Ruqayyah Snyder
The Parliament of Australia, also known as the Federal Parliament, is the bicameral federal legislature of Australia. The two houses of Parliament, the Senate and the House of Representatives, meet in separate chambers of Parliament House on Capital Hill in Canberra. The upper house, the Senate, consists of 76 members, while the lower house, the House of Representatives, currently consists of 151 members.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of houses | 2 |
| Upper house | The Senate |
| Number of members in the upper house | 76 |
| Members per state in the upper house | 12 |
| Members per self-governing territory in the upper house | 2 |
| Lower house | The House of Representatives |
| Number of members in the lower house | 150-151 |
| Number of Australian Parliaments | 9 |
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What You'll Learn
The Senate and House of Representatives
The Parliament of Australia, also known as the Federal Parliament or the Commonwealth Parliament, is the bicameral federal legislature of Australia. It consists of three elements: the monarch of Australia (represented by the governor-general), the Senate (the upper house), and the House of Representatives (the lower house).
The Senate, the upper house, consists of 76 members: twelve for each state and two for each of the self-governing territories. Senators are elected using a proportional system, which results in a multitude of parties vying for power. The Senate has significant power, including the ability to block legislation initiated by the government in the House of Representatives. However, this block can be overridden in a joint sitting after a double dissolution election, where the House of Representatives has the dominant numbers.
The House of Representatives, the lower house, currently consists of 150 to 151 members, who represent districts known as electoral divisions or electorates. The number of members is not fixed and can vary with boundary changes resulting from electoral redistributions. The lower house is elected using full-preference instant-runoff voting, which typically leads to the chamber being dominated by two major groups: the Liberal/National Coalition and the Labor Party.
The two houses of Parliament usually meet in separate chambers of Parliament House on Capital Hill in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory. However, they may meet together in rare joint sittings. It is not possible to be a member of both houses simultaneously, but some people have been members of both houses at different times in their careers.
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Members cannot be in both houses
The Parliament of Australia, also known as the Federal Parliament, is bicameral. It consists of the Senate (the upper house) and the House of Representatives (the lower house). The two houses meet in separate chambers of Parliament House on Capital Hill in Canberra, except during rare joint sittings. The Senate has 76 members: 12 for each state and two for each mainland territory. Senators are elected using a proportional voting system. The House of Representatives, meanwhile, currently consists of 150 members, though this number is not fixed and can vary with boundary changes resulting from electoral redistributions. Members of the Senate are referred to as Senators, while members of the House of Representatives use the initials 'MP' (Member of Parliament) after their names.
It is not possible to be a member of both the Senate and the House of Representatives at the same time. However, some people have been members of both houses at different times in their political careers. Only Australian citizens are eligible for election to either house. They must not be subjects or citizens of a "foreign power". When the Constitution was drafted, "foreign" meant outside the British Empire, as all Australians were British subjects at the time. However, in the landmark case Sue v Hill (1999), the High Court of Australia ruled that Britain has been a "foreign power" since the passage of the Australia Act 1986, thus excluding British citizens.
The two chambers have different systems for electing members. Members of the House of Representatives are elected based on electorates, or districts known as "electoral divisions" or "seats". Senators, on the other hand, are elected using a proportional system, resulting in a diverse range of parties within the chamber. This means that the upper house has a different composition than the lower house, with a greater presence of minor parties.
The presiding officer of the Senate is called the President, while the presiding officer of the House of Representatives is the Speaker. Elections for these positions are conducted through secret ballots and are traditionally held by members of the governing party. The presiding officers are responsible for overseeing debates and enforcing rules in an impartial manner.
While the two houses have distinct roles and functions, they work together to create and pass legislation. Bills must be approved by both houses and assented to by the Governor-General to become law. The Senate and the House of Representatives each have unique powers and responsibilities, contributing to the overall legislative process in Australia.
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Only Australian citizens are eligible
The Parliament of Australia, also known as the Federal Parliament or the Commonwealth Parliament, is the federal legislature of Australia. It is bicameral, meaning it consists of two houses: the Senate (upper house) and the House of Representatives (lower house). The Senate consists of 76 members, with twelve representatives from each state and two from each mainland territory. The number of members in the House of Representatives is not fixed and currently stands at 150, representing districts known as electoral divisions.
