L6 Commonwealth Parliament Y10LS

Question 1

Bicameral structure of parliament

Answer 1

Bicameral= (of a parliament) having two chambers or houses (upper and lower)
-Two houses of Commonwealth Parliament are separate chambers that lie within the Parliament House in Canberra
-Referred to as Members of Parliament
-Has its own representatives however the sum of both chambers + the GG are known as Parliament
-All components are needed to pass legislation

Question 2

House of Representatives

Answer 2

Represents the Australian people as a whole and each state and territory is broken into electorates - 150 of them
Federal elections occur every 3 years. Representatives hold office for three-year terms.

Question 3

Roles of HoR

Answer 3

-Forms government from the pol party or coalition with the most seats to represent the interests of the majority of Australians
-Represent the values of the people who elected them
-Introduce bills whereby a member will introduce a bill, the House will debate it and scrutinise the bill
- Review, scrutinise and debate bills from the Senate

Question 4

Senate

Answer 4

The Senate is known as the States House bc the aim is to ensure each state/territory has equal representation, regardless of population.

Term lengths
- Not all senate seats are up for election at every federal election
-Approximately half are elected at each election
-Each senator holds office for 6 years

Question 5

Roles of the Senate

Answer 5

-Review bills passed from the HoR
-Represent the views and priorities of the states and (to an extent) territories
-Introduce bills

Question 6

Governor General

Answer 6

The Governor General is the representative of the Crown to the Aus Commonwealth Parliament and is appointed on the advice of the PM.

Question 7

Roles of GG

Answer 7

Administer legislation by giving royal assent to the laws made by houses of parliament

Review bills for errors and suggest amendments to a bill in which case bill is sent back down to both houses of parliament.

Question 8

Govt

Answer 8

The party or coalition with the majority of seats (50%+1) in lower house of parliament

Question 9

Pol Party

Answer 9

organisations of people holding a shared set of values and ideas with the aim of getting their members elected to Parliament

Question 10

Coalition

Answer 10

agreement made between two or more parties to join numbers in a chamber of parliament in order to secure the majority needed to pass legislation

Question 11

Bills

Answer 11

Proposed law introduced in either house of parliament but not yet enacted as legislation