View source for Parliament of Australia

{{Short description|Federal legislature of Australia}}
{{use dmy dates|date=March 2019}}
{{use Australian English|date=July 2016}}
{{infobox legislature
|background_color  = #224C98
|name              = Parliament of the Commonwealth 
|native_name=|legislature       = [[48th Parliament of Australia]] 
|coa_pic           = Coat of Arms of Australia.svg
|coa_caption=[[Commonwealth Coat of Arms]]|logo_pic=Parliament_House_at_dusk,_Canberra_ACT.jpg|logo_caption=[[Parliament House, Canberra|Parliament House]]<br />[[Canberra]], Australian Capital Territory<br />Australia|house_type        = [[Bicameralism|Bicameral]]
|houses            = [[Australian Senate|Senate]]<br />[[Australian House of Representatives|House of Representatives]]
|foundation        = {{Plainlist|
* First session: {{start date and age|df=yes|1901|5|9}}<ref>{{Cite web |title=The First Commonwealth Parliament 1901 |url=https://education.aec.gov.au/teacher-resources/federation/first-parliament.html |access-date=2023-11-28 |website=[[Australian Electoral Commission]] |archive-date=2 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231202064339/https://education.aec.gov.au/teacher-resources/federation/first-parliament.html |url-status=live }}</ref>
}}
|leader1_type      = [[Monarchy of Australia|Monarch]]
|leader1           = [[Charles III]]
|election1         = 
|leader2_type      = [[Governor-General of Australia|Governor-General]]
|leader2           = [[Sam Mostyn]]
|election2         = 1 July 2024
|leader3           = [[Sue Lines]]
|leader3_type      = [[President of the Senate (Australia)|President of the Senate]]
|party3            = [[Australian Labor Party|Labor]]
|election3         = 26 July 2022
|leader4_type      = [[Speaker of the Australian House of Representatives|Speaker of the House of Representatives]]
|leader4           = [[Milton Dick]]
|party4            = [[Australian Labor Party|Labor]]
|election4         = 26 July 2022
|leader5_type      = [[Prime Minister of Australia|Prime Minister]]
|leader5           = [[Anthony Albanese]]
|party5            = [[Australian Labor Party|Labor]]
|election5         = 23 May 2022
|leader6_type      = [[Leader of the Opposition (Australia)|Leader of the Opposition]]
|leader6           = [[Sussan Ley]] 
|party6            = [[Liberal Party of Australia|Liberal]]
|election6         = 13 May 2025
|members           = 226 (76 Senators, 150 MPs)
|house1            = [[Australian Senate|Senate]]
|house2            = [[Australian House of Representatives|House of Representatives]]
|structure1        = File:2025 Australian Senate - Composition of Members.svg
|structure1_res    = 250px
|political_groups1 = {{Composition of Australian Senate}}
|structure2        = File:Australian House of Representatives chart.svg
|structure2_res    = 250px
|political_groups2 = 
{{Composition of Australian House of Representatives}}
|term_length       = [[Australian Senate|Senate]]: 6 years for state senators, 3 years for territory senators (fixed except under double dissolution) <br/>[[Australian House of Representatives|House]]: 3 years (maximum)
|voting_system1    = [[Single transferable vote]] ([[proportional representation]])<ref name="Parliamentary Education Office-2023"/>
|last_election1    = [[2025 Australian Senate election|3 May 2025]] (half)
|next_election1    = [[Next Australian federal election|On or before 20 May 2028]] (half)
|voting_system2    = [[Optional preferential voting|Full]] [[Instant-runoff voting|preferential voting]]<ref name="Parliamentary Education Office-2023">{{Cite web |date=10 November 2023 |title=Federal elections |url=https://peo.gov.au/understand-our-parliament/having-your-say/elections-and-voting/federal-elections/ |access-date=2023-12-17 |website=Parliamentary Education Office |language=en-AU |archive-date=17 December 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231217041808/https://peo.gov.au/understand-our-parliament/having-your-say/elections-and-voting/federal-elections/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
|last_election2    = [[2025 Australian federal election|3 May 2025]]
|next_election2    = [[Next Australian federal election|On or before 23 September 2028]]
|redistricting     = [[Redistribution (Australia)|Redistributions]] at least every seven years by the Redistribution Committee<ref>{{Cite web |last=Muller |first=Damon |date=25 August 2022 |title=The process of federal redistributions: a quick guide |url=https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_departments/Parliamentary_Library/Research/Quick_Guides/2022-23/ProcessofFederalRedistributionsQuickGuide |website=Parliament of Australia |series=Research Paper Series, 2022–23}}</ref>
|session_room       = Australian Senate - Parliament of Australia.jpg
|meeting_place      = Senate Chamber
|session_room2      = Australian House of Representatives - Parliament of Australia.jpg
|meeting_place2     = House of Representatives Chamber
|website           = {{URL|aph.gov.au}}}}

{{Politics of Australia sidebar}}

The '''Parliament of Australia''' (officially the '''Parliament of the Commonwealth'''<ref name="Constitution of Australia-2"/> and also known as the '''Federal Parliament''') is the [[Federalism in Australia|federal]] [[legislature]] of [[Australia]]. It consists of three elements: the [[monarch of Australia]] (represented by the [[Governor-General of Australia|governor-general]]), the [[Australian Senate|Senate]] (the upper house), and the [[Australian House of Representatives|House of Representatives]] (the lower house).<ref name="Constitution of Australia-2">{{cite Legislation AU|Cth|act|coaca430|Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act|1}}</ref> The Parliament combines elements from the British [[Westminster system]], in which the party or coalition with a majority in the lower house is entitled to form a government, and the [[United States Congress]], which affords equal representation to each of the states, and scrutinises legislation before it can be signed into law.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Beck |first=Luke |title=Australian Constitutional Law: Concepts and Cases |date=2020 |publisher=Cambridge University Press |isbn=978-1-108-70103-7 |pages=16–25 |language=en-AU |oclc=1086607149}}</ref>

The [[upper house]], the Senate, consists of 76 members; twelve for each [[States and territories of Australia|state]], and two for each of the two self-governing [[States and territories of Australia|territories]]. Senators are elected using the [[single transferable vote]] and, as a result, the chamber features a multitude of parties vying for legislative control.<ref name="Parliament of Australia-2017-2">{{cite web |year=2017 |title=Odgers' Australian Senate Practice Fourteenth Edition Chapter 4 – Elections for the Senate |url=http://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Senate/Powers_practice_n_procedures/Odgers_Australian_Senate_Practice/Chapter_01#h02 |archive-url=http://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20190509112438/https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Senate/Powers_practice_n_procedures/Odgers_Australian_Senate_Practice/Chapter_01#h02 |archive-date=9 May 2019 |access-date=25 March 2017 |website=Parliament of Australia |url-status=live }}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> No party or coalition has held a majority in the Senate since [[2007 Australian Senate election|2007]], and this usually necessitates negotiation with either the [[Opposition (politics)|opposition]] or [[Crossbencher|crossbench]] to pass legislation.<ref name="Williams-2014">{{cite book|last1=Williams|first1=George|last2=Brennan|first2=Sean|last3=Lynch|first3=Andrew|title=Blackshield and Williams Australian constitutional law and theory : commentary and materials|date=2014|publisher=Federation Press|location=Annandale, NSW|isbn=9781862879188|page=415|edition=6th}}</ref>

The [[lower house]], the House of Representatives, currently consists of 150 members, each elected via [[full preferential voting]] from single-member [[Divisions of the Australian House of Representatives|electorates]] (also known as ''divisions'' or ''seats'').<ref name="Parliament of Australia-2015">{{cite web |year=2015 |title=House of Representatives Practice, 6th Ed – Chapter 3 – Elections and the electoral system |url=http://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/House_of_Representatives/Powers_practice_and_procedure/Practice6/Practice6HTML?file=Chapter3 |archive-url=http://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20220327183020/https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/House_of_Representatives/Powers_practice_and_procedure/Practice7/HTML/Chapter3/Elections_and_the_electoral_system |archive-date=27 March 2022 |access-date=25 March 2017 |website=Parliament of Australia |url-status=live }}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref><ref name="Australian Electoral Commission-2007">{{cite web |date=8 June 2007 |title=A Short History of Federal Election Reform in Australia |url=http://www.aec.gov.au/Elections/Australian_Electoral_History/history.htm |archive-url=http://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20220304225953/https://aec.gov.au/Elections/history-of-electoral-reform.htm |archive-date=4 March 2022 |access-date=1 July 2007 |publisher=[[Australian Electoral Commission]] |url-status=live }}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> This tends to result in the chamber being dominated by two major political groups, the centre{{Nbh}}right to right{{Nbh}}wing [[Coalition (Australia)|Coalition]] (consisting of the [[Liberal Party of Australia|Liberal]] and [[National Party of Australia|National]] parties) and the centre{{Nbh}}left [[Australian Labor Party|Labor Party]]. The government of the day must command the [[Motion of no confidence#Australia|confidence]] of the House of Representatives in order to gain and remain in power.

The House of Representatives has a maximum term of three years, although it can be [[Dissolution of parliament|dissolved]] early. The Senate has fixed terms, with half of the state senators' terms expiring every three years (the terms of the four territory senators are linked to House elections). As a result, House and Senate elections almost always coincide. A deadlock-breaking mechanism known as a [[double dissolution]] can be used to dissolve the full Senate as well as the House if the Senate refuses to pass a piece of legislation passed by the House.<ref name="Parliament of Australia-2017">{{cite web |year=2017 |title=Odgers' Australian Senate Practice Fourteenth Edition Chapter 21 – Relations with the House of Representatives |url=http://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Senate/Powers_practice_n_procedures/Odgers_Australian_Senate_Practice/Chapter_21 |archive-url=http://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20220316053149/https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Senate/Powers_practice_n_procedures/Odgers_Australian_Senate_Practice/Chapter_21 |archive-date=16 March 2022 |access-date=22 March 2017 |website=Parliament of Australia |url-status=live }}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>

The two houses of Parliament meet in separate [[legislative chamber|chambers]] at [[Parliament House, Canberra|Parliament House]] (except in rare [[Joint meetings of the Australian Parliament|joint sittings]]), which itself is located on [[Capital Hill, Australian Capital Territory|Capital Hill]] in [[Canberra]], [[Australian Capital Territory]]. Members of the House of Representatives usually convene in the so-called ''Green Room'', while Senators convene in the adjacent ''Red Room''.

==History==
===Temporary home in Melbourne (1901–1927)===
The Commonwealth of Australia came into being on 1 January 1901 with the [[Federation of Australia|federation of the six Australian colonies.]] [[1901 Australian federal election|The inaugural election]] took place on 29 and 30 March and the first Australian Parliament was opened on 9 May 1901 in [[Melbourne]] by Prince George, Duke of Cornwall and York, later [[George V|King George V]].<ref>{{cite book| editor-first=M.| editor-last=Simms | year=2001| title=1901: The forgotten election| publisher=University of Queensland Press, Brisbane| isbn=0-7022-3302-1}}</ref> The only building in Melbourne that was large enough to accommodate the 14,000 guests was the western annexe of the [[Royal Exhibition Building]].{{efn|The western annexe was later demolished in the 1960s.}} After the official opening, from 1901 to 1927 the Parliament met in [[Parliament House, Melbourne]], which it borrowed from the [[Parliament of Victoria]] (which sat, instead, in the Royal Exhibition Building until 1927). During this time, Sir [[Frederick Holder]] became the first speaker and also the first (and thus far only) parliamentarian to die during a sitting. On 23 July 1909 during an acrimonious debate that had extended through the night to 5 am, Holder exclaimed: "Dreadful, dreadful!" before collapsing as a result of a [[cerebral haemorrhage]].<ref>{{cite web|url= https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/holder-sir-frederick-william-6706|title= Sir Frederick William Holder (1850–1909)|last=Manning|first=Haydon|website=Australian Dictionary of Biography|publisher=[[Australian National University]]|date=2021}}</ref>
{| align=center
|- valign=top
| [[File:Opening of the first parliament.jpg|thumb|none|''[[The Big Picture (painting)|The Big Picture]]'', opening of the Parliament of Australia, 9 May 1901, by Tom Roberts]]
| [[File:Parliament House Melbourne 2010.jpg|thumb|none|Victorian Parliament House, where the Federal Parliament met until 1927]]
|}

===Old Parliament House (1927–1988)===
{{Main|Old Parliament House, Canberra}}

The Constitution provided that a new national capital would be established for the nation.<ref>{{Cite Legislation AU|Cth|act|coaca430|Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act|125}}</ref> This was a compromise at Federation due to the rivalry between the two largest Australian cities, [[Sydney]] and [[Melbourne]], which both wished to become the new capital. The site of [[Canberra]] was selected for the location of the nation's capital city in 1908.<ref>{{cite book|first1=Wendy|last1=Lewis|first2=Simon|last2=Balderstone|first3=John|last3=Bowan | title=Events That Shaped Australia | page=106 | publisher=New Holland | year=2006 | isbn=978-1-74110-492-9 | author-link1=Wendy Lewis }}</ref> A competition was announced on 30 June 1914 to design Parliament House, with prize money of £7,000. However, due to the start of World War I the next month, the competition was cancelled. It was re-announced in August 1916, but again postponed indefinitely on 24 November 1916. In the meantime, [[John Smith Murdoch]], the Commonwealth's chief architect, worked on the design as part of his official duties. He had little personal enthusiasm for the project, as he felt it was a waste of money and expenditure on it could not be justified at the time. Nevertheless, he designed the building by default.<ref>{{cite news|first1=Robert|last1=Messenger| title="'Mythical thing' to an iced reality" in "Old Parliament House: 75 Years of History", supplement | newspaper=[[The Canberra Times]] | date=4 May 2002 }}</ref>

The construction of [[Old Parliament House, Canberra|Old Parliament House]], as it is called today, commenced on 28 August 1923<ref>{{cite web |date=4 May 2002 |title=Australia's Prime Ministers: Timeline |url=http://primeministers.naa.gov.au/timeline/results.aspx?type=pm&pm=Stanley%20Melbourne%20Bruce |archive-url=http://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20200605113412/http://primeministers.naa.gov.au/timeline/results.aspx?type=pm&pm=Stanley%20Melbourne%20Bruce |archive-date=5 June 2020 |access-date=14 December 2015 |website=National Archives of Australia |url-status=live }}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> and was completed in early 1927. It was built by the Commonwealth Department of Works, using workers and materials from all over Australia. The final cost was about £600,000, which was more than three times the original estimate. It was designed to house the parliament for a maximum of 50 years until a permanent facility could be built, but was actually used for more than 60 years.

[[File:Old Parliament House Canberra NS.jpg|thumb|center|350px|Old Parliament House as viewed from the front]]

The building was opened on 9 May 1927 by the Duke and Duchess of York (later [[King George VI]] and [[Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother]]). The opening ceremonies were both splendid and incongruous, given the sparsely built nature of Canberra of the time and its small population. The building was extensively decorated with [[Union Jack]]s and [[Australian red ensign|red]] or [[Australian flag|blue Australian ensigns]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.aph.gov.au/~/~/link.aspx?_id=A0A94E3E819F4BA094C3DD2F61DC20BE |access-date=19 November 2025 |first=Elizabeth |last=Kwan |title=National Parliament, National Symbols: From British to Australian Identity |via=Parliament of Australia |publisher=[[UNSW Press]] |work=Parliamentary Library |orig-year=2006 |date=4 May 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250708022445/https://www.aph.gov.au/~/~/link.aspx?_id=A0A94E3E819F4BA094C3DD2F61DC20BE |url-status=live |archive-date=8 July 2025}}</ref> Temporary stands were erected bordering the lawns in front of the Parliament and these were filled with crowds. A [[Wiradjuri]] elder, [[Jimmy Clements]], was one of only two Aboriginal Australians present, having walked for about a week from Brungle Station (near [[Tumut]]) to be at the event.<ref>{{cite news |last=Wright |first=Tony |date=13 February 2008 |title=Power of occasion best expressed by the names of those who were not there |work=The Age |location=Melbourne |url=http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/power-of-occasion-best-expressed-by-the-names-of-those-who-were-notthere/2008/02/12/1202760300951.html |access-date=13 February 2008 |archive-url=http://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20100126031516/http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/power-of-occasion-best-expressed-by-the-names-of-those-who-were-notthere/2008/02/12/1202760300951.html |archive-date=26 January 2010 |url-status=live }}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> [[Nellie Melba|Dame Nellie Melba]] sang "[[God Save the King]]". The Duke of York unlocked the front doors with a golden key, and led the official party into King's Hall where he unveiled the statue of his father, [[George V|King George V]]. The Duke then opened the first parliamentary session in the new Senate Chamber.<ref>{{cite web |title=Museum of Australian Democracy: The Building: Events |url=http://moadoph.gov.au/collection/the-building/events/ |archive-url=http://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20220304234852/https://www.moadoph.gov.au/collection/the-building/events/ |archive-date=4 March 2022 |access-date=15 March 2017 |publisher=Museum of Australian Democracy |url-status=live }}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>
{{gallery
|align=center
|File:House of Representatives, Old Parliament House, Canberra.JPG
|The House of Representatives chamber at Old Parliament House
|File:Senate, Old Parliament House, Canberra.JPG
|The Senate chamber at Old Parliament House
|height=180|width=300}}

===New Parliament House (1988–present)===
{{Main|Parliament House, Canberra}}

In 1978 the [[Fraser government]] decided to proceed with a new building on [[Capital Hill, Australian Capital Territory|Capital Hill]], and the Parliament House Construction Authority was created.<ref name="pfbnph">{{Cite news |title=Parliament forced to build new Parliament House in Canberra |first=Max |last=Blenkin |date=1 January 2009 |newspaper=[[Herald Sun]]}}</ref> A two-stage competition was announced, for which the Authority consulted the [[Royal Australian Institute of Architects]] and, together with the [[National Capital Development Commission]], made available to competitors a brief and competition documents. The [[architectural design competition|design competition]] drew 329 entries from 29 countries.<ref name="Cantor-1996">{{cite book |title=Contemporary Trends in Landscape Architecture |last=Cantor |first=Steven L. |year=1996 |publisher=John Wiley & Sons |isbn=0-471-28791-1 |pages=160–166 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=9Wb9Zxw5GT0C |access-date=5 August 2013}}</ref>

The competition winner was the [[Philadelphia]]-based architectural firm of Mitchell/Giurgola, with the on-site work directed by the Italian-born architect [[Romaldo Giurgola]],<ref>Tony Stephens, "Like his work, he'll blend into the landscape", ''The Sydney Morning Herald'', {{Nowrap|3 July}} 1999</ref> with a design which involved burying most of the building under Capital Hill, and capping the edifice with an enormous spire topped by a large [[Flag of Australia|Australian flag]]. The façades, however, included deliberate imitation of some of the patterns of the Old Parliament House, so that there is a slight resemblance despite the massive difference of scale. The building was also designed to sit above [[Old Parliament House, Canberra|Old Parliament House]] when seen from a distance.<ref name="Cantor-1996"/>

Construction began in 1981, and the House was intended to be ready by [[Australia Day]], {{Nowrap|26 January}} 1988, the [[Australian Bicentenary|200th anniversary of European settlement in Australia]].<ref name="Cantor-1996"/> It was expected to cost $220 million. Neither the deadline nor the budget was met. In the end it cost more than $1.1&nbsp;billion to build.<ref name="ninemsn">{{cite news |last=Dunkerley |first=Susanna |date=8 May 2008 |title=Parliament House to mark 20th birthday |work=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]] |url=http://www.smh.com.au/national/parliament-house-to-mark-20th-birthday-20080508-2c6z.html |access-date=13 March 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170313231707/http://www.smh.com.au/national/parliament-house-to-mark-20th-birthday-20080508-2c6z.html |archive-date=2017-03-13}}</ref>

[[Parliament House, Canberra|New Parliament House]] was finally opened by [[Elizabeth II|Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia]], on {{Nowrap|9 May}} 1988,<ref>{{cite book| last = Lovell| first = David W|author2=Ian MacAllister |author3=William Maley |author4=Chandran Kukathas| title = The Australian Political System| publisher = Addison Wesley Longman Australia Pty Ltd| year = 1998| location = South Melbourne| page = 737| isbn = 0-582-81027-2}}</ref> the anniversary of the opening of both the first Federal Parliament in Melbourne on {{Nowrap|9 May}} 1901<ref>{{cite book| last = Cannon| first = Michael| title = Australia Spirit of a Nation| publisher = Curry O'Neil Ross Pty Ltd| year = 1985| location = South Melbourne| page =100| isbn = 0-85902-210-2}}</ref> and the Provisional Parliament House in Canberra on {{Nowrap|9 May}} 1927.<ref>{{cite book| last = Cannon| first = Michael| title = Australia Spirit of a Nation| publisher = Curry O'Neil Ross Pty Ltd| year = 1985| location = South Melbourne| page =146| isbn = 0-85902-210-2}}</ref>

In March 2020, the [[46th Parliament of Australia]] was suspended due to the [[COVID-19 pandemic in Australia]]; an adjournment rather than [[prorogation]]. Its committees would continue to operate using technology. This unprecedented move was accompanied by two motions raised by the [[Attorney-General of Australia]], [[Christian Porter]], and passed on 23 March 2020. One motion was designed to allow MPs to participate in parliament by electronic means, if agreed by the major parties and the speaker; the second determined that with the agreement of the two major parties, the [[Rules of order|standing orders]] could be amended without requiring an absolute majority.<ref name="twomey">{{cite web |last=Twomey |first=Anne |author-link=Anne Twomey (academic) |date=24 March 2020 |title=A virtual Australian parliament is possible – and may be needed – during the coronavirus pandemic |url=http://theconversation.com/a-virtual-australian-parliament-is-possible-and-may-be-needed-during-the-coronavirus-pandemic-134540 |archive-url=http://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20200325142014/http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/180724/20200326-0056/theconversation.com/a-virtual-australian-parliament-is-possible-and-may-be-needed-during-the-coronavirus-pandemic-134540.html |archive-date=25 March 2020 |access-date=1 April 2020 |website=The Conversation |url-status=live }}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>

[[File:Parliament House, Canberra, Pano jjron 25.9.2008-edit1.jpg|thumb|centre|800px|New Parliament House, opened in 1988, was built into Capital Hill behind Old Parliament House]]

==Composition and electoral systems==
{{See also|Electoral system of Australia}}

The Constitution establishes the Commonwealth Parliament, consisting of three components: the King of Australia, the Senate and the House of Representatives.<ref name="Constitution of Australia-2"/>

===Monarch===
{{Main|Governor-General of Australia#Role in the Australian Parliament}}

All of the constitutional functions of the King are exercisable by the [[Governor-General of Australia|governor-general]] (except the power to appoint the governor-general), whom the King appoints as his federal representative in Australia on the advice of the [[Prime Minister of Australia|prime minister]]. However, by convention, the governor-general exercises these powers only upon the advice of ministers, except for limited circumstances covered by the [[reserve power]]s.

In Parliament, the monarch legally shares co-equally the law making powers of the Commonwealth with the Senate and House of Representatives. As such their [[royal assent]] (usually expressed by the governor-general) is required for a bill to become an act and thus part of the law. The government does not formally advise the governor-general to grant assent, but it is expected that they will act in accordance with the democratically elected houses of Parliament and assent has never been refused.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Twomey |first=Anne |author-link=Anne Twomey (academic) |date=2019-01-29 |title=Why a government would be mad to advise the refusal of royal assent to a bill passed against its will |url=http://theconversation.com/why-a-government-would-be-mad-to-advise-the-refusal-of-royal-assent-to-a-bill-passed-against-its-will-110501 |access-date= |website=The Conversation |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Taylor |first=Greg |date=2008 |title=Refusals of Assent to Bills Passed by Parliament in Germany and Australia |url=https://www8.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/viewdoc/au/journals/FedLawRw/2008/4.html |journal=Federal Law Review |volume=36 |pages=83–116 |doi=10.22145/flr.36.1.4 |s2cid=220296964 |via=[[Austlii]]|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

===Senate===
{{Main|Australian Senate}}

The upper house of the Australian Parliament consists of 76 members and is called the [[Australian Senate|Senate]],. It has founding principles dervied from both the British 'Westminster' traditions and the US 'Washington' models structure, often referred to as the "Wash-minster' model.<ref name="Wash-minster System">{{Cite web
 |title=Historically, how have the British and US systems of government influenced the Australian government system?
 |url=https://peo.gov.au/understand-our-parliament/your-questions-on-notice/questions/historically-how-have-the-british-and-us-systems-of-government-influenced-the-australian-government-system
 |access-date=2025-10-21
 |website=Parliamentary Education Office
 |language=en-AU
 |quote=In fact the Australian Parliament has been referred to as a 'Wash-minster' model – a combination of the US 'Washington' model and the British 'Westminster' model.
}}</ref> Drawing inspiration from the [[United States Senate]] fundamental structure, the Australian Senate includes an equal number of senators from each state, regardless of population. Conversely the Australian Senate draws many of its traditions and symbols from the British [[House of Lords]] (which does not elect members), such as the Red Chamber and the [[Usher of the Black Rod]].

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. Since an act was passed in 1974, senators have been elected to represent the territories.<ref>{{cite Legislation AU|Cth|num_act|sota1973408|Senate (Representation of Territories) Act 1973}} No. 39 of 1974{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> Currently, the two [[Northern Territory]] senators represent the residents of the Northern Territory as well as the Australian external territories of [[Christmas Island]] and the [[Cocos (Keeling) Islands]]. The two [[Australian Capital Territory]] senators represent the Australian Capital Territory, the [[Jervis Bay Territory]] and since 1 July 2016, [[Norfolk Island]].<ref>{{cite web |year=2016 |title=Norfolk Island Electors |url=http://www.aec.gov.au/Enrolling_to_vote/special_category/Norfolk_Island_electors.htm |archive-url=http://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20160615042855/http://www.aec.gov.au/Enrolling_to_vote/Special_Category/Norfolk_Island_electors.htm |archive-date=15 June 2016 |access-date=13 August 2016 |publisher=Australian Electoral Commission |url-status=live }}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> Only half of the state Senate seats go up for re-election each three years (except in the case of a double dissolution) as they serve six-year terms; however territory Senators do not have staggered terms and hence face re-election every three years.

Until 1949, each state elected the constitutional minimum of six senators. This number increased to ten from the [[1949 Australian federal election|1949 election]], and was increased again to twelve from the [[1984 Australian federal election|1984 election]]. The system for electing senators has changed several times since [[Federation of Australia|Federation]]. The original arrangement used a [[first-past-the-post]] [[block voting]], on a state-by-state basis. This was replaced in 1919 by [[preferential block voting]]. Block voting tended to produce [[Landslide victory|landslide]] majorities. For instance, from 1920 to 1923 the [[Nationalist Party (Australia)|Nationalist Party]] had 35 of the 36 senators, and from 1947 to 1950, the [[Australian Labor Party]] had 33 of the 36 senators.<ref>{{cite book | author1 = Sawer, Marian | author2 = Miskin, Sarah | name-list-style = amp | title = Papers on Parliament No. 34 Representation and Institutional Change: 50 Years of Proportional Representation in the Senate | publisher = Department of the Senate | year = 1999 | url = http://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Senate/Powers_practice_n_procedures/pops/pop34 | isbn = 0-642-71061-9 | access-date = 2 January 2017 | archive-date = 3 January 2017 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20170103003608/http://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Senate/Powers_practice_n_procedures/pops/pop34 | url-status = live }}</ref>

In 1948, [[single transferable vote]] [[proportional representation]] on a state-by-state basis became the method for electing senators. This change has been described as an "institutional revolution" that has led to the rise of a number of minor parties such as the [[Democratic Labor Party (Australia, 1955)|Democratic Labor Party]], the [[Australian Democrats|Democrats]] and the [[Australian Greens|Greens]] who have taken advantage of this system to achieve parliamentary representation and the balance of power.<ref name="Parliament of Australia-2017-2"/><ref>{{cite book | author1 = Sawer, Marian | author2 = Miskin, Sarah | name-list-style = amp | title = Papers on Parliament No. 34 Representation and Institutional Change: 50 Years of Proportional Representation in the Senate | publisher = Department of the Senate | year = 1999 | url = https://www.aph.gov.au/binaries/senate/pubs/pops/pop34/pop34.pdf | isbn = 0-642-71061-9 | access-date = 21 September 2020 | archive-date = 3 October 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20201003050519/https://www.aph.gov.au/binaries/senate/pubs/pops/pop34/pop34.pdf | url-status = live }}</ref> From the 1984 election, [[Group voting ticket]]s were introduced in order to reduce a high rate of informal voting but in 2016, group tickets were abolished to end the influence that preference deals amongst parties had on election results<ref name="ABC">{{cite web |last=Anderson |first=Stephanie |date=26 April 2016 |title=Senate voting changes explained in AEC advertisements |url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-04-26/aec-advertising-campaign-on-way-senators-are-elected/7356308 |archive-url=http://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20160506235022/http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/158025/20160507-0003/www.abc.net.au/news/2016-04-26/aec-advertising-campaign-on-way-senators-are-elected/7356308.html |archive-date=6 May 2016 |access-date=3 February 2017 |publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation |url-status=live }}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> and a form of [[optional preferential voting]] was introduced.

Section 15 of the Constitution provides that a [[Casual vacancies in the Australian Parliament|casual vacancy]] of a senator shall be filled by the state Parliament.<ref name="s15">{{Cite Legislation AU|Cth|act|coaca430|Australian Constitution|15}}</ref> If the previous senator was a member of a particular political party the replacement must come from the same party, but the state Parliament may choose not to fill the vacancy, in which case section 11 requires the Senate to proceed regardless.<ref>{{Cite Legislation AU|Cth|act|coaca430|Australian Constitution|11}}</ref> If the state Parliament happens to be in recess when the vacancy occurs, the Constitution provides that the state governor (acting on the advice of the respective state government) can appoint someone to fill the place until fourteen days after the state Parliament resumes sitting. The state Parliament can also be recalled to ratify a replacement.<ref name="s15"/>{{better source needed|reason=Source does not mention a state government.|date=November 2025}}

===House of Representatives===
{{Main|Australian House of Representatives}}

The lower house of the Australian Parliament, the [[Australian House of Representatives|House of Representatives]], is made up of single member electorates with a population of roughly equal size. As is convention in the [[Westminster system]], the party or coalition of parties that has the majority in this House forms the government with the leader of that party or coalition becoming the prime minister. If the government loses the confidence of the House, they are expected to call a new election or resign.

Parliament may determine the number of members of the House of Representatives but the Constitution provides that this number must be "as nearly as practicable, twice the number of Senators"; this requirement is commonly called the "[[nexus clause]]". 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.<ref>{{cite web |date=5 October 1922 |title=Northern Territory Representation Act 1922 |url=http://www.foundingdocs.gov.au/item-sdid-63.html |archive-url=http://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20140801060122/http://www.foundingdocs.gov.au/item-sdid-63.html |archive-date=1 August 2014 |access-date=22 March 2017 |work=Documenting a Democracy |url-status=live }}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> Federal electorates have their boundaries redrawn or redistributed whenever a state or territory has its number of seats adjusted, if electorates are not generally matched by population size or if seven years have passed since the most recent redistribution.<ref>{{cite web |author=Barber |first=Stephen |date=25 August 2016 |title=Electoral Redistributions during the 45th Parliament |url=http://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_Departments/Parliamentary_Library/pubs/rp/rp1617/Redist45thParl |archive-url=http://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20161017201805/http://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_Departments/Parliamentary_Library/pubs/rp/rp1617/Redist45thParl |archive-date=17 October 2016 |access-date=22 March 2017 |website=Parliament of Australia |url-status=live }}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>

From 1901 to 1949, the House consisted of either 74 or 75 members (the Senate had 36). Between 1949 and 1984, it had between 121 and 127 members (the Senate had 60 until 1975, when it increased to 64). In 1977, the [[High Court of Australia|High Court]] ordered that the size of the House be reduced from 127 to 124 members to comply with the nexus provision.<ref>[http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/cases/cth/HCA/1977/1.html Attorney-General (NSW); Ex Rel McKellar v Commonwealth] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150506094806/http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/cases/cth/HCA/1977/1.html |date=6 May 2015 }} [1977] HCA 1; (1977) 139 CLR 527 (1 February 1977)</ref> In 1984, both the Senate and the House were enlarged; since then the House has had between 148 and 151 members (the Senate has 76).

First-past-the-post voting was used to elect members of the House of Representatives until in 1918 the [[Nationalist Party (Australia)|Nationalist Party]] government, a predecessor of the modern-day [[Liberal Party of Australia]], changed the lower house voting system to [[full preferential voting]] for the subsequent [[1919 Australian federal election|1919 election]]. This was in response to [[Australian Labor Party|Labor]] unexpectedly winning the [[1918 Swan by-election]] with the largest [[primary vote]], due to vote splitting among the conservative parties.<ref name="Parliament of Australia-2015"/><ref name="Australian Electoral Commission-2007"/> This system has remained in place ever since, allowing the [[Coalition (Australia)|Coalition]] parties to safely contest the same seats.<ref>{{cite web |last=Green |first=Antony |author-link=Antony Green |year=2004 |title=History of Preferential Voting in Australia |url=http://www.abc.net.au/elections/federal/2004/guide/prefhistory.htm |archive-url=http://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20041007020606/http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/44706/20041006-0000/www.abc.net.au/elections/federal/2004/guide/prefhistory.htm |archive-date=7 October 2004 |access-date=1 July 2007 |work=Antony Green Election Guide: Federal Election 2004 |publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation |url-status=live }}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> Full-preferential voting re-elected the [[Bob Hawke]] government at the [[1990 Australian federal election|1990 election]], the first time in federal history that Labor had obtained a net benefit from preferential voting.<ref>{{cite web |title=The Origin of Senate Group Ticket Voting, and it didn't come from the Major Parties |url=http://blogs.abc.net.au/antonygreen/2015/09/the-orogins-of-senate-group-ticket-voting-and-it-wasnt-the-major-parties.html |archive-url=http://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20160310102157/http://blogs.abc.net.au/antonygreen/2015/09/the-orogins-of-senate-group-ticket-voting-and-it-wasnt-the-major-parties.html |archive-date=10 March 2016 |access-date=3 February 2017 |publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation |url-status=dead }}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>

===Both houses===
It is not possible to be simultaneously a member of both the Senate and the House of Representatives,<ref>{{Cite Legislation AU|Cth|act|coaca430|Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act|43}}</ref> but [[List of people who have served in both Houses of the Australian Parliament|a number of people have been members of both houses at different times in their parliamentary career]].

Only Australian citizens are eligible for election to either house.<ref>{{Cite Legislation AU|Cth|act|cea1918233|Commonwealth Electoral Act 1988|163}}</ref> They must not also be a subject or citizen of a "foreign power".<ref>{{Cite Legislation AU|Cth|act|coaca430|Australian Constitution|44}}(i)</ref> When the Constitution was drafted, all Australians (and other inhabitants of the British empire) were [[British subject]]s, so the word "foreign" meant outside the Empire. But, in the landmark case ''[[Sue v Hill]]'' (1999), the [[High Court of Australia]] ruled that, at least since the passage of the ''[[Australia Act 1986]]'', Britain has been a "foreign power", so that British citizens are also excluded.<ref>Section 44(i) extends beyond actual citizenship, but in ''Sue v Hill'' only the status of [[British Citizen]] was in question.</ref>

[[Compulsory voting]] was introduced for federal elections in 1924. The immediate justification for compulsory voting was the low voter turnout (59.38%) at the [[1922 Australian federal election|1922 federal election]], down from 71.59% at the [[1919 Australian federal election|1919 federal election]]. Compulsory voting was not on the platform of either the [[Stanley Bruce]]-led Nationalist/Country party coalition government or the [[Matthew Charlton]]-led Labor opposition. The actual initiative for change was made by [[Herbert Payne]], a backbench Tasmanian [[Nationalist Party (Australia)|Nationalist]] Senator who on 16 July 1924 introduced a [[private member's bill|private Senator's bill]] in the Senate. Payne's bill was passed with little debate (the House of Representatives agreeing to it in less than an hour), and in neither house was a division required, hence no votes were recorded against the bill.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.mind-trek.com/writ-dtf/votehoax/c-puplic.htm |title='The case for compulsory voting'; by Chris Puplick |publisher=Mind-trek.com |date=30 June 1997 |access-date=16 June 2010 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130104111409/http://www.mind-trek.com/writ-dtf/votehoax/c-puplic.htm |archive-date=4 January 2013 |url-status=dead }}</ref> The [[1925 Australian federal election|1925 federal election]] was the first to be conducted under compulsory voting, which saw the turnout figure rise to 91.4%. The turnout increased to about 95% within a couple of elections and has stayed at about that level since.<ref name="aec.gov.au">{{cite web |date=16 January 2006 |title=Compulsory Voting in Australia |url=http://www.aec.gov.au/About_AEC/Publications/voting/index.htm |archive-url=http://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20110217024646/http://aec.gov.au/About_AEC/Publications/voting/index.htm |archive-date=17 February 2011 |access-date=4 February 2011 |publisher=Australian Electoral Commission |format=PDF |url-status=live }}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>

Since 1973, citizens have had the right to vote upon turning 18. Prior to this it was 21.<ref name="timeline">{{cite web |title=Australia's major electoral developments Timeline: 1900 – Present |url=http://www.aec.gov.au/Elections/Australian_Electoral_History/Reform_present.htm |archive-url=http://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20220319091613/http://www.aec.gov.au/elections/australian_electoral_history/Reform_present.htm |archive-date=19 March 2022 |access-date=25 March 2017 |publisher=Australian Electoral Commission |url-status=live }}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>

[[Australian Federal Police]] officers armed with [[assault rifle]]s have been situated in the Federal Parliament since 2015. It is the first time in Australian history that a parliament has possessed armed personnel.<ref>{{cite web |last=Massola |first=James |date=9 February 2015 |title=Armed guards now stationed to protect Australian MPs and senators in both chambers of Federal Parliament |url=http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/armed-guards-now-stationed-to-protect-australian-mps-and-senators-in-both-chambers-of-federal-parliament-20150209-139ya3.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20150212163849/http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/armed-guards-now-stationed-to-protect-australian-mps-and-senators-in-both-chambers-of-federal-parliament-20150209-139ya3.html |archive-date=12 February 2015 |access-date=3 February 2017 |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Procedure==
Each of the two Houses elects a presiding officer. The presiding officer of the Senate is called the [[President of the Senate (Australia)|President]]; that of the House of Representatives is the [[Speaker of the Australian House of Representatives|Speaker]]. Elections for these positions are by secret ballot. Both offices are conventionally filled by members of the governing party, but the presiding officers are expected to oversee debate and enforce the rules in an impartial manner.<ref name="House of Representatives Practice-2018">{{cite web |year=2018 |title=House of Representatives Practice, 7th Ed – Chapter 6 – The Speaker, Deputy Speakers and officers |url=https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/House_of_Representatives/Powers_practice_and_procedure/Practice7/HTML/Chapter6/The_Speaker,_Deputy_Speakers_and_officers |archive-url=http://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20220428002745/http://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/House_of_Representatives/Powers_practice_and_procedure/Practice7/HTML/Chapter6/The_Speaker,_Deputy_Speakers_and_officers |archive-date=28 April 2022 |access-date=26 May 2020 |url-status=live }}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>

The Constitution authorises Parliament to set the [[quorum]] for each chamber. The quorum of the Senate is one-quarter of the total membership (nineteen); that of the House of Representatives is one-fifth of the total membership (thirty-one). In theory, if a quorum is not present, then a House may not continue to meet. In practice, members usually agree not to notice that a quorum is not present, so that debates on routine bills can continue while other members attend to other business outside the chamber.<ref>{{Cite web |title=About Parliament, House of Representatives Practice : Quorum |url=https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/House_of_Representatives/Powers_practice_and_procedure/Practice7/HTML/Chapter8/Quorum |archive-url=http://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20220428002854/http://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/House_of_Representatives/Powers_practice_and_procedure/Practice7/HTML/Chapter8/Quorum |archive-date=28 April 2022 |website=Parliament of Australia |access-date=23 February 2021 |url-status=live }}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> Sometimes the Opposition will "[[quorum call|call a quorum]]" as a tactic to annoy the Government or delay proceedings, particularly when the Opposition feels it has been unfairly treated in the House. Proceedings are interrupted until a quorum is present.{{Citation needed|date=May 2018}} It is the responsibility of the [[Party whip (Australia)|government whip]] to ensure that, when a quorum is called, enough government members are present to form a quorum.

Both Houses may determine motions by [[voice vote]]: the presiding officer puts the question, and, after listening to shouts of "Aye" and "No" from the members, announces the result. The announcement of the presiding officer settles the question, unless at least two members demand a "[[Division of the assembly|division]]", or a recorded vote. In that case the bells are rung throughout Parliament House summoning Senators or Members to the chamber. During a division, members who favour the motion move to the right side of the chamber (the side to the Speaker's or President's right), and those opposed move to the left. They are then counted by "tellers" (government and opposition whips), and the motion is passed or defeated accordingly. In the Senate, in order not to deprive a state of a vote in what is supposed to be a states' house, the president is permitted a vote along with other senators (however, that right is rarely exercised); in the case of a tie, the president does not have a casting vote and the motion fails.<ref>{{cite web |title=Senate Brief – No. 6 – The President of the Senate |url=http://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Senate/Powers_practice_n_procedures/Senate_Briefs/Brief06 |archive-url=http://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20220427085950/https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Senate/Powers_practice_n_procedures/Senate_Briefs/Brief06 |archive-date=27 April 2022 |access-date=29 March 2017 |work=Department of the Senate |url-status=live }}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> In the House of Representatives, the Speaker does not vote, but has a [[casting vote]] if there is a tie.<ref name="House of Representatives Practice-2018" />

Most legislation is introduced into the House of Representatives and goes through a number of stages before it becomes law. The legislative process occurs in English, although other Australian parliaments have permitted use of Indigenous languages with English translation.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Goodwin |first1=Timothy |last2=Murphy |first2=Julian R. |date=15 May 2019 |title=Raised Voices: Parliamentary Debate in Indigenous Languages |url=https://auspublaw.org/2019/05/raised-voices-parliamentary-debate-in-indigenous-languages |archive-url=http://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20210902101434/https://auspublaw.org/2019/05/raised-voices-parliamentary-debate-in-indigenous-languages/ |archive-date=2 September 2021 |access-date=31 May 2019 |website=AUSPUBLAW |url-status=live }}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> Government bills are drafted by the [[Office of Parliamentary Counsel (Australia)|Office of Parliamentary Counsel]].

The first stage is a [[first reading]], where the legislation is introduced to the chamber, then there is a [[second reading]], where a vote is taken on the general outlines of the bill. Although rare, the legislation can then be considered by a House committee, which reports back to the House on any recommendations. This is followed by a consideration in detail stage, where the House can consider the clauses of the bill in detail and make any amendments. This is finally followed by a [[third reading]], where the bill is either passed or rejected by the House. If passed, the legislation is then sent to the Senate, which has a similar structure of debate and passage except that consideration of bills by Senate committees is more common than in the House and the consideration in detail stage is replaced by a [[committee of the whole]]. Once a bill has been passed by both Houses in the same form, it is then presented to the governor-general for [[royal assent]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Fact Sheet – Making a Law |url=http://www.peo.gov.au/uploads/peo/docs/fact-sheets/making_law.pdf |archive-url=http://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20200605075239/https://peo.gov.au/understand-our-parliament/how-parliament-works/bills-and-laws/making-a-law-in-the-australian-parliament/ |archive-date=5 June 2020 |access-date=23 March 2017 |work=Parliamentary Education Office |url-status=live }}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>

==Functions==
[[File:Houses of Parliament viewed from Mount Ainslie.jpg|thumb|[[Canberra]] from [[Mount Ainslie]]: across the lake is [[Old Parliament House, Canberra|Old Parliament House]] and behind it the new [[Parliament House, Canberra|Parliament House]] ]]
[[File:Acts of the Parliament of Australia by year (1989-2024).png|thumb|Bar chart showing the number of acts of the Parliament of Australia by year (1989–2024)]]
The principal function of the Parliament is to pass laws, or legislation. Any parliamentarian may introduce a proposed law (a bill), except for a money bill (a bill proposing an expenditure or levying a tax), which must be introduced in the House of Representatives.<ref>{{Cite Legislation AU|Cth|act|coaca430|Australian Constitution|53}}</ref> In practice, the great majority of bills are introduced by ministers. Bills introduced by other members are called private members' bills. All bills must be passed by both houses and assented to by the governor-general to become law. The Senate has the same legislative powers as the House, except that it may not amend or introduce money bills, only pass or reject them. The [[list of enacting clauses|enacting formula]] for acts of Parliament since 1990 is simply "The Parliament of Australia enacts:".<ref>{{cite web |year=2015 |title=House of Representatives Practice, 6th Ed – Chapter 10 – Legislation – BILLS—THE PARLIAMENTARY PROCESS |url=http://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/House_of_Representatives/Powers_practice_and_procedure/Practice6/Practice6HTML?file=Chapter10&section=02 |archive-url=http://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20170423154838/http://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/House_of_Representatives/Powers_practice_and_procedure/Practice6/Practice6HTML?file=Chapter10&section=02 |archive-date=23 April 2017 |access-date=23 February 2017 |website=Parliament of Australia |url-status=live }}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>

Commonwealth legislative power is limited to that granted in the Constitution. Powers not specified are considered "residual powers", and remain the domain of the states. [[Section 51 of the Constitution of Australia|Section 51]] grants the Commonwealth power over areas such as taxation, external affairs, defence and marriage. Section 51 also allows state parliaments to refer matters to the Commonwealth to legislate.<ref>{{cite web |year=2017 |title=Odgers' Australian Senate Practice Fourteenth Edition Chapter 1 – The Senate and its constitutional role – Legislative Powers |url=http://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Senate/Powers_practice_n_procedures/Odgers_Australian_Senate_Practice/Chapter_01#h08 |archive-url=http://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20171113120724/https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Senate/Powers_practice_n_procedures/Odgers_Australian_Senate_Practice/Chapter_01#h08 |archive-date=13 November 2017 |access-date=8 May 2017 |website=Parliament of Australia |url-status=live }}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>

[[Section 96 of the Australian Constitution]] gives the Commonwealth Parliament the power to grant money to any State, "on such terms and conditions as the Parliament thinks fit". In effect, the Commonwealth can make grants subject to states implementing particular policies in their fields of legislative responsibility. Such grants, known as "tied grants" (since they are tied to a particular purpose), have been used to give the federal parliament influence over state policy matters such as public hospitals and schools.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Bennett |first1=Scott |last2=Webb |first2=Richard |date=1 January 2008 |title=Specific purpose payments and the Australian federal system |url=http://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_Departments/Parliamentary_Library/pubs/rp/RP0708/08rp17 |archive-url=http://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20120718070129/http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/10859/20120718-1413/www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_Departments/Parliamentary_Library/pubs/rp/RP0708/08rp17.html |archive-date=18 July 2012 |access-date=3 March 2017 |url-status=live }}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>

The Parliament performs other functions besides legislation. It can discuss urgency motions or [[matter of public importance|matters of public importance]]: these provide a forum for debates on public policy matters.<ref>{{cite web |title=Brief Guides to Senate Procedure – No. 9 – Matters of public importance and urgency motions |url=http://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Senate/Powers_practice_n_procedures/Brief_Guides_to_Senate_Procedure/No_9 |archive-url=http://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20170421174359/http://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Senate/Powers_practice_n_procedures/Brief_Guides_to_Senate_Procedure/No_9 |archive-date=21 April 2017 |access-date=8 May 2017 |url-status=live }}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> Senators and members can move motions on a range of matters relevant to their constituents, and can also move motions of censure against the government or individual ministers. On most sitting days in each house there is a session called [[question time]] in which senators and members address questions without notice to the prime minister and other ministers.<ref>{{cite web |title=House of Representatives – Infosheet 1 – Questions |url=http://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/House_of_Representatives/Powers_practice_and_procedure/00_-_Infosheets/Infosheet_1_-_Questions |archive-url=http://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20170421060449/http://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/House_of_Representatives/Powers_practice_and_procedure/00_-_Infosheets/Infosheet_1_-_Questions |archive-date=21 April 2017 |access-date=8 May 2017 |website=Parliament of Australia |url-status=live }}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> Senators and members can also present petitions from their constituents.<ref>{{cite web |title=Parliament of Australia – Petitions |url=http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Petitions |archive-url=http://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20170421060449/http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Petitions |archive-date=21 April 2017 |access-date=8 May 2017 |website=Parliament of Australia |url-status=live }}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> Both houses have an extensive system of committees in which draft bills are debated, matters of public policy are inquired into, evidence is taken and public servants are questioned. There are also joint committees, composed of members from both houses.

==Conflict between the houses==
[[File:Election of the Chairman of the 1974 Australian Joint Sitting.png|thumb|The [[Joint Sitting of the Australian Parliament of 1974]]]]

In the event of conflict between the two houses over the final form of legislation, the Constitution provides for a simultaneous dissolution of both houses – known as a [[double dissolution]].<ref name="Parliament of Australia-2017"/> [[Section 57 of the Constitution of Australia|Section 57]] of the Constitution states that,<ref name="con57">{{Cite Legislation AU|Cth|act|coaca430|Australian Constitution|57}}</ref> {{blockquote |text=If the House of Representatives passes any proposed law, and the Senate rejects or fails to pass it, or passes it with amendments to which the House of Representatives will not agree, and if after an interval of three months the House of Representatives, in the same or the next session, again passes the proposed law with or without any amendments which have been made, suggested, or agreed to by the Senate, and the Senate rejects or fails to pass it, or passes it with amendments to which the House of Representatives will not agree, the Governor-General may dissolve the Senate and the House of Representatives simultaneously.}}

In an election following a double dissolution, each state elects their entire 12-seat Senate delegation, while the two territories represented in the Senate each elect their two senators as they would in a regular federal election. Because all seats are contested in the same election, it is easier for smaller parties to win seats under the single transferable vote system: the [[Election threshold|quota]] for the election of each senator in each Australian state in a full Senate election is 7.69% of the vote, while in a normal half-Senate election the quota is 14.28%.<ref>{{cite web |last=Muller |first=Damon |year=2016 |title=FlagPost – (Almost) everything you need to know about double dissolution elections |url=http://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_Departments/Parliamentary_Library/FlagPost/2016/April/Double_Dissolutions |archive-url=http://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20160615073652/http://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_Departments/Parliamentary_Library/FlagPost/2016/April/Double_Dissolutions |archive-date=15 June 2016 |access-date=29 March 2017 |publisher=Australian Parliamentary Library |url-status=live }}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>

If the conflict continues after such an election, the governor-general may convene a [[Joint Sitting of the Australian Parliament of 1974|joint sitting of both houses]] to consider the bill or bills, including any amendments which have been previously proposed in either house, or any new amendments. If a bill is passed by an [[absolute majority]] of the total membership of the joint sitting, it is treated as though it had been passed separately by both houses, and is presented for royal assent. With proportional representation, and the small majorities in the Senate compared to the generally larger majorities in the House of Representatives, and the requirement that the number of members of the lower house be "nearly as practicable" twice that of the Senate, a joint sitting after a double dissolution is more likely than not to lead to a victory for the lower house over the Senate. This provision has only been invoked on one occasion, after the [[1974 Australian federal election|election]] following the 1974 double dissolution.<ref>{{cite web |year=2015 |title=House of Representatives Practice, 6th Ed – Chapter 13 – Disagreements between the Houses – JOINT SITTING |url=http://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/House_of_Representatives/Powers_practice_and_procedure/Practice6/Practice6HTML?file=Chapter13&section=04 |archive-url=http://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20151024065111/http://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/House_of_Representatives/Powers_practice_and_procedure/Practice6/Practice6HTML?file=Chapter13&section=04 |archive-date=24 October 2015 |access-date=3 March 2017 |website=Parliament of Australia |url-status=live }}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> However, there are [[Joint meetings of the Australian Parliament|other occasions]] when the two houses meet as one.

==Committees==
{{See also|Australian Senate committees|Australian House of Representatives committees}}
[[File:AustralianSenateCommitteeRm.JPG|thumb|A Senate committee room in Parliament House, Canberra]]
[[File:Australian Parliament Parliamentary Committees.webm|thumb|A short video on Australian Parliamentary Committees]]
In addition to the work of the main chambers, both the Senate and the House of Representatives have a large number of investigatory and scrutiny committees which deal with matters referred to them by their respective houses or ministers. They provide the opportunity for all members and senators to ask questions of witnesses, including ministers and public officials, as well as conduct inquiries, and examine policy and legislation.<ref>{{cite web |title=Committees |url=http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees |archive-url=http://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20170222152345/http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees |archive-date=22 February 2017 |access-date=3 March 2017 |website=Parliament of Australia |url-status=live }}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> Once a particular inquiry is completed the members of the committee can then produce a report, to be tabled in Parliament, outlining what they have discovered as well as any recommendations that they have produced for the government or house to consider.<ref name="Odgers-2017">{{cite web |year=2017 |title=Odgers' Australian Senate Practice Fourteenth Edition Chapter 16 – Committees |url=https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Senate/Powers_practice_n_procedures/Odgers_Australian_Senate_Practice/Chapter_16 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170320052009/https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Senate/Powers_practice_n_procedures/Odgers_Australian_Senate_Practice/Chapter_16 |url-status=dead |archive-date=2017-03-20 |access-date=19 March 2017}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>

The ability of the houses of Parliament to establish committees is referenced in section 49 of the Constitution, which states that,<ref name="Odgers-2017"/><ref name="Constitution of Australia">{{Cite Legislation AU|Cth|act|coaca430|Australian Constitution|49}}</ref> {{blockquote |text=The powers, privileges, and immunities of the Senate and of the House of Representatives, and of the members and the committees of each House, shall be such as are declared by the Parliament, and until declared shall be those of the Commons House of Parliament of the United Kingdom, and of its members and committees, at the establishment of the Commonwealth.}}

Parliamentary committees can be given a wide range of powers. One of the most significant powers is the ability to summon people to attend hearings in order to give evidence and submit documents. Anyone who attempts to hinder the work of a Parliamentary committee may be found to be in [[contempt of Parliament]]. There are a number of ways that witnesses can be found in contempt, these include; refusing to appear before a committee when summoned, refusing to answer a question during a hearing or to produce a document, or later being found to have lied to or misled a committee. Anyone who attempts to influence a witness may also be found in contempt.<ref name="Parliament of Australia">{{cite web |title=Infosheet 4 – Committees |url=http://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/House_of_Representatives/Powers_practice_and_procedure/00_-_Infosheets/Infosheet_4_-_Committees |archive-url=http://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20161017121253/http://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/House_of_Representatives/Powers_practice_and_procedure/00_-_Infosheets/Infosheet_4_-_Committees |archive-date=17 October 2016 |access-date=22 February 2017 |website=Parliament of Australia |publisher=aph.gov.au |url-status=live }}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> Other powers include, the ability to meet throughout Australia, to establish subcommittees and to take evidence in both public and private hearings.<ref name="Odgers-2017"/>

Proceedings of committees are considered to have the same legal standing as proceedings of Parliament, they are recorded by [[Hansard]], except for private proceedings, and also operate under the protections of [[parliamentary privilege]]. Every participant, including committee members and witnesses giving evidence, is protected from being prosecuted under any civil or criminal action for anything they may say during a hearing. Written evidence and documents received by a committee are also protected.<ref name="Odgers-2017"/><ref name="Parliament of Australia"/>

Types of committees include:<ref name="Parliament of Australia"/>

'''Standing committees''', which are established on an ongoing basis and are responsible for scrutinising bills and topics referred to them by the chamber or minister; examining the government's budget and activities (in what is called the budget estimates process); and for examining departmental annual reports and activities.

'''Select committees''', which are temporary committees, established in order to consider a particular matter. A select committee expires when it has published its final report on an inquiry.

'''Domestic committees''', which are responsible for administering aspects of the Parliament's own affairs. These include the Selection Committees of both Houses that determine how the Parliament will deal with particular pieces of legislation and private members' business, and the Privileges Committees that deal with matters of parliamentary privilege.

'''Legislative scrutiny committees''', which examine legislation and regulations to determine their impact on individual rights and accountability.

'''Joint committees''' are also established to include both members of the House of Representatives and the Senate. Joint committees may be standing (ongoing) or select (temporary) in nature.

==Relationship with the government==
[[File:Peter Cosgrove with Second Turnbull Ministry 2016.jpg|thumb|right|[[Governor-General of Australia|Governor-General]] [[Peter Cosgrove|Sir Peter Cosgrove]] with members of the Second Turnbull Ministry]]

Under the Constitution, the [[Governor-General of Australia|governor-general]] has the power to appoint and dismiss ministers who administer government departments. In practice, the governor-general chooses ministers in accordance with the traditions of the [[Westminster system]]. The governor-general appoints as prime minister the leader of the party that has a majority of seats in the House of Representatives; the governor-general then, on the advice of the prime minister, appoints the other ministers, chosen from the majority party or coalition of parties.

These ministers then meet in a council known as [[Cabinet of Australia|cabinet]]. Cabinet meetings are strictly private and occur once a week where vital issues are discussed and policy formulated. The Constitution does not recognise the Cabinet as a legal entity; it exists solely by convention. Its decisions do not in and of themselves have legal force. However, it serves as the practical expression of the [[Federal Executive Council (Australia)|Federal Executive Council]], which is Australia's highest formal governmental body.<ref name=Handbook>{{cite web|title=Federal Executive Council Handbook|url=https://www.dpmc.gov.au/resource-centre/government/federal-executive-council-handbook-2017|publisher=Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet|access-date=3 March 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170304035233/https://www.dpmc.gov.au/resource-centre/government/federal-executive-council-handbook-2017|archive-date=4 March 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref> In practice, the Federal Executive Council meets solely to endorse and give legal force to decisions already made by the Cabinet. All members of the Cabinet are members of the executive council. The governor-general is bound by [[constitutional convention (political custom)|convention]] to follow the advice of the executive council on almost all occasions, giving it de facto executive power.<ref name="Australian Collaboration">{{cite web |title=Democracy in Australia – Australia's political system |url=http://www.australiancollaboration.com.au/pdf/Democracy/Australias-political-system.pdf |archive-url=http://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20130514094644/http://www.australiancollaboration.com.au/pdf/Democracy/Australias-political-system.pdf |archive-date=14 May 2013 |access-date=25 January 2014 |publisher=Australian Collaboration |url-status=live }}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> A senior member of the Cabinet holds the office of vice-president of the executive council and acts as presiding officer of the executive council in the absence of the governor-general. The Federal Executive Council is the Australian equivalent of the [[Executive Council (Commonwealth countries)|executive councils]] and [[privy council]]s in other [[Commonwealth realm]]s such as the [[Queen's Privy Council for Canada|King's Privy Council for Canada]] and the [[Privy Council of the United Kingdom]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Hamer|first=David|title=The executive government|url=http://www.aph.gov.au/binaries/senate/pubs/hamer/book.pdf|publisher=Department of the Senate (Australia)|year=2004|isbn=0-642-71433-9|pages=113|access-date=25 March 2017|archive-date=10 September 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160910172141/http://www.aph.gov.au/binaries/senate/pubs/hamer/book.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref>

A minister is not required to be a senator or member of the House of Representatives at the time of their appointment, but their office is forfeited if they do not become a member of either house within three months of their appointment. This provision was included in the Constitution (section 64){{Cite Legislation AU|Cth|act|coaca430|Australian Constitution|64}} to enable the inaugural ministry, led by [[Edmund Barton]], to be appointed on 1 January 1901, even though the first federal elections were not scheduled to be held until 29 and 30 March.<ref>{{cite Australian Dictionary of Biography | first=Martha| last=Rutledge| title= Sir Edmund (1849–1920)|id=A070202b| access-date =8 February 2010 }}</ref>

After the [[1949 Australian federal election|1949 election]], [[John Spicer (Australian politician)|John Spicer]] and [[Bill Spooner (politician)|Bill Spooner]] became ministers in the [[Menzies Government (1949–66)|Menzies Government]] on 19 December, despite their terms in the Senate not beginning until 22 February 1950.<ref>{{cite Australian Dictionary of Biography|last= Starr |first= Graeme |year=2000|id=A160350b|title= Spooner, Sir William Henry (1897–1966) |access-date=7 January 2008}}</ref>

The provision was also used after [[Disappearance of Harold Holt|the disappearance]] and presumed death of the Liberal prime minister [[Harold Holt]] in December 1967. The Liberal Party elected [[John Gorton]], then a senator, as its new leader, and he was sworn in as prime minister on 10 January 1968 (following an interim ministry led by [[John McEwen]]). On 1 February, Gorton resigned from the Senate to stand for the [[1968 Higgins by-election|24 February by-election]] in Holt's former House of Representatives electorate of [[Division of Higgins|Higgins]] due to the convention that the prime minister be a member of the lower house. For 22 days (2 to 23 February inclusive) he was prime minister while a member of neither house of parliament.<ref>{{cite web |title=John Gorton Prime Minister from 10 January 1968 to 10 March 1971 |url=http://www.nma.gov.au/primeministers/john_gorton |archive-url=http://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20160307042524/http://www.nma.gov.au/primeministers/john_gorton |archive-date=7 March 2016 |access-date=3 March 2017 |publisher=[[National Museum of Australia]] |url-status=live }}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>

On a number of occasions when ministers have retired from their seats prior to an election, or stood but lost their own seats in the election, they have retained their ministerial offices until the next government is sworn in.

