Editing Prime Minister of Australia (section)

==Acting prime ministers and succession==
The [[Deputy Prime Minister of Australia|deputy prime minister]] becomes [[acting prime minister]] if the prime minister is unable to undertake the role for a short time, for example if they are ill, overseas or on leave (and if both are unavailable, then another senior minister takes on this role).<ref name=":02">{{cite web|title=Does Australia have a parliamentary line of succession to the Prime Minister and if so, what is the order?|url=https://questions.peo.gov.au/questions/does-australia-have-a-parliamentary-line-of-succession-to-the-prime-minister-and-if-so-what-is-the-order/22|access-date=18 August 2021|website=Parliamentary Education Office}}</ref> The ''Acts Interpretation Act 1901'' confers upon acting ministers "the same power and authority with respect to the absent Minister's statutory responsibilities".<ref>{{cite news|title=The Ministry|edition=7th|work=House of Representatives Practice|publisher=Parliament of Australia|url=https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/House_of_Representatives/Powers_practice_and_procedure/Practice7/HTML/Chapter2/The_Ministry|access-date=16 December 2019}}</ref><ref>[https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/C2016C00691 Acts Interpretation Act 1901], s 19(4).</ref>

If the prime minister were to die, then the deputy prime minister would be appointed prime minister by the governor-general until the government votes for another member to be its leader.<ref name=":02" /> This happened when [[Disappearance of Harold Holt|Harold Holt disappeared]] in 1967,<ref name=":02" /> when [[John McEwen]] was appointed prime minister.<ref name=":1">{{cite web|date=24 August 2018|title=Australia's PMs and how they left office|url=https://www.sbs.com.au/news/australia-s-pms-and-how-they-left-office/2380958a-950d-4d17-a709-6527b600b93d|access-date=18 August 2021|website=[[SBS News]]|language=}}</ref> On the other two occasions that the prime minister has died in office, in [[Joseph Lyons|1939]] and [[John Curtin|1945]], [[Earle Page]] and [[Frank Forde]], respectively, were appointed prime minister.<ref name=":1" />

In the early 20th century, overseas travel generally required long journeys by ship. As a result, some held the position of acting prime minister for significant periods of time, including [[William Watt (Australian politician)|William Watt]] (16 months, 1918–1919),<ref>{{cite news|url=http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/watt-william-alexander-9011|title=Watt, William Alexander (1871–1946)|work=[[Australian Dictionary of Biography]]|year=1990|volume=12}}</ref> [[George Pearce]] (7 months, 1916),<ref>{{cite news|url=http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/pearce-sir-george-foster-7996|title=Pearce, Sir George Foster (1870–1952)|first=B.|last=Beddie|year=1988|volume=11|work=[[Australian Dictionary of Biography]]}}</ref> [[Alfred Deakin]] (6 months, 1902),<ref>{{Australian Dictionary of Biography |last=Norris |first=R. |coauthor= |title=Deakin, Alfred (1856–1919) |year=1981 |id2=deakin-alfred-5927}}</ref> [[Joseph Cook]] (5 months, 1921),<ref>{{cite Australian Dictionary of Biography |last1=Crowley|first1=F.K.|title=Cook, Sir Joseph (1860–1947)|id2=cook-sir-joseph-5763|access-date=2016-04-24}}</ref> [[James Fenton (Australian politician)|James Fenton]] (19 weeks, 1930–1931),<ref>{{cite news|url=http://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/fenton-james-edward-6155|title=Fenton, James Edward (1864–1950)|first=J. R.|last=Robertson|year=1981|volume=8|work=Australian Dictionary of Biography}}</ref> [[John Forrest]] (4 months, 1907),<ref>{{cite Australian Dictionary of Biography |id2=forrest-sir-john-6211 |title=Forrest, Sir John (1847–1918) |first=Frank|last=Crowley}}</ref> and [[Arthur Fadden]] (4 months, 1941). Fadden was acting prime minister for a cumulative total of 676 days (over 22 months) between 1941 and 1958.<ref>{{Cite thesis|first=Tracey M.|last=Arklay|title=Arthur Fadden: A Political Silhouette|year=2010|type=PhD thesis|publisher=[[Griffith University]]|url=https://www120.secure.griffith.edu.au/rch/file/9e60ec78-ebd2-d16e-3533-2af6f43a5cee/1/Arklay_2011_02Thesis.pdf|page=196|access-date=16 December 2019|archive-date=28 May 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180528133311/https://www120.secure.griffith.edu.au/rch/file/9e60ec78-ebd2-d16e-3533-2af6f43a5cee/1/Arklay_2011_02Thesis.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref>