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The Australian Parliamentary System The Australian Parliamentary System

The Australian Parliamentary System - PowerPoint Presentation

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The Australian Parliamentary System - PPT Presentation

With the passing of the Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act 1900 UK On 1 January 1901 Australia came into being as a nation more specifically a federation The structure and many of the procedures of the Commonwealth Parliament are also laid down in the Commonwealth Constituti ID: 620209

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Slide1

The Australian Parliamentary SystemSlide2

With

the passing of the

Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act 1900 (

UK) On 1 January 1901, Australia came into being as a nation, more specifically, a federation.

The

structure and many of the procedures of the Commonwealth Parliament are also laid down in the Commonwealth Constitution

.Slide3
Slide4
Slide5

The structure of Commonwealth Parliament

The Australian Constitution created the Commonwealth Parliament consisting of:

the Queen (the Crown)

The lower House: House

of Representatives

The upper house: Senate

. Slide6

The Lower House:

The house of Representatives

The ‘people’s house’

150 members- each represents an electorate of about 80,000 voters- therefore the physical size and number of electorates varies from state to state.

Members are elected for a 3 year termSlide7

Roles of the House of Representatives

Initiate laws

Usually introduced by the government, although any member can introduce a bill

Determines government

the political party with the highest number of elected members in this house forms the government

Represents the people

reflects the current opinions and views of the people because all members votes are worth the same and elections are held regularly so that members continue to represent their voters Slide8

Roles of the House of Representatives

Publicises and scrutinises government administration

Controls government expenditure

Government cannot collect taxes or spend money unless allowed to do so through appropriate bills, which must be passed through

both

houses. Government expenditure is also examined by parliamentary committees. Slide9

The Upper House- The Senate

‘State’s House’ and ‘House of Review’

Made up of 76 Senators– 12 Senators from each state and 2 from each territory- therefore states have equal representation, regardless of their population

Senators are elected for a 6 year termSlide10

Roles of the Senate

Initiates laws

can initiate any bills

except money bills

.

Debates proposed law

Senators enquire into policy issues in depth

Protects interests of the states

Each state is equally represented (s.7 of the Constitution)

Reviews legislation

Reviews bills already passed in the lower house- can reject or amend any proposed law. Slide11

Concerns with the Senate

Although the Senate is intended to be the ‘states’ house’ in practice the senators tend to vote along party lines.

If the opposition has a majority in the upper house it can cause a ‘hostile upper house’ which can delay the passage of billsSlide12

Concerns with the Senate

If the government has a majority in the upper house also, bills tend to be ‘rubber stamped’ and therefore the review process is not being fulfilled. Slide13

If the opposition has a majority in the upper house it can cause a ‘hostile upper house’ which can delay the passage of bills

Concerns with the SenateSlide14

The Role of the Crown

The Crown’s main responsibility is to ensure the democratic system operates effectively.

The Crown appoints times for

parliamentary sessions

It dissolves the House of Representatives to bring about an election.

It can dissolve

both

houses and call for a new election –

double dissolution powers s.57

It

appoints judges

to the courts.

Has the power to appoint a Prime minister if the election results in a ‘hung parliament’ or dismiss a Prime Minister who has lost the confidence of parliament or who is acting unlawfully (like the dismissal of the Whitlam Government in the 1970s).Slide15

Royal Assent s.58

s.58 of the Constitution sets out the signing of a bill by the Crown’s representative after a bill has passed through the other two houses of parliament.

While this is usually given as a matter of course, the Governor-General can

withhold

or

reserve

royal assent, return the bill to the originating house or suggest amendments to the bill.Slide16

The structure of Victorian Parliament

Legislative

Assembly

Legislative Council

Lower House

Upper House

88 members

40 members

Each electoral district elects one member to

represent them in Victorian Parliament

Eight regions

provide 5 members

4 year terms

4 year terms

Roles

Roles

Make

new laws

Similar to the senate (except

of course it does not represent the states)

Majority

party forms government

House of review for legislation passed by the Legislative Assembly

Represents the interests

of the people

Scrutinising

, debating and sometimes amending or rejecting legislation that has been proposed

Bills can be initiated here (except money bills) but it is less common