Parliament of Australia

The Parliament of Australia is the legislative branch of Australia. According to Section 1 of the Constitution of Australia, Parliament consists of the Queen of Australia, the House of Representatives (the "lower house"), and the Senate (the "upper house" or "house of review"). The Queen is normally represented in Australia by the Governor-General. The Parliament of Australia is modelled on the Parliament of the United Kingdom and, to a lesser extent, the Congress of the United States.

Composition

Under Section 1 of the Constitution, the Queen of Australia is one of the components of Parliament. The constitutional functions of the Crown are delegated to the Governor-General, whom the Queen appoints on the advice of the Prime Minister. Various other functions are assigned to the Governor-General by the Constitution and by legislation. However, by constitutional convention, the Governor-General does not normally exercise these powers, except upon the advice of the Prime Minister or other ministers.

Related Topics:
Queen of Australia - Governor-General

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The upper house of the Australian Parliament is the Senate, which consists of 76 members. Like the United States Senate, on which it was modelled, the Australian Senate includes an equal number of Senators from each state, regardless of population. The Constitution allows Parliament to determine the number of Senators by legislation, provided that the six original states are equally represented. Furthermore, the Constitution provides that each original state is entitled to at least six senators. However, neither of these provisions applies to any newly admitted states, or to territories. Pursuant to an Act of Parliament passed in 1973, the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory elect two Senators each.

Related Topics:
United States Senate - 1973 - Australian Capital Territory - Northern Territory

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Until 1949, each state elected the constitutional minimum of six Senators. This number increased to ten from the elections of 1949, and was increased again to twelve (the present number) from the elections of 1984.

Related Topics:
1949 - 1984

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Parliament may determine the number of members of the House of Representatives. However, the Constitution provides that this number must be "as nearly as practicable, twice the number of Senators"; this requirement is commonly called the "nexus provision." Hence, the House presently consists of 150 members. Each state is allocated seats based on its population; however, each original state, regardless of size, is guaranteed at least five seats. The Constitution does not guarantee representation for the territories. Parliament granted a seat to the Northern Territory in 1922, and to the Australian Capital Territory in 1948; these territorial representatives, however, had only limited voting rights until 1968. Currently, each territory elects two representatives.

Related Topics:
1922 - 1948 - 1968

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From 1901 to 1949, the House consisted of either 74 or 75 members. Between 1949 and 1984, it had between 121 and 127 members. In 1977, the High Court ordered that the size of the House be reduced from 127 to 124 members in order to comply with the nexus provision. In 1984, both the Senate and the House were enlarged; since then the House has had between 148 and 150 members.

Related Topics:
1901 - 1949 - 1984 - 1977 - High Court

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