Ruqayyah Snyder
The Parliament of Western Australia is the bicameral legislature of the Australian state of Western Australia, constituting the legislative branch of the state's political system. It consists of the King (represented by the) governor, the Legislative Council (upper house), and the Legislative Assembly (lower house). The two houses of parliament sit in Parliament House in Perth, the state capital. This paragraph will explore the composition and functions of these houses, their historical development, and the electoral processes that shape them.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of chambers | 2 |
| Composition | The King (represented by the governor), the Legislative Council (upper house) and the Legislative Assembly (lower house) |
| Location | Parliament House, Perth |
| Number of members in the Legislative Council | 36 |
| Number of members in the Legislative Assembly | 59 |
| Term length | 4 years |
| Voting system | Preferential voting system |
| Voting requirements | Compulsory for all Australian citizens over the age of 18 |
| Requirement for a bill to become law | Must be passed by both the Legislative Council and the Legislative Assembly, and receive royal assent from the Governor |
| Government formation | The party or coalition with a majority in the Legislative Assembly is invited by the Governor to form a government |
| Head of government | Premier of Western Australia |
| Number of acts passed in 2023 | 34 |
| Electoral system for the Legislative Council | Single transferable voting (STV) in one state-wide district |
| Number of members elected to the Legislative Council in 2025 | 37 |
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What You'll Learn
Western Australia's bicameral legislature
Western Australia's legislature is a bicameral system, consisting of two houses: the Legislative Council (the upper house) and the Legislative Assembly (the lower house). The two houses of parliament sit in Parliament House in Perth, the state capital.
The Legislative Assembly was the first elected legislature in Western Australia, created in 1890 when the state gained self-government. Initially, only male landowners could vote, but suffrage was extended to all adult males in 1893, excluding Indigenous Australians. Women gained the right to vote in 1899, and in 1921, Edith Cowan became the first woman to be elected to any Australian parliament when she won a seat for the Nationalist Party. Today, the Legislative Assembly has 59 members, elected for four-year terms from single-member electoral districts. Members are elected using a preferential voting system, and voting is compulsory for all Australian citizens over the age of 18. Most legislation in Western Australia is initiated in the Legislative Assembly, and a majority in this house is required to form a government.
The Legislative Council, on the other hand, is a house of review for legislation passed by the Legislative Assembly. It currently has 36 members, elected for four-year terms from multi-member constituencies by proportional representation. Until 2021, the state was divided into six electoral regions for the election of members of the Legislative Council, but this was replaced by a single state-wide district following the 2021 election. The 2025 election set two records for the Legislative Council: the largest number of members elected in a single contest in Australian history and the smallest quota used in such an election.
For a bill to become law in Western Australia, it must be passed by both the Legislative Council and the Legislative Assembly and receive royal assent from the Governor, who represents the King in the state's political system.
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The Legislative Council
The Western Australian Legislative Council is the upper house of the Parliament of Western Australia, which is a state of Australia. It is one of two chambers of the Parliament of Western Australia, the other being the Legislative Assembly (the lower house). The two Houses of Parliament sit in Parliament House in the state capital, Perth.
Currently, the Legislative Council has 36 members elected for four-year terms from multi-member constituencies by proportional representation. For a bill to become law, it must be passed by both the Legislative Council and the Legislative Assembly and receive royal assent from the Governor.
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The Legislative Assembly
The Western Australian Legislative Assembly, also known as the lower house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of Western Australia. The Legislative Assembly was created in 1890 when Western Australia gained self-government, replacing a system where the governor was responsible for most legislative matters. It was the first elected legislature in Western Australia, initially consisting of 30 members, all of whom were elected, although only male landowners could vote.
Historically, Western Australia used a zonal electoral system for both houses of parliament, with an MP representing a significantly higher number of voters in country areas compared to the metropolitan region. However, reforms over time, such as the Electoral Districts Act 1947 and the Electoral Amendment and Repeal Act 2005, have aimed to establish the "`one vote, one value'" principle in the Assembly. The distinction between country and metropolitan seats was abolished in 2005, and the current distribution of seats in the Legislative Assembly reflects a more proportional representation of the state's population.