When it comes to eligibility for membership in the Australian Parliament, only Australian citizens are eligible for election to either the Senate or the House of Representatives. This eligibility criterion was established in the Constitution and has been further clarified by court rulings. In the landmark case of Sue v Hill (1999), the High Court of Australia provided a clear interpretation of the term "foreign power" in the context of Australian citizenship. The court ruled that, with the passage of the Australia Act 1986, Britain is considered a "foreign power," excluding British citizens from eligibility for Australian parliamentary positions.
This eligibility requirement ensures that those elected to represent the Australian people in the Senate or the House of Representatives hold Australian citizenship exclusively and are not subjects or citizens of any foreign power. It is worth noting that an individual cannot simultaneously hold membership in both houses of Parliament. However, throughout their political careers, several individuals have served in both the Senate and the House of Representatives at different times.
The eligibility criterion of solely holding Australian citizenship for members of Parliament reinforces the commitment to represent the interests of Australian citizens exclusively. By excluding individuals with foreign allegiances, it safeguards against potential conflicts of interest and ensures that the decisions made in Parliament are aligned with the priorities and well-being of Australia and its citizens. This criterion is a fundamental aspect of Australia's democratic process and helps maintain the integrity of the country's legislative branch.
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Senators are elected using proportional voting
The Parliament of Australia, also known as the Federal Parliament, is the federal legislature of Australia. It consists of three elements: the monarch of Australia (represented by the governor-general as the executive branch), the Senate (the upper house), and the House of Representatives (the lower house).
The Senate, the upper house of the Australian Parliament, consists of 76 members: twelve for each state, and two for each of the self-governing territories. Senators are elected using a form of proportional voting, specifically the single transferable vote system of proportional representation. This system was introduced in 1948, replacing the previous preferential block voting system.
Under the single transferable vote system, senators are popularly elected in state-wide and territory-wide districts. Each state elects the same number of senators, ensuring equal representation for each state regardless of population size. This means that smaller states like Tasmania, with a population of around 500,000, have the same number of senators as larger states like New South Wales, which has a population of over 8 million. As a result, the Senate incorporates more political diversity than the lower house, which has historically been dominated by two major parties.
The proportional voting system used in the Senate operates by distributing surplus votes based on voter preferences. To be elected, a candidate needs to gain a quota of formal votes, which is calculated using the Droop formula: the total number of formal ballot papers is divided by the number of senators to be elected plus one, and then one is added to the result. During the counting process, the candidate with the lowest number of votes is excluded, and their ballot papers are distributed to the remaining candidates based on the preferences indicated. This process continues until all Senate positions are filled.
The use of proportional voting in the Senate has been described as an "institutional revolution", as it limits the government's ability to control the chamber and encourages the representation of minor parties and independent candidates. It also allows voters to voluntarily exhaust their preferences, ensuring their votes do not flow to specific candidates or parties they do not support.
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The two houses meet separately
The Parliament of Australia, also known as the Federal Parliament or the Commonwealth Parliament, is the bicameral federal legislature of Australia. It consists of three elements: the monarch of Australia (represented by the governor-general), the Senate (the upper house), and the House of Representatives (the lower house). The two houses of Parliament meet in separate chambers of Parliament House on Capital Hill in Canberra, Australian Capital Territory.
The upper house, the Senate, consists of 76 members: twelve for each state and two for each mainland territory. Senators are elected using a form of proportional voting, which results in a multitude of parties vying for power. The lower house, the House of Representatives, consists of 150 members, who represent districts known as electoral divisions or electorates. The number of members in the lower house is not fixed and can vary with boundary changes resulting from regular electoral redistributions.
The two houses of Parliament in Australia are independent of each other and have distinct roles and powers. The Senate, as the upper house, has significant power, including the ability to block legislation initiated by the government in the House of Representatives. This block can be overridden in a joint sitting after a double dissolution election, where the House of Representatives has the dominant numbers.
While it is not possible to be a member of both the Senate and the House of Representatives simultaneously, some people have been members of both houses at different times in their careers. The two houses reflect Australia's history as a British colony, with the Westminster model of two houses being in place in the United Kingdom for almost 800 years.
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Frequently asked questions
The Australian bicameral parliament consists of two houses: the upper house, the Senate, and the lower house, the House of Representatives. As of 31 August 2017, the lower house has 151 members, while the upper house has 76 members.
Members of the lower house are elected from single-member constituencies, known as electoral divisions, using full-preference instant-runoff voting.
Senators are elected using a form of proportional voting, specifically, the single transferable vote system of proportional representation.
Yes, there are six other bicameral state parliaments in Australia, with the exception of Queensland, which is unicameral.
