The Australian Parliament

Australia has a **bicameral** (two-chamber) federal parliament, known as the **Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia**, sometimes called the Commonwealth Parliament or Federal Parliament. **Parliament consists of:** • The **King** (represented by the Governor-General) • The **Senate** (upper house) — 76 senators; 12 from each state and 2 from each mainland territory • The **House of Representatives** (lower house) — members elected from electoral divisions based on population **The House of Representatives** is the main law-making chamber. The party or coalition with a majority of seats in the House of Representatives forms the government. The leader of that party becomes the **Prime Minister**. **The Senate** reviews legislation passed by the House of Representatives and represents the states and territories. **How a law is made:** 1. A **bill** (proposed law) is introduced in one of the chambers 2. It is debated and may be amended 3. It must be passed by **both the House of Representatives and the Senate** 4. The **Governor-General** gives **Royal Assent** — the bill becomes law **The Governor-General** The **Governor-General** represents the King in Australia. The Governor-General: • Appoints the Prime Minister and other ministers • Opens and closes sessions of Parliament • Gives Royal Assent to bills • Can dissolve Parliament and call elections The King of Australia **does not** have a day-to-day role in governing the country. **The Prime Minister and Cabinet** The **Prime Minister** is the head of the federal government, leading the Cabinet of senior ministers. The Cabinet makes decisions about government policy.