==Role of the Senate==
[[File:Senate panorama.jpg|thumb|The Australian Senate|221x221px]]
Unlike upper Houses in other [[Westminster system]] governments, the Senate is not a vestigial body with limited legislative power. Rather it was intended to play – and does play – an active role in legislation. Rather than being modelled solely after the [[House of Lords]], as the [[Senate of Canada|Canadian Senate]] was, the Australian Senate was in part modelled after the [[United States Senate]], by giving equal representation to each state. The Constitution intended to give less populous states added voice in a federal legislature, while also providing for the revising role of an upper house in the Westminster system.<ref>{{cite web |year=2017 |title=Odgers' Australian Senate Practice Fourteenth Edition Chapter 1 – The Senate and its constitutional role – The Senate, bicameralism and federalism |url=http://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Senate/Powers_practice_n_procedures/Odgers_Australian_Senate_Practice/Chapter_01#h02 |archive-url=http://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20170421211009/http://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Senate/Powers_practice_n_procedures/Odgers_Australian_Senate_Practice/Chapter_01#h02 |archive-date=21 April 2017 |access-date=17 March 2017 |website=Parliament of Australia |url-status=live }}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>

One of the functions of the Senate, both directly and through its committees, is to scrutinise government activity. The vigour of this scrutiny has been fuelled for many years by the fact that the party in government has seldom had a majority in the Senate. Whereas in the House of Representatives the government's majority has sometimes limited that chamber's capacity to implement executive scrutiny, the opposition and minor parties have been able to use their Senate numbers as a basis for conducting inquiries into government operations.<ref>{{cite book| last = Bach| first = Stanley| title = Platypus and Parliament: The Australian Senate in Theory and Practice| publisher = Department of the Senate| year = 2003| url = http://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Senate/Powers_practice_n_procedures/platparl| pages = 352| isbn = 0-642-71291-3| access-date = 14 December 2016| archive-date = 20 December 2016| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20161220144354/http://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Senate/Powers_practice_n_procedures/platparl| url-status = live}}</ref>

The Constitution prevents the Senate from originating or amending the annual appropriation bills "for the ordinary annual services of the Government"; they may only defer or reject them.<ref>{{Cite Legislation AU|Cth|act|coaca430|Australian Constitution|53}}</ref> As a result, whilst the framers of the Constitution intended that the executive government would require the support of the House of Representatives, the text of the Constitution also effectively allows the Senate to bring down the government once a year by blocking the annual appropriations bills, also known as [[Loss of supply|blocking supply]]''.''<ref>{{Cite book |last=Evans |first=Harry |title=Odgers' Australian Senate Practice |date=2016 |publisher=Department of the Senate |isbn=978-1-76010-503-7 |edition=14th |location=Canberra |language=en-AU |chapter=The Senate and its constitutional role |chapter-url=https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Senate/Powers_practice_n_procedures/Odgers_Australian_Senate_Practice}}</ref>

The ability to block supply was the origin of the [[1975 Australian constitutional crisis]]. The [[Parliamentary opposition|Opposition]] used its numbers in the Senate to defer supply bills, refusing to deal with them until an election was called for both houses of parliament, an election which it hoped to win. The [[Prime Minister of Australia|prime minister]], [[Gough Whitlam]], contested the legitimacy of the blocking and refused to resign. The prime minister argued that a government may continue in office for as long as it has the support of the [[lower house]], while the opposition argued that any government who has been denied supply is obliged to either call new elections or resign. In response to the deadlock, the governor-general [[Sir John Kerr]] dismissed Whitlam's government and appointed [[Malcolm Fraser]] as caretaker prime minister on the understanding that he could secure supply and would immediately call new elections.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Evans |first=Harry |title=Odgers' Australian Senate Practice |date=2016 |publisher=Department of the Senate |isbn=978-1-76010-503-7 |edition=14th |location=Canberra |language=en-AU |chapter=Relations with the House of Representatives: Simultaneous dissolutions of 1975 |chapter-url=https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Senate/Powers_practice_n_procedures/Odgers_Australian_Senate_Practice/Chapter_21#h05.5}}</ref><ref name="Kerr">{{cite web|last1=Kerr|first1=John|title=Statement from John Kerr (dated 11 November 1975) explaining his decisions.|url=http://whitlamdismissal.com/documents/kerr-statement.shtml|website=WhitlamDismissal.com|access-date=11 January 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120223060041/http://whitlamdismissal.com/documents/kerr-statement.shtml|archive-date=23 February 2012|url-status=dead}}</ref> This action in itself was a source of controversy and debate continues on the proper usage of the Senate's ability to block supply and on whether such a power should even exist.<ref>{{cite book| last = Bach| first = Stanley| title = Platypus and Parliament: The Australian Senate in Theory and Practice| publisher = Department of the Senate| year = 2003| url = http://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Senate/Powers_practice_n_procedures/platparl| pages = 300| isbn = 0-642-71291-3| access-date = 14 December 2016| archive-date = 20 December 2016| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20161220144354/http://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Senate/Powers_practice_n_procedures/platparl| url-status = live}}</ref>

The blocking of supply alone cannot force a double dissolution. There must be legislation repeatedly blocked by the Senate which the government can then choose to use as a trigger for a double dissolution.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Green |first1=Antony |date=19 May 2014 |title=An Early Double Dissolution? Don't Hold Your Breath! |url=http://blogs.abc.net.au/antonygreen/2014/05/an-early-double-dissolution-dont-hold-your-breathe.html |archive-url=http://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20170419003145/http://blogs.abc.net.au/antonygreen/2014/05/an-early-double-dissolution-dont-hold-your-breathe.html |archive-date=19 April 2017 |access-date=1 August 2016 |website=Antony Green's Election Blog |publisher=[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation|ABC]] |url-status=live }}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>

==Parliamentary departments==
There are four parliamentary departments supporting the Australian Parliament:<ref>{{cite web |date=19 June 2012 |title=Parliamentary Departments |url=https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_Departments |archive-url=http://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20200331052542/http://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_Departments |archive-date=31 March 2020 |access-date=30 May 2020 |website=Parliament of Australia |url-status=live }}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>
*Department of the Senate, which consists of seven Offices and whose work is determined by the Senate and its committees.<ref>{{cite web |date=11 June 2015 |title=Department of the Senate |url=https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_Departments/Department_of_the_Senate |archive-url=http://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20200314025024/https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_Departments/Department_of_the_Senate |archive-date=14 March 2020 |access-date=30 May 2020 |website=Parliament of Australia |url-status=live }}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>
*Department of the House of Representatives, which provides various services to support the smooth operation of the House of Representatives, its committees and certain joint committees.
*Department of Parliamentary Services (DPS), which performs diverse support functions, such as research; the [[Parliamentary Library of Australia]]; broadcasting on radio and TV; [[Hansard]] transcripts; computing services; and general maintenance and security.
*Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO), which "improves transparency around fiscal and budget policy issues" and provides costing services to parliamentarians.

==Privileges==
Members of the Australian Parliament do not have legal immunity: they can be arrested and tried for any offence. They do, however, have [[parliamentary privilege]]: they cannot be sued for anything they say in Parliament about each other or about persons outside the Parliament.<ref>{{cite web |year=2015 |title=House of Representatives Practice, 6th Ed – Chapter 19 – Parliamentary privilege |url=http://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/House_of_Representatives/Powers_practice_and_procedure/Practice6/Practice6HTML?file=Chapter19 |archive-url=http://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20161017220227/http://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/House_of_Representatives/Powers_practice_and_procedure/Practice6/Practice6HTML?file=Chapter19 |archive-date=17 October 2016 |access-date=3 March 2017 |website=Parliament of Australia |url-status=live }}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> This privilege extends to reporting in the media of anything a senator or member says in Parliament. The proceedings of parliamentary committees, wherever they meet, are also covered by privilege, and this extends to witnesses before such committees.

From the beginning of Federation until 1987, parliamentary privilege operated under section 49 of the Constitution, which established the privileges of both houses and their members to be the same as the [[House of Commons of the United Kingdom]] at the time of the Constitution's enactment. The Parliament was also given the power to amend its privileges.<ref name="Constitution of Australia"/> In 1987, the Parliament passed the ''Parliamentary Privileges Act'', which clarified the meaning and extent of privilege as well as how the Parliament deals with breaches.<ref>{{cite web |year=2017 |title=Odgers' Australian Senate Practice Fourteenth Edition Chapter 2 – Parliamentary privilege: immunities and powers of the Senate |url=http://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Senate/Powers_practice_n_procedures/Odgers_Australian_Senate_Practice/Chapter_02 |archive-url=http://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20170421174434/http://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Senate/Powers_practice_n_procedures/Odgers_Australian_Senate_Practice/Chapter_02 |archive-date=21 April 2017 |access-date=19 March 2017 |website=Parliament of Australia |url-status=live }}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>

There is a legal offence called [[contempt of Parliament]]. A person who speaks or acts in a manner contemptuous of the Parliament or its members can be tried and, if convicted, imprisoned. The Parliament previously had the power to hear such cases itself, and did so in the [[Browne–Fitzpatrick privilege case, 1955]]. This power has now been delegated to the courts. There have been few convictions. In May 2007, Harriet Swift, an anti-logging activist from New South Wales was convicted and reprimanded for contempt of Parliament, after she wrote fictitious press releases and letters purporting to be from Federal MP [[Gary Nairn]] as an [[April Fools' Day]] prank.<ref>{{cite web |date=31 May 2007 |title=Activist contempt over April Fools stunt |url=http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Activist-contempt-over-April-Fools-stunt/2007/05/31/1180205395656.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20121230163934/http://www.smh.com.au/news/National/Activist-contempt-over-April-Fools-stunt/2007/05/31/1180205395656.html |archive-date=30 December 2012 |access-date=1 June 2007 |website=The Sydney Morning Herald |url-status=live }}</ref>

==Salaries of parliamentarians==
The salaries of parliamentarians and other parliamentary office holders are determined by the Remuneration Tribunal, an independent statutory body.<ref name="RenTribInfo1">{{cite web |date=2024-02-07 |title=What do Federal Members of Parliament get paid? |url=https://www.remtribunal.gov.au/faq/what-do-federal-members-parliament-get-paid |access-date= |website= |publisher=[[Australian Government]]: Remuneration Tribunal}}</ref> Since 1 July 2025, the basic annual salary of a federal parliamentarian is $239,270.<ref name="RenTrib2025">{{Cite web |date=1 July 2025 |title=Remuneration Tribunal (Members of Parliament) Determination 2024 |url=https://www.legislation.gov.au/F2024L00799/latest/text |website=legislation.gov.au |publisher=[[Australian Government]]}}</ref> Parliamentarians are also paid allowances (such as for travel and post-retirement), [[Superannuation in Australia|superannuation]]<ref name="DoFParSuper1">{{cite web |title=Parliamentary Superannuation |url=https://www.finance.gov.au/government/superannuation/parliamentary-superannuation |access-date=24 August 2025 |website=Australian Government Department of Finance |publisher=Commonwealth of Australia}}</ref> and expenses.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2 May 2025 |title=Salary: parliamentarians |url=https://maps.finance.gov.au/pay-and-employment/parliamentarians/salary-parliamentarians |publisher=[[Australian Government]]: Department of Finance: Ministerial and Parliamentary Services}}</ref> Parliamentarians who are ministers or who hold another parliamentary office are also entitled to an additional salary, being a certain percentage of the base salary.<ref name="RenTrib2025" /> These are listed below:
{| class="wikitable sortable"
|+ Parliamentarian salary<ref name="MinSalary25">{{cite book |title=Report on Ministerial Salaries - Salary Additional to the Parliamentary Base Salary - July 2025 |date=1 July 2025 |publisher=Australian Government Remuneration Tribunal |location=Canberra |page=1 |url=https://www.remtribunal.gov.au/document-library-search/report-ministerial-salaries-salary-additional-parliamentary-base-salary-july-2025 |access-date=25 August 2025}}</ref><ref name="RenTribAddSal">{{cite book |url=https://www.remtribunal.gov.au/parliamentary-offices |title=Remuneration Tribunal (Members of Parliament) Determination 2024 Compilation No. 4 |date=1 July 2025 |publisher=Australian Government Remuneration Tribunal |location=Canberra |page=12 |access-date=23 August 2025}}</ref><br/><small>Rounded to the nearest $10 (list incomplete)</small>
|-
! Office !! Additional % !! Additional $ !! Total annual salary
|-
| [[Prime Minister of Australia|Prime Minister]] || 160% || $382,830 || $622,100
|-
| [[Deputy Prime Minister of Australia|Deputy Prime Minister]]|| 105% || $251,230 || $490,500
|-
| [[Treasurer of Australia|Treasurer]]|| 87.5% || $209,360 || $448,630
|-
| [[Leader of the Government in the Senate (Australia)|Senate Leader of Government]]|| 87.5% || $209,360 || $448,630
|-
| [[Leader of the House (Australia)|House Leader of Government]]|| 75% || $179,450 || $418,720
|-
| [[Cabinet of Australia|Cabinet Minister]]|| 72.5% || $173,470 || $412,740
|-
| [[Australian Government#Ministers|Non-Cabinet Minister]]|| 57.5% || $137,580 || $376,850
|-
| [[Parliamentary secretary|Parliamentary Secretary/Assistant Minister]]|| 25% || $59,820 || $299,090
|-
|[[Leader of the Opposition (Australia)|Leader of the Opposition]]
|85%
|$203,380
|$442,650
|-
|[[Speaker of the Australian House of Representatives|Speaker]]
|75%
|$179,450
|$418,720
|-
|[[President of the Australian Senate|President]]
|75%
|$179,450
|$418,720
|-
|[[Shadow cabinet of Australia|Shadow Minister]]
|25%
|$59,820
|$299,090
|}

==Broadcasting==
Radio broadcasts of parliamentary proceedings began on 10 July 1946.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.aph.gov.au/library/pubs/rn/1997-98/98rn42.htm |title=Parliamentary Library: Australian Political Records (Research Note 42 1997–98) |access-date=12 September 2008 |url-status=unfit |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/19990203155622/http://www.aph.gov.au/library/pubs/rn/1997-98/98rn42.htm |archive-date=3 February 1999 }}</ref> They were originally broadcast on [[Radio National]]. Since August 1994 they have been broadcast on [[ABC News (Australian radio network)|ABC News]], a government-owned channel set up specifically for this function. It operates 24 hours a day and broadcasts other news items when parliament is not sitting.

The first televised parliamentary event was the historic [[Joint Sitting of the Australian Parliament of 1974|1974 Joint Sitting]].<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.whitlam.org/gough_whitlam/jointsitting/the_first_joint_sitting |title=The first joint sitting |publisher=Whitlam Institute, Western Sydney University |access-date=23 March 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170323234812/https://www.whitlam.org/gough_whitlam/jointsitting/the_first_joint_sitting |archive-date=23 March 2017 |url-status=dead }}</ref> Regular free-to-air television broadcasts of question time began in August 1990 from the Senate and February 1991 from the House of Representatives. Question time from the House of Representatives is televised live, and the Senate question time is recorded and broadcast later that day. Other free-to-air televised broadcasts include: the Treasurer's Budget speech and the Leader of the Opposition's reply to the Budget two days later; the opening of Parliament by the governor-general; the swearing-in of governors-general; and addresses to the Parliament by visiting heads of state.

In 2009, the pay TV company [[Foxtel]] launched A-SPAN, now called [[Sky News Extra]], which broadcasts live sittings of the House of Representatives and the Senate, parliamentary committee meetings and political press conferences.<ref name="ABC News">{{cite news |date=8 December 2008 |title=Rudd hails new A-Span TV network |publisher=[[ABC News (Australia)|ABC News]] |url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2008/12/08/2440386.htm |access-date=8 December 2008 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20121231045444/http://www.abc.net.au/news/2008-12-08/rudd-hails-new-a-span-tv-network/232784 |archive-date=31 December 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

The Parliament House official website provides free extensive daily proceedings of both chambers as well as committee hearings live on the Internet.<ref>{{cite web |title=Watch Parliament |url=http://www.aph.gov.au/News_and_Events/Watch_Parliament |archive-url=http://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20150315204641/http://aph.gov.au/news_and_events/watch_parliament |archive-date=15 March 2015 |access-date=22 February 2017 |website=Parliament of Australia |publisher=aph.gov.au |url-status=live }}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>

==Current parliament==
{{further|2025 Australian federal election|Members of the Australian Senate, 2025–2028|Members of the Australian House of Representatives, 2025–2028}}

==Historical compositions==

=== Senate compositions ===
The Senate has included representatives from a range of political parties, including several parties that have seldom or never had representation in the House of Representatives, but which have consistently secured a small but significant level of electoral support, as the table shows.

