The Executive Council of Queensland is the body through which the

Premier Premier is a title for the head of government in central governments, state governments and local governments of some countries. A second in command to a premier is designated as a deputy premier. A premier will normally be a head of governm ...

and Ministers (the Cabinet) advise the

Governor A governor is an administrative leader and head of a polity or political region, ranking under the head of state and in some cases, such as governors-general, as the head of state's official representative. Depending on the type of political ...

on the exercise of executive powers.

Composition

The Executive Council is composed of the Premier and other ministers (including the Deputy Premier and

Attorney-General In most common law jurisdictions, the attorney general or attorney-general (sometimes abbreviated AG or Atty.-Gen) is the main legal advisor to the government. The plural is attorneys general. In some jurisdictions, attorneys general also have exec ...

). The Governor chairs meetings, but is not a member. Assistant ministers (previously called parliamentary secretaries) are not members.Constitution of Queensland Act 2001, section 24. New members are appointed to the Council upon joining Cabinet, and resign or have their appointments terminated upon leaving Cabinet. This is unlike the Federal Executive Council, where former ministers remain Executive Councillors, but only current ministers are invited to its meetings. Executive Council members are entitled to the style ''The Honourable'' while in office. Former Premiers who have served at least one year and former ministers who have served at least three may apply to use the style for life.

Procedures

A quorum is two Executive Councillors plus the Governor (or an Executive Councillor presiding in his place). Meetings are held on Thursdays at 11:45 a.m. in the Executive Council Room at Parliament House when the Legislative Assembly is sitting and the Cabinet Room at the Executive Building when it is not. The Clerk of the Executive Council is also present at meetings. The Clerk formally presents each item of business ("minute") to the Governor, who approves them by initialing. After all the minutes have been approved, the meeting ends, the Councillors leave, and the Governor signs any Orders, commissions, or other documents as required. The formal term for the Governor acting on the advice of the Executive Council is the "

Governor in Council The King-in-Council or the Queen-in-Council, depending on the gender of the reigning monarch, is a constitutional term in a number of states. In a general sense, it would mean the monarch exercising executive authority, usually in the form of a ...

". Various statutes call for the Governor in Council to carry out its provisions. For example, the Constitution of Queensland Act 2001 provides for the Governor in Council to appoint judges to the

Supreme Court A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts in most legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, apex court, and high (or final) court of appeal. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...

Matters considered

Matters dealt with by the Governor in Council include the following: * Appointing, among others, judges, magistrates, justices of the peace, and senior members of the civil service * Proclamations setting commencement dates for acts of Parliament * Orders in Council relating activities and financing of local government * Rearranging the machinery of Government * Statutory instruments and other subordinate legislation

Notes

References

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