with the fact that no minutes are recorded, the impact of cabinet solidarity and the conventions related to Collective Ministerial Responsibility give the Prime minister significant sources of power to wield over his team. As chair of the cabinet, the Prime Minister seeks consensus on government initiatives, formal votes are rare; and in any case senior Ministers particularly those holding economic portfolios tend to have a greater say on policy direction. Prime Minister Bob Hawke was said to be tougher on expenditure proposals when his Treasurer was in the room. Fraser however was an interesting character around the Cabinet table, and would often invite prime ministerial displeasure ( 'Can we have one meeting please?), through Fraser himself never hesitated to converse while some other minister was speaking. Sometimes he would leave the Cabinet room abruptly, without apology, then burst back in, asking 'where were we?'. Fraser also dominated the group and its decisions, and would not run with a decision if it commanded only a bare majority in Cabinet he searched for a consensus, even at the cost of 'innumerable meetings'. Another major source of power is Loyalty, the loyalty that the Cabinet has to the Prime Minister is crucial in having a successful PM, A loyal Cabinet, is a unified Cabinet and furthermore in many cases happy to support the PM's policy initiatives. An example of this recently is in Howards last Ministerial Reshuffle he dropped Vanstone from the Inner Minister with her Education Portfolio to the outer minister and promoted Kemp in her place in order for a more loyal Cabinet. Also in Keatings government to improve loyalty he dropped all those ministers who had a close affiliation with Ex Prime Minister Bob Hawke.
             The ever expanding power base of the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet along with the Office of the Prime Minister are secure sources of power for a Prime Minister and ...