Results represent the composition of the Senate after the elections. The full Senate has been contested on eight occasions; the inaugural election and seven [[double dissolution]]s. These are underlined and highlighted in puce.<ref>{{cite web |title=A database of elections, governments, parties and representation for Australian state and federal parliaments since 1890 |url=http://elections.uwa.edu.au/ |archive-url=http://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20080627001555/http://elections.uwa.edu.au/ |archive-date=27 June 2008 |access-date=15 February 2009 |publisher=[[University of Western Australia]] |url-status=live }}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref>

{| class="toccolours" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" style="float:left; margin-right:.5em; margin-top:.4em; font-size:90%;"
|- style="background:#ccf;"
!colspan=2 rowspan=2|Election<br>Year
![[Australian Labor Party|Labor]]
! colspan="2"|[[Liberal Party of Australia|Liberal]]{{efn|Includes results for the [[Free Trade Party]] for 1901 and 1903, the [[Anti-Socialist Party]] for 1906, the [[Commonwealth Liberal Party]] for 1910–1914, the [[Nationalist Party (Australia)|Nationalist Party]] for 1917–1929, and the [[United Australia Party]] for 1931–1943.}}
![[National Party of Australia|National]]{{efn|Used the name [[Australian Country Party (1920)|Country Party]] for 1919–1974 and [[National Country Party]] for 1975–1980.}}
![[Democratic Labor Party (Australia, 1955)|Democratic<br />Labor]]
![[Australian Democrats|Democrats]]
![[Australian Greens|Greens]]
![[Country Liberal Party|CLP]]
! rowspan="2"|[[Independent politician|Independent]]
! colspan="2" rowspan="2"|Other<br/>parties
! rowspan="2"|Total<br/>seats
! rowspan="2" colspan="2"|Electoral<br/>system
|-
| height=4 {{Australian party style|Labor}}|
| {{Australian party style|Liberal}}|
| {{Australian party style|Liberal}}|
| {{Australian party style|Nationals}}|
| {{Australian party style|Democratic Labor}}|
| {{Australian party style|Democrats}}|
| {{Australian party style|Greens}}|
| {{Australian party style|CLP}}|
|-
|
|- style="background:#cc8899;"
!width=20|<u>[[1901 Australian federal election|1st]]</u>
!width=40|<u>1901</u>
| style="text-align:center;"|8
| style="width:30px; text-align:center;"|11{{efn| name ="D"|[[Protectionist Party]]}}
| style="width:30px; text-align:center;"|17
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|&nbsp;
| style="text-align:center;"|36
| style="text-align:center;"|'''[[Plurality-at-large voting]]'''
|- style="background:#eee;"
![[1903 Australian federal election|2nd]]
!1903
| style="text-align:center;"|8
| style="text-align:center;"|12{{efn| name ="D"}}
| style="text-align:center;"|14
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
| style="text-align:center;"|1
| style="width:30px; text-align:center;"|1
|[[Revenue Tariff Party (Tasmania)|Revenue Tariff]]
| style="text-align:center;"|36
| style="text-align:center;"|Plurality-at-large voting
|-
![[1906 Australian federal election|3rd]]
!1906
| style="text-align:center;"|15
| style="text-align:center;"|6{{efn| name ="D"}}
| style="text-align:center;"|13
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
| style="text-align:center;"|2
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|&nbsp;
| style="text-align:center;"|36
| style="text-align:center;"|Plurality-at-large voting
|- style="background:#eee;"
![[1910 Australian federal election|4th]]
!1910
| style="text-align:center;"|22
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|14
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|&nbsp;
| style="text-align:center;"|36
| style="text-align:center;"|Plurality-at-large voting
|-
![[1913 Australian federal election|5th]]
!1913
| style="text-align:center;"|29
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|7
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|&nbsp;
| style="text-align:center;"|36
| style="text-align:center;"|Plurality-at-large voting
|- style="background:#cc8899;"
!<u>[[1914 Australian federal election|6th]]</u>
!<u>1914</u>
| style="text-align:center;"|31
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|5
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|&nbsp;
| style="text-align:center;"|36
| style="text-align:center;"|Plurality-at-large voting
|-
![[1917 Australian federal election|7th]]
!1917
| style="text-align:center;"|12
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|24
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|&nbsp;
| style="text-align:center;"|36
| style="text-align:center;"|Plurality-at-large voting
|- style="background:#eee;"
![[1919 Australian federal election|8th]]
!1919
| style="text-align:center;"|1
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|35
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|&nbsp;
| style="text-align:center;"|36
| style="text-align:center;"|'''[[Preferential block voting]]'''
|-
![[1922 Australian federal election|9th]]
!1922
| style="text-align:center;"|12
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|24
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|&nbsp;
| style="text-align:center;"|36
| style="text-align:center;"|Preferential block voting
|- style="background:#eee;"
![[1925 Australian federal election|10th]]
!1925
| style="text-align:center;"|8
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|25
| style="text-align:center;"|3
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|&nbsp;
| style="text-align:center;"|36
| style="text-align:center;"|Preferential block voting
|-
![[1928 Australian federal election|11th]]
!1928
| style="text-align:center;"|7
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|24
| style="text-align:center;"|5
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|&nbsp;
| style="text-align:center;"|36
| style="text-align:center;"|Preferential block voting
|- style="background:#eee;"
![[1931 Australian federal election|12th]]
!1931
| style="text-align:center;"|10
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|21
| style="text-align:center;"|5
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|&nbsp;
| style="text-align:center;"|36
| style="text-align:center;"|Preferential block voting
|-
![[1934 Australian federal election|13th]]
!1934
| style="text-align:center;"|3
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|26
| style="text-align:center;"|7
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|&nbsp;
| style="text-align:center;"|36
| style="text-align:center;"|Preferential block voting
|- style="background:#eee;"
![[1937 Australian federal election|14th]]
!1937
| style="text-align:center;"|16
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|16
| style="text-align:center;"|4
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|&nbsp;
| style="text-align:center;"|36
| style="text-align:center;"|Preferential block voting
|-
![[1940 Australian federal election|15th]]
!1940
| style="text-align:center;"|17
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|15
| style="text-align:center;"|4
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|&nbsp;
| style="text-align:center;"|36
| style="text-align:center;"|Preferential block voting
|- style="background:#eee;"
![[1943 Australian federal election|16th]]
!1943
| style="text-align:center;"|22
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|12
| style="text-align:center;"|2
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|&nbsp;
| style="text-align:center;"|36
| style="text-align:center;"|Preferential block voting
|-
![[1946 Australian federal election|17th]]
!1946
| style="text-align:center;"|33
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|2
| style="text-align:center;"|1
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|&nbsp;
| style="text-align:center;"|36
| style="text-align:center;"|Preferential block voting
|- style="background:#eee;"
![[1949 Australian federal election|18th]]
!1949
| style="text-align:center;"|34
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|21
| style="text-align:center;"|5
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|&nbsp;
| style="text-align:center;"|60
| style="text-align:center;"|'''[[Single transferable vote]]''' (Full preferential voting)
|- style="background:#cc8899;"
!<u>[[1951 Australian federal election|19th]]</u>
!<u>1951</u>
| style="text-align:center;"|28
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|26
| style="text-align:center;"|6
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|&nbsp;
| style="text-align:center;"|60
| style="text-align:center;"|Single transferable vote
|- style="background:#eee;"
![[1953 Australian Senate election|20th]]
!1953
| style="text-align:center;"|29
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|26
| style="text-align:center;"|5
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|&nbsp;
| style="text-align:center;"|60
| style="text-align:center;"|Single transferable vote
|-
![[1955 Australian federal election|21st]]
!1955
| style="text-align:center;"|28
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|24
| style="text-align:center;"|6
| style="text-align:center;"|2
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|&nbsp;
| style="text-align:center;"|60
| style="text-align:center;"|Single transferable vote
|- style="background:#eee;"
![[1958 Australian federal election|22nd]]
!1958
| style="text-align:center;"|26
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|25
| style="text-align:center;"|7
| style="text-align:center;"|2
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|&nbsp;
| style="text-align:center;"|60
| style="text-align:center;"|Single transferable vote
|-
![[1961 Australian federal election|23rd]]
!1961
| style="text-align:center;"|28
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|24
| style="text-align:center;"|6
| style="text-align:center;"|1
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
| style="text-align:center;"|1
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|&nbsp;
| style="text-align:center;"|60
| style="text-align:center;"|Single transferable vote
|- style="background:#eee;"
![[1964 Australian Senate election|24th]]
!1964
| style="text-align:center;"|27
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|23
| style="text-align:center;"|7
| style="text-align:center;"|2
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
| style="text-align:center;"|1
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|&nbsp;
| style="text-align:center;"|60
| style="text-align:center;"|Single transferable vote
|-
![[1967 Australian Senate election|25th]]
!1967
| style="text-align:center;"|27
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|21
| style="text-align:center;"|7
| style="text-align:center;"|4
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
| style="text-align:center;"|1
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|&nbsp;
| style="text-align:center;"|60
| style="text-align:center;"|Single transferable vote
|- style="background:#eee;"
![[1970 Australian Senate election|26th]]
!1970
| style="text-align:center;"|26
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|21
| style="text-align:center;"|5
| style="text-align:center;"|5
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
| style="text-align:center;"|3
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|&nbsp;
| style="text-align:center;"|60
| style="text-align:center;"|Single transferable vote
|- style="background:#cc8899;"
!<u>[[1974 Australian federal election|27th]]</u>
!<u>1974</u>
| style="text-align:center;"|29
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|23
| style="text-align:center;"|6
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
| style="text-align:center;"|1
| style="text-align:center;"|1
|[[Liberal Movement (Australia)|Liberal Movement]]
| style="text-align:center;"|60
| style="text-align:center;"|Single transferable vote
|- style="background:#cc8899;"
!<u>[[1975 Australian federal election|28th]]</u>
!<u>1975</u>
| style="text-align:center;"|27
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|26
| style="text-align:center;"|6
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
| style="text-align:center;"|1
| style="text-align:center;"|1
| style="text-align:center;"|1
|[[Liberal Movement (Australia)|Liberal Movement]]
| style="text-align:center;"|64
| style="text-align:center;"|Single transferable vote
|-
![[1977 Australian federal election|29th]]
!1977
| style="text-align:center;"|27
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|27
| style="text-align:center;"|6
|&nbsp;
| style="text-align:center;"|2
|&nbsp;
| style="text-align:center;"|1
| style="text-align:center;"|1
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|&nbsp;
| style="text-align:center;"|64
| style="text-align:center;"|Single transferable vote
|- style="background:#eee;"
![[1980 Australian federal election|30th]]
!1980
| style="text-align:center;"|27
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|28
| style="text-align:center;"|3
|&nbsp;
| style="text-align:center;"|5
|&nbsp;
| style="text-align:center;"|1
| style="text-align:center;"|1
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|&nbsp;
| style="text-align:center;"|64
| style="text-align:center;"|Single transferable vote
|- style="background:#cc8899;"
!<u>[[1983 Australian federal election|31st]]</u>
!<u>1983</u>
| style="text-align:center;"|30
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|23
| style="text-align:center;"|4
|&nbsp;
| style="text-align:center;"|5
|&nbsp;
| style="text-align:center;"|1
| style="text-align:center;"|1
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|&nbsp;
| style="text-align:center;"|64
| style="text-align:center;"|Single transferable vote
|- style="background:#eee;"
![[1984 Australian federal election|32nd]]
!1984
| style="text-align:center;"|34
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|27
| style="text-align:center;"|5
|&nbsp;
| style="text-align:center;"|7
|&nbsp;
| style="text-align:center;"|1
| style="text-align:center;"|1
| style="text-align:center;"|1
|[[Nuclear Disarmament Party|Nuclear Disarmament]]
| style="text-align:center;"|76
| style="text-align:center;"|'''Single transferable vote ([[Group voting tickets in Australia|Group voting ticket]])'''
|- style="background:#cc8899;"
!<u>[[1987 Australian federal election|33rd]]</u>
!<u>1987</u>
| style="text-align:center;"|32
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|26
| style="text-align:center;"|7
|&nbsp;
| style="text-align:center;"|7
|&nbsp;
| style="text-align:center;"|1
| style="text-align:center;"|2
| style="text-align:center;"|1
|[[Nuclear Disarmament Party|Nuclear Disarmament]]
| style="text-align:center;"|76
| style="text-align:center;"|Single transferable vote (Group voting ticket)
|- style="background:#eee;"
![[1990 Australian federal election|34th]]
!1990
| style="text-align:center;"|32
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|28
| style="text-align:center;"|5
|&nbsp;
| style="text-align:center;"|8
|&nbsp;
| style="text-align:center;"|1
| style="text-align:center;"|1
| style="text-align:center;"|1
|[[Greens Western Australia|Greens (WA)]]
| style="text-align:center;"|76
| style="text-align:center;"|Single transferable vote (Group voting ticket)
|-
![[1993 Australian federal election|35th]]
!1993
| style="text-align:center;"|30
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|29
| style="text-align:center;"|6
|&nbsp;
| style="text-align:center;"|7
|&nbsp;
| style="text-align:center;"|1
| style="text-align:center;"|1
| style="text-align:center;"|2
|[[Greens Western Australia|Greens (WA)]] (2)
| style="text-align:center;"|76
| style="text-align:center;"|Single transferable vote (Group voting ticket)
|- style="background:#eee;"
![[1996 Australian federal election|36th]]
!1996
| style="text-align:center;"|29
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|31
| style="text-align:center;"|5
|&nbsp;
| style="text-align:center;"|7
|&nbsp;
| style="text-align:center;"|1
| style="text-align:center;"|1
| style="text-align:center;"|2
|[[Greens Western Australia|Greens (WA)]], [[Tasmanian Greens|Greens (Tas)]]
| style="text-align:center;"|76
| style="text-align:center;"|Single transferable vote (Group voting ticket)
|-
![[1998 Australian federal election|37th]]
!1998
| style="text-align:center;"|29
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|31
| style="text-align:center;"|3
|&nbsp;
| style="text-align:center;"|9
| style="text-align:center;"|1
| style="text-align:center;"|1
| style="text-align:center;"|1
| style="text-align:center;"|1
|[[Pauline Hanson's One Nation|One Nation]]
| style="text-align:center;"|76
| style="text-align:center;"|Single transferable vote (Group voting ticket)
|- style="background:#eee;"
![[2001 Australian federal election|38th]]
!2001
| style="text-align:center;"|28
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|31
| style="text-align:center;"|3
|&nbsp;
| style="text-align:center;"|8
| style="text-align:center;"|2
| style="text-align:center;"|1
| style="text-align:center;"|2
| style="text-align:center;"|1
|[[Pauline Hanson's One Nation|One Nation]]
| style="text-align:center;"|76
| style="text-align:center;"|Single transferable vote (Group voting ticket)
|-
![[2004 Australian federal election|39th]]
!2004
| style="text-align:center;"|28
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|33
| style="text-align:center;"|5
|&nbsp;
| style="text-align:center;"|4
| style="text-align:center;"|4
| style="text-align:center;"|1
|&nbsp;
| style="text-align:center;"|1
|[[Family First Party|Family First]]
| style="text-align:center;"|76
| style="text-align:center;"|Single transferable vote (Group voting ticket)
|- style="background:#eee;"
![[2007 Australian federal election|40th]]
!2007
| style="text-align:center;"|32
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|32
| style="text-align:center;"|4
|&nbsp;
|&nbsp;
| style="text-align:center;"|5
| style="text-align:center;"|1
| style="text-align:center;"|1
| style="text-align:center;"|1
|[[Family First Party|Family First]]
| style="text-align:center;"|76
| style="text-align:center;"|Single transferable vote (Group voting ticket)
|-
![[2010 Australian federal election|41st]]
!2010
| style="text-align:center;"|31
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|28 + (3 [[Liberal National Party of Queensland|LNP]])
| style="text-align:center;"|2
| style="text-align:center;"|1
|&nbsp;
| style="text-align:center;"|9
| style="text-align:center;"|1
| style="text-align:center;"|1
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|&nbsp;
| style="text-align:center;"|76
| style="text-align:center;"|Single transferable vote (Group voting ticket)
|- style="background:#eee;"
![[2013 Australian federal election|42nd]]
!2013
| style="text-align:center;"|25
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|23 + (5 [[Liberal National Party of Queensland|LNP]])
| style="text-align:center;"|3 + (1 [[Liberal National Party of Queensland|LNP]])
| style="text-align:center;"|1
|&nbsp;
| style="text-align:center;"|10
| style="text-align:center;"|1
| style="text-align:center;"|1
| style="text-align:center;"|6
| style="text-align:centre;"|[[Family First Party|Family First]],<br />[[Liberal Democratic Party (Australia)|Liberal Democrats]], <br />[[Australian Motoring Enthusiast Party|Motoring Enthusiast]], <br />[[Palmer United Party|Palmer United]] (3)
| style="text-align:center;"|76
| style="text-align:center;"|Single transferable vote (Group voting ticket)
|- style="background:#cc8899;"
!<u>[[2016 Australian federal election|43rd]]</u>
!<u>2016</u>
| style="text-align:center;"|26
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|21 + (3 [[Liberal National Party of Queensland|LNP]])
| style="text-align:center;"|3 + (2 [[Liberal National Party of Queensland|LNP]])
| style="text-align:center;"|
|&nbsp;
| style="text-align:center;"|9
| style="text-align:center;"|1
| style="text-align:center;"|
| style="text-align:center;"|11
| style="text-align:centre;"|[[Family First Party|Family First]],<br />[[Jacqui Lambie Network|Jacqui Lambie]],<br />[[Derryn Hinch's Justice Party|Justice Party]], <br />[[Liberal Democratic Party (Australia)|Liberal Democrats]], <br />[[Nick Xenophon Team]] (3), <br />[[Pauline Hanson's One Nation|One Nation]] (4)
| style="text-align:center;"|76
| style="text-align:center;"|'''Single transferable vote ([[Optional preferential voting]])'''
|- style="background:#eee;"
![[2019 Australian federal election|44th]]
!2019
| style="text-align:center;"|26
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|26 + (4 [[Liberal National Party of Queensland|LNP]])
| style="text-align:center;"|2 + (2 [[Liberal National Party of Queensland|LNP]])
| style="text-align:center;"|
|&nbsp;
| style="text-align:center;"|9
| style="text-align:center;"|1
| style="text-align:center;"|1
| style="text-align:center;"|5
| style="text-align:centre;"|[[Centre Alliance]] (2), <br />[[Jacqui Lambie Network|Jacqui Lambie]], <br />[[Pauline Hanson's One Nation|One Nation]] (2), 
| style="text-align:center;"|76
| style="text-align:center;"|Single transferable vote (Optional preferential voting)
|-
![[2022 Australian federal election|45th]]
!2022
| style="text-align:center;"|26
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|23 + (3 [[Liberal National Party of Queensland|LNP]])
| style="text-align:center;"|3 + (2 [[Liberal National Party of Queensland|LNP]])
| style="text-align:center;"|
| style="text-align:center;"|
| style="text-align:center;"|12
| style="text-align:center;"|1
| style="text-align:center;"|1
| style="text-align:center;"|5
|[[Jacqui Lambie Network|Lambie Network]] (2),  <br />[[Pauline Hanson's One Nation|One Nation]] (2),  <br />[[United Australia Party (2013)|United Australia]] (1)
| style="text-align:center;"|76
| style="text-align:center;"|Single transferable vote (Optional preferential voting)
|-
![[2025 Australian federal election|46th]]
!2025
| style="text-align:center;"|29
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|23 + (3 [[Liberal National Party of Queensland|LNP]])
| style="text-align:center;"|3 + (2 [[Liberal National Party of Queensland|LNP]])
| style="text-align:center;"|
| style="text-align:center;"|
| style="text-align:center;"|10
| style="text-align:center;"|1
| style="text-align:center;"|1
| style="text-align:center;"|5
|[[Pauline Hanson's One Nation|One Nation]] (4),  <br />[[Jacqui Lambie Network|Lambie Network]] (1),  <br />[[United Australia Party (2013)|United Australia]] (1)
| style="text-align:center;"|76
| style="text-align:center;"|Single transferable vote (Optional preferential voting)
|}