The party or coalition that can secure a majority in the Legislative Assembly is invited by the Governor to form a government. The leader of this party or coalition becomes the Premier of Western Australia and selects a team to govern, which can include members from both the Legislative Assembly and the Legislative Council.
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Voting and elections
The Western Australian Parliament is the bicameral legislature of the Australian state of Western Australia. It consists of the Legislative Council (the upper house) and the Legislative Assembly (the lower house). The two houses of parliament sit in Parliament House in the state capital, Perth.
The Western Australian Legislative Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of Western Australia. It was the first elected legislature in Western Australia, created in 1890 when Western Australia gained self-government. Initially, only male landowners could vote, but suffrage was extended to all adult males in 1893, excluding Indigenous Australians. Women gained the right to vote in 1899, making Western Australia the second Australian colony to do so. Today, the Legislative Assembly has 59 members, elected for four-year terms from single-member electoral districts. Members are elected using the preferential voting system, which requires candidates to poll an absolute majority of total formal votes (over 50%). This system is characterised by electors numbering all squares on the ballot paper in order of preference. If no candidate receives an absolute majority of formal votes, the candidate with the fewest first-preference votes is excluded, and their second-preference votes are distributed to the remaining candidates. This process continues until a candidate achieves an absolute majority.
The Western Australian Legislative Council is the upper house of the Parliament of Western Australia. It was created in 1832 as an appointed body and became a house of review for legislation passed by the Legislative Assembly in 1890. The Legislative Council initially consisted of 15 members nominated by the governor but transitioned to an elected body in 1894. Today, the Legislative Council has 36 members elected for four-year terms from multi-member constituencies by proportional representation. A state-wide district is used, with 37 members elected using the single transferable voting (STV) system. This system allows for a lower threshold for entry to the chamber, ensuring that minor parties and independents receive their due share of seats.
In summary, the Western Australian Parliament consists of two houses: the Legislative Assembly and the Legislative Council. The Legislative Assembly uses a preferential voting system, while the Legislative Council uses proportional representation with a single transferable vote. Both houses have fixed four-year terms, with elections held every four years. Voting is compulsory for all Australian citizens over the age of 18.
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Historical context
The Parliament of Western Australia is the bicameral legislature of the Australian state of Western Australia, constituting the legislative branch of the state's political system. The parliament consists of the King (represented by the governor), the Legislative Council (the upper house), and the Legislative Assembly (the lower house).
Historically, the Western Australian Legislative Council was the first representative parliament in Western Australia, first created in 1832 as an appointive body. Initially, it consisted only of official members, such as the Governor, James Stirling, and other public officials. When Western Australia gained responsible government in 1890, a bicameral system was adopted, and the Legislative Council became a house of review for legislation passed by the popularly elected Legislative Assembly. This council consisted of 15 members, all nominated by the governor. However, it was agreed that once the population of the colony reached 60,000, the Legislative Council would become elective.
The Legislative Assembly, also known as the lower house, was the first elected legislature in Western Australia, established in 1890 when the region gained self-government. Initially, it consisted of 30 members, all of whom were elected, although only male landowners could vote. Suffrage was gradually extended, with all adult males, excluding Indigenous Australians, gaining the right to vote in 1893. In 1899, Western Australia became the second Australian colony to grant women the right to vote.
Over time, the electoral system in Western Australia has undergone reforms to improve representation and voting equality. Until 2008, Western Australia used a zonal electoral system, with a significant rural weighting that gave greater representation to country voters. In 2005, the Electoral Amendment and Repeal Act abolished the country-metropolitan distinction for the Legislative Assembly, leading to a redistribution of seats. In 2021, the Labor Party, with a majority in both houses, initiated reforms to the Legislative Council electoral system, establishing a "one vote, one value" system and abolishing the previous electoral regions. These changes took effect in the 2025 state election, demonstrating the ongoing efforts to enhance the fairness and representativeness of Western Australia's parliamentary system.
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Frequently asked questions
The Parliament of Western Australia is a bicameral legislature consisting of the Legislative Council (upper house) and the Legislative Assembly (lower house).
The Legislative Council currently consists of 36 members, elected for four-year terms from multi-member constituencies by proportional representation.
The Legislative Assembly has 59 members, elected for four-year terms from single-member electoral districts.
The two Houses of Parliament sit in Parliament House in Perth, the capital of Western Australia.
