Leslie Massey
In the Australian government, 'MP' stands for 'Member of Parliament'. The House of Representatives, which is one of the three components of the Commonwealth Parliament, currently consists of 151 MPs. These MPs are elected by and represent single-member districts known as electoral divisions, or more commonly, 'electorates' or 'seats'. The number of members is not fixed and can vary with boundary changes resulting from electoral redistributions, which are required regularly.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| What does MP stand for? | Member of Parliament |
| Number of MPs in the House of Representatives | 151 |
| Voting system | Full preferential voting |
| Presence of armed officers | Yes |
| Disciplinary powers | Yes, the speaker has disciplinary powers |
| Contempt of Parliament | Yes, it is a legal offence |
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What You'll Learn
MPs' participation in parliament
In Australia, "MP" stands for "Member of Parliament". The Parliament of Australia, also known as the Federal Parliament or the Parliament of the Commonwealth, is the country's federal legislature. It is made up of three components: the monarch of Australia (represented by the governor-general), the Senate (the upper house), and the House of Representatives (the lower house).
In the main chamber, MPs can participate in debates, ask questions of ministers and public officials, and vote on legislation. They can also introduce private members' bills, although these rarely become law without the support of the government. Additionally, MPs can move motions, which are proposals for specific actions or changes that the House should take. For example, in March 2020, the Attorney-General of Australia, Christian Porter, moved two motions: one to allow MPs to participate in Parliament electronically during the COVID-19 pandemic, and another to enable standing orders to be amended without requiring an absolute majority, given the exceptional circumstances.
Beyond the main chamber, MPs also participate in the work of committees, which deal with matters referred to them by the main House. There are several types of committees, including standing committees, select committees, and domestic committees. Standing committees are established on a permanent basis and are responsible for scrutinising bills, examining the government's budget and activities, and reviewing departmental annual reports. Select committees, on the other hand, are temporary and formed to address specific issues. Domestic committees focus on administering aspects of the House's internal affairs. Committees provide an important opportunity for all MPs to engage in detailed discussions, conduct inquiries, and examine policy and legislation more closely. The proceedings of these committees are considered to have the same legal standing as Parliament itself and are protected by parliamentary privilege.
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Voting systems
In Australia, MP stands for Member of Parliament.
The Australian Parliament is made up of three components: the King of Australia, the Senate, and the House of Representatives. The structure of the Australian Parliament is modelled after the United States Congress, with a House of Representatives and a Senate. The Australian Parliament functions according to the Westminster system. The Prime Minister holds office as long as they have the support of the majority of the House of Representatives. If the House passes a vote of no confidence in the Prime Minister's administration, they must either resign or call for an immediate election.
The Australian House of Representatives has had a two-party system since 1909, when the two non-Labor parties merged. The 1910 election was the first to elect a majority government, with the Australian Labor Party winning the first Senate majority. The House of Representatives uses full preferential voting, also known as "instant runoff voting" or "alternative voting". This means that voters rank candidates in order of preference, and if no candidate receives a majority of first-choice rankings, the candidate with the fewest first-choice votes is eliminated, and their votes are redistributed according to the voters' second preferences. This process continues until one candidate receives a majority of the votes.
Voting in Australia is compulsory for all eligible citizens in federal elections, by-elections, and referendums. Voters must be enrolled to vote and can be fined if they do not cast a vote. However, it is important to note that voters still have the option to abstain by voting informally, such as by submitting a blank ballot paper.
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Contempt of Parliament
In Australia, the term 'MP' stands for 'Member of Parliament'. The Parliament of Australia consists of three components: the King of Australia, the Senate, and the House of Representatives.
The Parliament of Australia, currently in its 47th iteration, plays an active role in legislation. The most recent federal election, held on May 21, 2022, resulted in the Labor Party returning to government after a nine-year hiatus. The Labor Party secured 77 seats in the 151-seat House of Representatives, constituting a majority government. The Liberal/National Coalition, which previously held power, transitioned to the opposition with 58 seats.
The Australian Senate, unlike upper houses in other Westminster-system governments, holds significant legislative power. It was modelled in part after the United States Senate, granting each state equal representation. The Senate is an essential component of the Parliament of Australia, alongside the House of Representatives, with both houses playing distinct roles in the country's legislative process.
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MP's questions to ministers and public officials
In the Australian government, the acronym "MP" stands for "Member of Parliament". MPs are required to give notice of the questions they wish to ask ministers. This usually involves tabling a specific question, which is then printed on the order paper.
Prime Minister's Questions (PMQs) is a weekly opportunity for MPs to question the prime minister directly about government business. PMQs is held at midday every Wednesday that the House of Commons sits. MPs wishing to ask a question usually enter a ballot, which closes the Thursday before each PMQs. The leader of the opposition usually asks six questions at PMQs, either as a whole block or in two separate groups of three. If the first question is asked by a government backbencher, the leader of the opposition is the second MP to ask questions. If an opposition MP asks the first question, this will be followed by a question from a government MP and then by the questions from the opposition leader.
The first formal question on the Order Paper is usually to ask the prime minister about their "engagements" for the day. The prime minister typically gives a standard response, and the MP then asks a supplementary question. The 'engagement' question is deliberately broad, to ensure that supplementaries can cover almost any subject. MPs who are not selected may be chosen to ask a supplementary question if they "catch the eye" of the speaker, which is done by standing and sitting immediately before the prime minister gives an answer.
Civil servants in Downing Street prepare a briefing pack for the prime minister ahead of PMQs. This includes background information and draft answers for each MP on the order paper, prepared by government departments and signed off by special advisers. Where the PPSs cannot find out what an MP will ask, the pack will include scripts on all likely questions. The prime minister spends several hours a week preparing for PMQs, testing out attack lines, writing jokes, and role-playing potential questions.
At times of national or personal tragedy or crisis, PMQs may be temporarily suspended. For example, PMQs was suspended following the sudden death of the leader of the Labour Party, John Smith, in 1994, and after the unexpected death of Opposition leader David Cameron's son in 2009.
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The role of the speaker
In Australia, 'MP' stands for 'Member of Parliament'.
The Speaker of the Australian House of Representatives is the presiding officer of the Australian House of Representatives, the lower house of the Parliament of Australia. The Speaker's role is to oversee house debates, determine which members may speak, maintain order and the parliamentary and ministerial codes of conduct during sessions, and uphold all rules and standing orders. The Speaker is elected by the House of Representatives via secret ballot and is entitled to a salary of over A$211,000 as of 2019.
The office of the speakership was established in 1901 by section 35 of the Constitution of Australia. The current speaker is Milton Dick, who was elected on 26 July 2022. Historically, Speakers have often been former government ministers or Parliamentary Secretaries, and there is no convention for Speakers to resign from Parliament at the end of their term.
The deputy speaker is typically a government MP, while the second deputy speaker is usually a non-government MP. However, there have been exceptions to this convention. Notably, the 43rd Parliament (2010-2013) was the first Australian federal parliament to have three Speakers: Harry Jenkins, Peter Slipper, and Anna Burke.
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Frequently asked questions
MP stands for Member of Parliament.
MPs can ask questions of ministers and public officials as well as conduct inquiries, examine policy and legislation.
The House of Representatives currently consists of 151 members. The number of members is not fixed and can vary with boundary changes resulting from electoral redistributions.
The House of Representatives is the lower house of the Australian Parliament, while the Senate is the upper house. The House of Representatives is made up of members who are directly elected by the people, while the Senate is made up of representatives of the states.