{{clear}}

=== House of Representatives compositions ===
A [[two-party system]] has existed in the [[Australian House of Representatives]] since the two non-Labor parties merged in 1909 and continued with the creation of the [[Coalition (Australia)|Coalition]] in 1922.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Bongiorno |first=Frank |author-link=Frank Bongiorno |date=2025-02-12 |title=Splits, fusions and evolutions: how Australia's political parties took hold |url=https://theconversation.com/splits-fusions-and-evolutions-how-australias-political-parties-took-hold-230410 |website=The Conversation |language=en}}</ref> The [[1910 Australian federal election|1910 election]] was the first to elect a [[majority government]], with the [[Australian Labor Party]] concurrently winning the first [[Australian Senate|Senate]] majority. Prior to 1909 a three-party system existed in the chamber. In 1919, the voting system changed from [[first-past-the-post voting|first-past-the-post]] to [[Instant-runoff voting|preferential voting]]. The [[two-party-preferred vote]] (2PP) has been commonly used since the 1970s to analyse how voting patterns relate to the seats won.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Goot |first=Murray |date=2016 |title=The Transformation of Australian Electoral Analysis: The Two-Party Preferred Vote — Origins, Impacts, and Critics |url=https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/ajph.12208 |journal=Australian Journal of Politics & History |language=en |volume=62 |issue=1 |pages=59–86 |doi=10.1111/ajph.12208 |issn=1467-8497 |url-access=subscription |via=Wiley Online Library}}</ref> ALP = Australian Labor Party, L+NP = grouping of [[Liberal Party of Australia|Liberal]]/[[National Party of Australia|National]]/[[Liberal National Party of Queensland|LNP]]/[[Country Liberal Party|CLP]] Coalition parties (and predecessors), Oth = [[List of political parties in Australia|other parties]] and [[independent politician|independents]].

{| class="toccolours" style="margin:0 auto; clear:both;" border=0 align="left"
|-
|+'''House of Representatives results'''
|-
|- style="background:#ccf;"
!colspan=2 rowspan=2|Election<br>Year
! colspan="2"|[[Australian Labor Party|Labor]]
! colspan="2"|[[Free Trade Party|Free Trade]]
![[Protectionist Party|Protectionist]]
! rowspan="2"|[[Independent politician|Independent]]
! colspan="2" rowspan="2"|Other<br/>parties
! rowspan="2"|Total<br/>seats
|-
| height=4 colspan=2 {{Australian party style|Labor}}|
| colspan=2 {{Australian party style|Free Trade}}|
| {{Australian party style|Protectionist}}|
|-
!width=20|[[1901 Australian federal election|1st]]
!width=40|1901
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|14
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|28
| style="text-align:center;"|'''31'''
| style="text-align:center;"|2
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|&nbsp;
| style="text-align:center;"|75
|-
|- style="background:#ccf;"
!colspan=2 rowspan=2|Election<br>Year
! colspan="2"|[[Australian Labor Party|Labor]]
! colspan="2"|[[Free Trade Party|Free Trade]]
![[Protectionist Party|Protectionist]]
! rowspan="2"|[[Independent politician|Independent]]
! colspan="2" rowspan="2"|Other<br/>parties
! rowspan="2"|Total<br/>seats
|-
| height=4 colspan=2 {{Australian party style|Labor}}|
| colspan=2 {{Australian party style|Free Trade}}|
| {{Australian party style|Protectionist}}|
|-
![[1903 Australian federal election|2nd]]
!1903
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|23
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|25
| style="text-align:center;"|'''26'''
| style="text-align:center;"|&nbsp;
| style="width:30px; text-align:center;"|1
|[[Revenue Tariff Party (Tasmania)|Revenue Tariff]]
| style="text-align:center;"|75
|-
|- style="background:#ccf;"
!colspan=2 rowspan=2|Election<br>Year
! colspan="2"|[[Australian Labor Party|Labor]]
! colspan="2"|[[Free Trade Party|Anti-Socialist]]
![[Protectionist Party|Protectionist]]
! rowspan="2"|[[Independent politician|Independent]]
! colspan="2" rowspan="2"|Other<br/>parties
! rowspan="2"|Total<br/>seats
|-
| height=4 colspan=2 {{Australian party style|Labor}}|
| colspan=2 {{Australian party style|Free Trade}}|
| {{Australian party style|Protectionist}}|
|-
![[1906 Australian federal election|3rd]]
!1906
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|26
| colspan="2" style="text-align:center;"|26
| style="text-align:center;"|'''21'''
| style="text-align:center;"|1
| style="width:30px; text-align:center;"|1
|[[Western Australian Party|Western Australian]]
| style="text-align:center;"|75
|- style="background:#eee;"
|}
{{Clear}}

