President of the Executive Council

President of the Executive Council
Incumbent Matthew Jones since 13 March 2012
Style	The Right Honourable
Appointer	Geoffrey VII as The Sovereign
Term length	At His Majesty's pleasure
Inaugural	Sir George Wheeler
Formation	18 February 1836
Deputy	Vice-President
Salary	£12,134 (1st)

The President of the Executive Council is an office in the Constitution of New Ingerland. Established in 1836, convention holds that the post is held by the Prime Minister of New Ingerland.

History

Origins

The role of President of the Executive Council can be traced back the Ingerish (originally English) office of Lord President of the Council, which is thought to date back at least 1529, when in the reign of Henry VIII, the office was established for the Duke of Suffolk.

Formation

The office of President of the Executive Council dates to 1836, when New Ingerland was itself founded. Until 1907, the office was always held by the Ingerish Resident Commissioner, thereby enabling him to act as the Sovereign's First Minister. From 1854, the Resident Commissioner sat in the Senate and was at least in theory responsible to the Parliament for his actions, although in reality he was able to wield considerable power and influence over the native parliamentarians.

Reform

With independence in 1907, the office was retained, with the President now being held by the person who could command a majority in the House of Assembly. From this time, the office was always combined with that of the Prime Minister, thereby giving constitutional authority to that previously unrecognised office.

When the present constitution came into operation 1982, it was decided that the existing arrangements had served the country well and should be allowed to continue. As is common in constitutions throughout the Commonwealth of Nations, the premiership is not mentioned anywhere in the Constitution of New Ingerland. This omissions may appear odd, especially given the power held by the office in discharging the various powers of the Royal Prerogative, and is something of an anomaly unique to the Westminster system. The exact structure of the New Ingerland's executive power is based upon the constitutions of Australia, Northern Ireland, and the Irish Free State.

This circuitous method of defining the powers of the premiership was a deliberate decision made by the writers of the Constitution, who wished to provide the constitution with a degree of flexibility and not bind the ever-evolving Cabinet style of government in any way. However, it should be acknowledged that there is no legal requirement that the two offices are held by the same person, and in theory they can be held by different people.

Function and powers

The actual functions and powers of the President, as distinct from the premiership, are not particularly onerous. §26 of the Constitution requires the President to recommend to the Sovereign the appointment of Executive Councillors, and which of the councillors are to be made Ministers of State. §27 empowers the President to prescribe all offices to be held by any councillor. Finally, §28 requires the President to conduct the business of the Council. However, in order to better administer these powers, and the other functions of the premiership, §27 allows for the the chairmanship of the Council to be held by the Vice-President of the Executive Council, an office that is typically held by the Deputy Prime Minister.

List of Presidents of the Executive Council

#	Name	Party affiliation		In Office	Duration
13	Jonathan Braddock (16 January 1919 – 19 March 2006)		Democratic Party	– 6 March 1975
14	Jason Olsen (born 7 October 1932)		Democratic Party	6 March 1975 – 27 July 1975	4 months and 22 days
15	Jacob Meyer (16 November 1922 – 19 May 2011)		National Party	27 July 1975 – 13 April 1980	4 years, 8 months and 18 days
16	Antonia Davidson (born 27 May 1928)		Democratic Party	20 April 1980 – 11 March 1984	3 years, 10 months and 21 days
17	Phillip Corbett (22 March 1924 – 3 August 1984)		National Party	11 March 1984 – 3 August 1984	4 months and 24 days
18	Cassandra Yee (born 13 June 1945)		Christian Democratic Party	3 August 1984 – 20 August 1984	18 days
19	Yvonne Gates (born 26 March 1943)		National Party	20 August 1984 – 20 November 1986
–	Antonia Davidson (born 27 May 1938)		Democratic Party	20 November 1986 – 16 March 1992
20	John Tudor (born 31 July 1940)		National Party	16 March 1992 – 13 March 2000	7 years, 11 months and 27 days
21	Bill Howlett (born 6 September 1951)		Democratic Party	13 March 2000 – 15 March 2004	4 years and 3 days
22	Jim Goodwin (born 1 December 1947)		National Party	15 March 2004 – 13 March 2012	7 years, 11 months and 27 days
23	Matthew Jones (born 4 June 1961)		Democratic Party	13 March 2012 – Present	Incumbent