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The Treasurer of Australia is the minister in the Government of Australia responsible for...

The Treasurer of Australia is the minister in the Government of Australia responsible for government expenditure and revenue raising. He is the head of the Department of the Treasury. The Treasurer plays a key role in the economic policy of the government. By strong Constitutional convention, the Treasurer is always a member of the Parliament of Australia with a seat in the House of Representatives. In some other countries the equivalent role is the Minister for Finance, although Australia has a separate office of that name responsible for regulating government spending. Each year in May, the Treasurer presents the Federal Budget to the Parliament. The Treasurer is a very senior government post; traditionally, the holder of this office is the Deputy Prime Minister or in the case of the Liberal/National coalition, the deputy leader of the dominant political party holding government. Being Treasurer is often seen by the Canberra Press Gallery and the public as a necessary stepping-stone to the Prime Ministership; however, only six Prime Ministers have served as Treasurer before ascending to higher office. Wayne Swan is the current Treasurer of Australia. The immediately preceding