{| class="wikitable sortable mw-collapsible toccolours" align="left" cellpadding="4" cellspacing="0" style="margin-right: .5em; margin-top: .4em;font-size: 90%;"
|+
|-
! style="background:#; text-align:center;" |
! colspan="3" style="background:#; text-align:center;" |Primary vote
! colspan="2" style="background:#; text-align:center;" |[[Two-party-preferred vote|2PP vote]]
! colspan="4" style="background:#; text-align:center;" |Seats
|-
! style="background:#; text-align:center;" |Election
! style="background:#f66; text-align:center;" |ALP<ref>{{Cite web |last=Barber |first=Stephen |date=5 July 2018 |title=Federal election results 1901–2016—Reissue #2 |url=https://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/download/library/prspub/5359594/upload_binary/5359594.pdf;fileType=application%2Fpdf |series=Research Paper Series, 2018–19 |publisher=Department of Parliamentary Services: Parliament of Australia |issn=2203-5249}}</ref>
! style="background:#00bfff; text-align:center;" |L+NP
! style="background:#ff0; text-align:center;" |Oth.
! style="background:#f66; text-align:center;" |ALP
! style="background:#00bfff; text-align:center;" |L+NP
! style="background:#f66; text-align:center;" |ALP
! style="background:#00bfff; text-align:center;" |L+NP
! style="background:#ff0; text-align:center;" |Oth.
! style="background:#; text-align:center;" |Total
|-
! style="text-align: left;" |[[1901 Australian federal election|1901]]
| align="left" style="text-align: center;" |19.4%
| style="text-align: center;" |–
| style="text-align: center;" |80.6%{{Efn|[[Protectionist Party|Protectionist]] (44.4%), [[Free Trade Party|Free Trade]] (34.2%), [[Independent Labor (Australia)|Independent Labor]] (0.6%), Others (2%)}}
| style="text-align: center;" |–
| style="text-align: center;" |–
| style="text-align: center;" |14
| align="center" |–
| style="text-align: center; background:#3198ff" |61{{Efn|[[Protectionist Party|Protectionist]] ('''31'''), [[Free Trade Party|Free Trade]] (28), [[Independent Labor (Australia)|Independent Labor]] (1), Other (1)}}
| style="text-align: center;" |75
|-
! style="text-align: left;" |[[1903 Australian federal election|1903]]
| align="left" style="text-align: center;" |31.0%
| style="text-align: center;" |–
| style="text-align: center;" |69%{{Efn|[[Protectionist Party|Protectionist]] (29.7%), [[Free Trade Party|Free Trade]] (34.4%), Others (5%)}}
| style="text-align: center;" |–
| style="text-align: center;" |–
| style="text-align: center;" |23
| align="center" |–
| style="text-align: center; background:#3198ff" |52{{Efn|[[Protectionist Party|Protectionist]] ('''26'''), [[Free Trade Party|Free Trade]] (25), [[Free Trade Party|Revenue Tariff]] (1)}}
| style="text-align: center;" |75
|-
! style="text-align: left;" |[[1906 Australian federal election|1906]]
| align="left" style="text-align: center;" |36.6%
| style="text-align: center;" |–
| style="text-align: center;" |63.4%{{Efn|[[Protectionist Party|Protectionist]] (16.4%), [[Free Trade Party|Anti-Socialists]] (38.2%), Others (8.7%)}}
| style="text-align: center;" |–
| style="text-align: center;" |–
| style="text-align: center;" |26
| align="center" |–
| style="text-align: center ;background:#3198ff" |49{{Efn|[[Protectionist Party|Protectionist]] ('''16'''), [[Free Trade Party|Anti-Socialists]] (27), Others (6)}}
| style="text-align: center;" |75
|-
! style="text-align:left;" bgcolor="" |[[1910 Australian federal election|1910]]
| align="left" style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |50.0%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |45.1%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |4.9%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |–
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |–
| style="text-align:center; background:#f66;" |42
| align="center" bgcolor="" |31
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |2
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |75
|-
! style="text-align:left;" bgcolor="" |[[1913 Australian federal election|1913]]
| align="left" style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |48.5%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |48.9%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |2.6%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |–
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |–
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |37
| style="text-align:center; background:#00bfff;" |38
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |0
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |75
|-
! style="text-align:left;" bgcolor="" |[[1914 Australian federal election|1914]]
| align="left" style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |50.9%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |47.2%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |1.9%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |–
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |–
| style="text-align:center; background:#f66;" |42
| align="center" bgcolor="" |32
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |1
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |75
|-
! style="text-align:left;" bgcolor="" |[[1917 Australian federal election|1917]]
| align="left" style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |43.9%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |54.2%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |1.9%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |–
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |–
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |22
| style="text-align:center; background:#00bfff;" |53
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |0
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |75
|-
! style="text-align:left;" bgcolor="" |[[1919 Australian federal election|1919]]
| align="left" style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |42.5%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |54.3%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |3.2%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |45.9%
| style="text-align:center; background:#00bfff;" |54.1%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |26
| style="text-align:center; background:#00bfff;" |38
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |1
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |75
|-
! style="text-align:left;" bgcolor="" |[[1922 Australian federal election|1922]]
| align="left" style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |42.3%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |47.8%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |9.9%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |48.8%
| style="text-align:center; background:#00bfff;" |51.2%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |29
| style="text-align:center; background:#00bfff;" |40
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |6
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |75
|-
! style="text-align:left;" bgcolor="" |[[1925 Australian federal election|1925]]
| align="left" style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |45.0%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |53.2%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |1.8%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |46.2%
| style="text-align:center; background:#00bfff;" |53.8%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |23
| style="text-align:center; background:#00bfff;" |50
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |2
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |75
|-
! style="text-align:left;" bgcolor="" |[[1928 Australian federal election|1928]]
| align="left" style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |44.7%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |49.6%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |5.8%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |48.4%
| style="text-align:center; background:#00bfff;" |51.6%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |31
| style="text-align:center; background:#00bfff;" |42
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |2
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |75
|-
! style="text-align:left;" bgcolor="" |[[1929 Australian federal election|1929]]
| align="left" style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |48.8%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |44.2%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |7.0%
| style="text-align:center; background:#f66;" |56.7%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor=" " |43.3%
| style="text-align:center; background:#f66;" |46
| align="center" bgcolor="" |24
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |5
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |75
|-
! style="text-align:left;" bgcolor="" |[[1931 Australian federal election|1931]]
| align="left" style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |37.8%{{Efn|27.1% (ALP) + 10.6% ([[Lang Labor]])}}
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |48.4%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |24.5%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |41.5%
| style="text-align:center; background:#00bfff;" |58.5%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |14
| style="text-align:center; background:#00bfff;" |50
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |11
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |75
|-
! style="text-align:left;" bgcolor="" |[[1934 Australian federal election|1934]]
| align="left" style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |41.2%{{Efn|26.8% (ALP) + 14.4% ([[Lang Labor]])}}
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |45.6%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |27.6%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |46.5%
| style="text-align:center; background:#00bfff;" |53.5%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |18
| style="text-align:center; background:#00bfff;" |42
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |14
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |74
|-
! style="text-align:left;" bgcolor="" |[[1937 Australian federal election|1937]]
| align="left" style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |43.1%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |49.3%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |7.5%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |49.4%
| style="text-align:center; background:#00bfff;" |50.6%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |29
| style="text-align:center; background:#00bfff;" |43
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |2
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |74
|-
! style="text-align:left;" bgcolor="" |[[1940 Australian federal election|1940]]
| align="left" style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |40.1%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |43.9%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |15.9%
| style="text-align:center; background:#f66;" |50.3%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |49.7%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |32
| style="text-align:center; background:#00bfff;" |36
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |6
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |74
|-
! style="text-align:left;" bgcolor="" |[[1943 Australian federal election|1943]]
| align="left" style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |49.9%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |31.3%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |18.6%
| style="text-align:center; background:#f66;" |58.2%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |41.8%
| style="text-align:center; background:#f66;" |49
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |23
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |2
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |74
|-
! style="text-align:left;" bgcolor="" |[[1946 Australian federal election|1946]]
| align="left" style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |49.7%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |39.3%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |11.0%
| style="text-align:center; background:#f66;" |54.1%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |45.9%
| style="text-align:center; background:#f66;" |43
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |26
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |5
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |74
|-
! style="text-align:left;" bgcolor="" |[[1949 Australian federal election|1949]]
| align="left" style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |46.0%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |50.3%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |3.7%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |49.0%
| style="text-align:center; background:#00bfff;" |51.0%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |47
| style="text-align:center; background:#00bfff;" |74
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |0
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |121
|-
! style="text-align:left;" bgcolor="" |[[1951 Australian federal election|1951]]
| align="left" style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |47.7%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |50.3%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |2.1%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |49.3%
| style="text-align:center; background:#00bfff;" |50.7%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |52
| style="text-align:center; background:#00bfff;" |69
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |0
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |121
|-
! style="text-align:left;" bgcolor="" |[[1954 Australian federal election|1954]]
| align="left" style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |50.1%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |46.8%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |3.2%
| style="text-align:center; background:#f66;" |50.7%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |49.3%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |57
| style="text-align:center; background:#00bfff;" |64
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |0
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |121
|-
! style="text-align:left;" bgcolor="" |[[1955 Australian federal election|1955]]
| align="left" style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |44.7%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |47.6%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |7.8%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |45.8%
| style="text-align:center; background:#00bfff;" |54.2%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |47
| style="text-align:center; background:#00bfff;" |75
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |0
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |122
|-
! style="text-align:left;" bgcolor="" |[[1958 Australian federal election|1958]]
| align="left" style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |42.9%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |46.6%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |10.6%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |45.9%
| style="text-align:center; background:#00bfff;" |54.1%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |45
| style="text-align:center; background:#00bfff;" |77
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |0
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |122
|-
! style="text-align:left;" bgcolor="" |[[1961 Australian federal election|1961]]
| align="left" style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |48.0%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |42.1%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |10.0%
| style="text-align:center; background:#f66;" |50.5%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |49.5%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |60
| style="text-align:center; background:#00bfff;" |62
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |0
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |122
|-
! style="text-align:left;" bgcolor="" |[[1963 Australian federal election|1963]]
| align="left" style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |45.5%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |46.0%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |8.5%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |47.4%
| style="text-align:center; background:#00bfff;" |52.6%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |50
| style="text-align:center; background:#00bfff;" |72
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |0
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |122
|-
! style="text-align:left;" bgcolor="" |[[1966 Australian federal election|1966]]
| align="left" style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |40.0%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |50.0%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |10.0%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |43.1%
| style="text-align:center; background:#00bfff;" |56.9%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |41
| style="text-align:center; background:#00bfff;" |82
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |1
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |124
|-
! style="text-align:left;" bgcolor="" |[[1969 Australian federal election|1969]]
| align="left" style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |47.0%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |43.3%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |9.7%
| style="text-align:center; background:#f66;" |50.2%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |49.8%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |59
| style="text-align:center; background:#00bfff;" |66
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |0
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |125
|-
! style="text-align:left;" bgcolor="" |[[1972 Australian federal election|1972]]
| align="left" style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |49.6%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |41.5%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |8.9%
| style="text-align:center; background:#f66;" |52.7%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |47.3%
| style="text-align:center; background:#f66;" |67
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |58
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |0
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |125
|-
! style="text-align:left;" bgcolor="" |[[1974 Australian federal election|1974]]
| align="left" style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |49.3%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |44.9%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |5.8%
| style="text-align:center; background:#f66;" |51.7%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |48.3%
| style="text-align:center; background:#f66;" |66
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |61
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |0
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |127
|-
! style="text-align:left;" bgcolor="" |[[1975 Australian federal election|1975]]
| align="left" style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |42.8%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |53.1%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |4.1%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |44.3%
| style="text-align:center; background:#00bfff;" |55.7%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |36
| style="text-align:center; background:#00bfff;" |91
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |0
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |127
|-
! style="text-align:left;" bgcolor="" |[[1977 Australian federal election|1977]]
| align="left" style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |39.6%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |48.1%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |12.2%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |45.4%
| style="text-align:center; background:#00bfff;" |54.6%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |38
| style="text-align:center; background:#00bfff;" |86
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |0
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |124
|-
! style="text-align:left;" bgcolor="" |[[1980 Australian federal election|1980]]
| align="left" style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |45.1%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |46.3%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |8.5%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |49.6%
| style="text-align:center; background:#00bfff;" |50.4%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |51
| style="text-align:center; background:#00bfff;" |74
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |0
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |125
|-
! style="text-align:left;" bgcolor="" |[[1983 Australian federal election|1983]]
| align="left" style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |59.5%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |43.6%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |6.9%
| style="text-align:center; background:#f66;" |53.2%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |46.8%
| style="text-align:center; background:#f66;" |75
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |50
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |0
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |125
|-
! style="text-align:left;" bgcolor="" |[[1984 Australian federal election|1984]]
| align="left" style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |47.5%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |45.0%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |7.4%
| style="text-align:center; background:#f66;" |51.8%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |48.2%
| style="text-align:center; background:#f66;" |82
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |66
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |0
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |148
|-
! style="text-align:left;" bgcolor="" |[[1987 Australian federal election|1987]]
| align="left" style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |45.8%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |46.1%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |8.1%
| style="text-align:center; background:#f66;" |50.8%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |49.2%
| style="text-align:center; background:#f66;" |86
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |62
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |0
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |148
|-
! style="text-align:left;" bgcolor="" |[[1990 Australian federal election|1990]]
| align="left" style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |39.4%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |43.5%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |17.1%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |49.9%
| style="text-align:center; background:#00bfff;" |50.1%
| style="text-align:center; background:#f66;" |78
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |69
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |1
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |148
|-
! style="text-align:left;" bgcolor="" |[[1993 Australian federal election|1993]]
| align="left" style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |44.9%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |44.3%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |10.7%
| style="text-align:center; background:#f66;" |51.4%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |48.6%
| style="text-align:center; background:#f66;" |80
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |65
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |2
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |147
|-
! style="text-align:left;" bgcolor="" |[[1996 Australian federal election|1996]]
| align="left" style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |38.8%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |47.3%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |14.0%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |46.4%
| style="text-align:center; background:#00bfff;" |53.6%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |49
| style="text-align:center; background:#00bfff;" |94
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |5
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |148
|-
! style="text-align:left;" bgcolor="" |[[1998 Australian federal election|1998]]
| align="left" style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |40.1%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |39.5%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |20.4%
| style="text-align:center; background:#f66;" |51.0%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |49.0%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |67
| style="text-align:center; background:#00bfff;" |80
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |1
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |148
|-
! style="text-align:left;" bgcolor="" |[[2001 Australian federal election|2001]]
| align="left" style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |37.8%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |43.0%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |19.2%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |49.0%
| style="text-align:center; background:#00bfff;" |51.0%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |65
| style="text-align:center; background:#00bfff;" |82
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |3
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |150
|-
! style="text-align:left;" bgcolor="" |[[2004 Australian federal election|2004]]
| align="left" style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |37.6%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |46.7%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |15.7%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |47.3%
| style="text-align:center; background:#00bfff;" |52.7%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |60
| style="text-align:center; background:#00bfff;" |87
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |3
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |150
|-
! style="text-align:left;" bgcolor="" |[[2007 Australian federal election|2007]]
| align="left" style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |43.4%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |42.1%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |14.5%
| style="text-align:center; background:#f66;" |52.7%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |47.3%
| style="text-align:center; background:#f66;" |83
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |65
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |2
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |150
|-
! style="text-align:left;" bgcolor="" |[[2010 Australian federal election|2010]]
| align="left" style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |38.0%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |43.3%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |18.7%
| style="text-align:center; background:#f66;" |50.1%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |49.9%
| style="text-align:center; background:#f66;" |72
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |72
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |6
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |150
|-
! style="text-align:left;" bgcolor="" |[[2013 Australian federal election|2013]]
| align="left" style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |33.4%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |45.6%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |21.0%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor=" " |46.5%
| style="text-align:center; background:#00bfff;" |53.5%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |55
| style="text-align:center; background:#00bfff;" |90
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |5
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |150
|-
! style="text-align:left;" bgcolor="" |[[2016 Australian federal election|2016]]
| align="left" style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |34.7%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |42.0%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |23.3%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor=" " |49.6%
| style="text-align:center; background:#00bfff;" |50.4%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |69
| style="text-align:center; background:#00bfff;" |76
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |5
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |150
|-
! style="text-align:left;" bgcolor="" |[[2019 Australian federal election|2019]] 
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |33.3%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |41.4%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |25.2%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |48.5%
| style="text-align:center; background:#00bfff;" |51.5%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |68
| style="text-align:center; background:#00bfff;" |77
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |6
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |151
|-
! style="text-align:left;" bgcolor="" |[[2022 Australian federal election|2022]] 
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |32.6%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |35.7%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |31.7%
| style="text-align:center; background:#f66;" |52.1%
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |47.9%
| style="text-align:center; background:#f66;" |77
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |58
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |16
| style="text-align:center;" bgcolor="" |151
|-
! style="text-align: left;" |[[2025 Australian federal election|2025]]
| style="text-align: center;" |34.6%
| style="text-align: center;" |31.8%
| style="text-align: center;" |33.6%
| style="text-align:center; background:#f66;" |55.2%
| style="text-align: center;" |44.8%
| style="text-align:center;background:#f66;" |94
| style="text-align: center;" |43
| style="text-align: center;" |13
| style="text-align: center;" |150
|}
{{Clear}}

==See also==
* [[2025 Australian federal election]]
* [[Chronology of Australian federal parliaments]]
* [[List of legislatures by country]]
* [[List of official openings by Elizabeth II in Australia]]
* [[Members of the Australian House of Representatives, 2025–2028]]
* [[Members of the Australian Senate, 2025–2028]]
* [[List of longest-serving members of the Parliament of Australia]]

==Notes==
{{Notelist}}

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==Further reading==
{{Refbegin|30em}}
* {{cite book |first=Gavin |last=Souter |author-link=Gavin Souter |title=Acts of Parliament: A narrative history of the Senate and House of Representatives, Commonwealth of Australia |location=Carlton |publisher=Melbourne University Press |year=1988 |isbn=0-522-84367-0 }}
* {{cite book | author1 = Quick, John | author2 = Garran, Robert | name-list-style = amp | title = The Annotated Constitution of the Australian Commonwealth | url = https://archive.org/details/annotatedconstit00quicuoft | publisher = [[Angus & Robertson]] | year = 1901 | location = Sydney | isbn = 0-9596568-0-4 | via = [[Internet Archive]] }}
* {{cite book| last = Warden| first = James| title = A bunyip democracy: the Parliament and Australian political identity| publisher = Department of the Parliamentary Library| year = 1995| url = http://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/download/library/prspub/1534008/upload_binary/1534008.pdf;fileType=application%2Fpdf#search=%22library/prspub/1534008%22| isbn = 0-644-45191-2| access-date = 13 March 2017| archive-date = 19 June 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210619144659/https://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/download/library/prspub/1534008/upload_binary/1534008.pdf;fileType=application/pdf#search=%22library/prspub/1534008%22| url-status = live}}
* {{cite book| last = Bach| first = Stanley| title = Platypus and Parliament: The Australian Senate in Theory and Practice| publisher = Department of the Senate| year = 2003| url = http://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Senate/Powers_practice_n_procedures/platparl| isbn = 0-642-71291-3| access-date = 14 December 2016| archive-date = 20 December 2016| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20161220144354/http://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Senate/Powers_practice_n_procedures/platparl| url-status = live}}
* {{cite book|last=Hamer|first=David|title=The executive government|url=http://www.aph.gov.au/binaries/senate/pubs/hamer/book.pdf|publisher=Department of the Senate (Australia)|year=2004|isbn=0-642-71433-9|access-date=25 March 2017|archive-date=10 September 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160910172141/http://www.aph.gov.au/binaries/senate/pubs/hamer/book.pdf|url-status=live}}
* {{cite book |author1=Prosser, Brenton |author2= Denniss, Richard |name-list-style=amp | title = Minority Policy: Rethinking Governance when Parliament Matters | publisher = Melbourne University Publishing | year = 2015 | location = Melbourne | isbn = 978-0-522-86762-6 }}
* Harry Evans, ''[http://www.aph.gov.au/~/media/05%20About%20Parliament/52%20Sen/pubs/odgers/2016_odgers.pdf?la=en Odgers' Australian Senate Practice] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170219130204/http://www.aph.gov.au/~/media/05%20About%20Parliament/52%20Sen/pubs/odgers/2016_odgers.pdf?la=en |date=19 February 2017 }}'', A detailed reference work on all aspects of the Senate's powers, procedures and practices.
* B.C. Wright, ''[http://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/House_of_Representatives/Powers_practice_and_procedure/Practice6 House of Representatives Practice (6th Ed.)] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211126064333/https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/House_of_Representatives/Powers_practice_and_procedure/Practice6 |date=26 November 2021 }}'', A detailed reference work on all aspects of the House of Representatives' powers, procedures and practices.
* {{cite book | author1 = Sawer, Marian | author2 = Miskin, Sarah | name-list-style = amp | title = Papers on Parliament No. 34 Representation and Institutional Change: 50 Years of Proportional Representation in the Senate | publisher = Department of the Senate | year = 1999 | url = https://www.aph.gov.au/binaries/senate/pubs/pops/pop34/pop34.pdf | isbn = 0-642-71061-9 | access-date = 21 September 2020 | archive-date = 3 October 2020 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20201003050519/https://www.aph.gov.au/binaries/senate/pubs/pops/pop34/pop34.pdf | url-status = live }}
* {{cite book |first=Judith |last=Brett |title=From Secret Ballot to Democracy Sausage: How Australia Got Compulsory Voting |publisher=Text Publishing Co |year=2019 |isbn=9781925603842}}
* {{cite book| last = Viglianti-Northway| first = Karena| title = The Intentions of the Framers of the Australian Constitution Regarding Responsible Government and Accountability of the Commonerslth Executive to the Australian Senate| publisher = University of Technology Sydney| year = 2020| url = https://opus.lib.uts.edu.au/bitstream/10453/140943/2/02whole.pdf| access-date = 5 September 2020| archive-date = 3 March 2021| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20210303184433/https://opus.lib.uts.edu.au/bitstream/10453/140943/2/02whole.pdf| url-status = live}}
{{Refend}}

==External links==
{{Library resources box|by=no|onlinebooks=no|about=yes|wikititle=parliament of Australia}}
{{Commons category}}
*[https://www.youtube.com/user/athnews/videos Australian House of Representatives YouTube official channel ]
* [http://www.aph.gov.au/ The Parliament of Australia's website]
* {{Cite Legislation AU|Cth|act|coaca430|Australian Constitution}}
* [http://www.aph.gov.au/News_and_Events/Watch_Parliament Australian Parliament&nbsp;– live broadcasting]
* [http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees Parliament of Australia Committees]

{{Parliament of Australia}}
{{Members of the Parliament of Australia}}
{{Politics of Australia}}
{{Constitution of Australia}}
{{Parliaments of Australia}}
{{National bicameral legislatures}}
{{Legislatures of Oceania}}
{{Australia topics}}
{{Authority control}}

{{Coord|35|18|25|S|149|07|32|E|source:kolossus-plwiki|display=title}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Parliament Of Australia}}
[[Category:Parliament of Australia| ]]
[[Category:Parliaments by country|Australia]]
[[Category:National legislatures|Australia]]
[[Category:Bicameral legislatures|Australia]]
[[Category:Westminster system parliaments|Australia]]
[[Category:1901 establishments in Australia]]