></li></ul>

<h2 id="references">References</h2>

<ol>
<li id="fn:1"><p>"Frontbench (frontbenchers) - Glossary page". UK Parliament. Retrieved 28 February 2020. <a href="https://www.parliament.uk/site-information/glossary/frontbench-frontbencher/" target="_blank">https://www.parliament.uk/site-information/glossary/frontbench-frontbencher/</a> <a href="#fnref:1" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:2"><p>"What's the difference between UK frontbench and backbench MPs?". Britpolitics. Retrieved 28 February 2020. <a href="https://www.britpolitics.co.uk/a-level-uk-parliament-british-politics-front-back-bench/" target="_blank">https://www.britpolitics.co.uk/a-level-uk-parliament-british-politics-front-back-bench/</a> <a href="#fnref:2" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:3"><p>Dalzell, political reporter Stephanie; Worthington, political correspondent Brett (5 February 2020). "Frontbench reshuffle could leave Nationals without a woman in Cabinet and no ministers in Upper House". ABC News. Retrieved 28 February 2020. {{cite web}}: |first2= has generic name (help) <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-02-05/scott-morrison-set-to-unveil-new-look-frontbench/11930346" target="_blank">https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-02-05/scott-morrison-set-to-unveil-new-look-frontbench/11930346</a> <a href="#fnref:3" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:4"><p>"Frontbenchers and backbenchers". Parliamentary Education Office. Retrieved 9 April 2021. <a href="https://peo.gov.au/understand-our-parliament/parliament-and-its-people/people-in-parliament/frontbenchers-and-backbenchers/" target="_blank">https://peo.gov.au/understand-our-parliament/parliament-and-its-people/people-in-parliament/frontbenchers-and-backbenchers/</a> <a href="#fnref:4" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:5"><p>Harris, Rob (18 September 2019). "'Celebrity auctioneer' Gladys Liu prompts probe into government frontbencher". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 23 November 2021. <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/celebrity-auctioneer-gladys-liu-prompts-probe-into-government-frontbencher-20190918-p52sls.html" target="_blank">https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/celebrity-auctioneer-gladys-liu-prompts-probe-into-government-frontbencher-20190918-p52sls.html</a> <a href="#fnref:5" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
<li id="fn:6"><p>Hunter, Fergus (25 October 2017). "Pressure mounts on Michaelia Cash to quit frontbench over AWU fiasco". The Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 23 November 2021. <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/pressure-mounting-on-michaelia-cash-to-quit-frontbench-over-awu-fiasco-20171026-gz8d5q.html" target="_blank">https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/pressure-mounting-on-michaelia-cash-to-quit-frontbench-over-awu-fiasco-20171026-gz8d5q.html</a> <a href="#fnref:6" class="footnote-back-ref">↩</a></p></li>
</ol>

Frontbencher open-in-new

Frontbencher