AOS1 - Part 1 (Parliament) Flashcards
(18 cards)
What are the principles of the Australian parliament system?
Representative Government, Responsible Government and Separation of Powers
What system is the Australian Parliament based on?
Westminster System
Describe the structure of the Commonwealth Parliament.
The Crown leads as the head of state and is represented in Australia as the Governor General (Peter Cosgrove). Then followed by two co-existing houses. The Lower House (The House of Representatives) and the Upper House (The Senate).
Describe the structure of the Victorian Parliament
The Crown leads as the head of state and is represented in Victoria as the Governor (Linda Dessau). Then followed by two co-existing houses. The Lower House (The Legislative Assembly) and the Upper House (The Legislative Council).
How many seats are in the House of Representatives?
150 seats, each representing an electoral division in Australia
How many seats are in the Senate?
76 seats. 12 seats per state. 2 seats per territory.
How long does a member of the House of Representatives serve for?
Three Years
How long does a Senator serve for?
Six years. Half of the Senators are elected every three years
How many seats are in the Legislative Assembly?
88 seats for each district of Victoria.
How many seats are in the Legislative Council?
40 seats for eight regions with five members representing them.
How long does a member of the Legislative Assembly serve for?
Fixed four years.
How long does a member of the Legislative Council serve for?
Fixed four years.
Describe some roles of the House of Representatives
To represent the people and the interests of the majority of people by introducing Bills that reflect the views and values of the majority of the people. To introduce and pass Bills. To establish the government of the day based on which political party or coalition possesses the majority of seats in the Lower House. To publicise the policies of government, To ensure that legislation is debated or matter of public importance is discussed. and members of parliament are able to question the government and ministers relating to their work and responsibilities. Committees can also be set up to investigate Bills
Describe some roles of the Senate
To review Bills that have been passed through the lower house to ensure that the Bills aren’t too radical. To represent the states and territories
Describe some roles of the Crown
To act as the Head of State. To exercise reserve powers. To give royal assent to Bills that have been passed through both houses of Parliament.
Describe the reserve powers of the Crown
To appoint a new government after an election. To appoint a prime minister in the event of a hung parliament. To dismiss a prime minister, who has lost the confidence of the parliament or who is acting unlawfully. To dissolve the House of Representatives despite a request from the Prime Minister. To appoint or dismiss ministers.
Give an example of when reserve powers were used.
In 1975, during the Whitlam government, the Senate kept rejecting Bills, and as a result, Sir John Kerr performed a double dissolution, in which both houses were dissolved.
Describe what a hung parliament is.
A hung parliament refers to when no political party possesses a majority of seats in parliament. Eg. 2010 during the Gillard government.
