Parliaments of the Australian states and territories
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The parliaments of the Australian states and territories are legislative bodies within the federal framework of the Commonwealth of Australia.
All the parliaments are based on the
Background
Before the formation of the Commonwealth in 1901, the six Australian colonies were self-governing colonies, with parliaments which had come into existence at various times between 1825, when the New South Wales Legislative Council was created, to 1891, when Western Australia became the last of the colonies to gain full self-government.
The colonies ratified the Constitution of Australia, becoming States of the Commonwealth in the new federation, and ceding certain of their legislative powers to the Commonwealth Parliament, but otherwise retaining their self-governing status with their own constitutions and parliaments. The state parliaments were all created by legislation of the British Imperial Parliament, and their original constitutions were contained in Acts of that Parliament; however now the power to amend state constitutions resides with the respective state parliaments, in accordance with its constitution. The Commonwealth Parliament cannot amend a state's constitution.
The Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory, by contrast, are territories of the Commonwealth, and their parliaments were created by way of legislation of the Commonwealth Parliament. Although the Commonwealth treats the territories as though they were states for many purposes, they are not states, and the legislative powers of their parliaments can be altered or even abolished by the Commonwealth Parliament. The Commonwealth can also overturn legislation passed by the territory parliaments.
Overview
State/ Territory |
Lower House | Upper House | Total no. of reps | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Established | Name | No. of reps |
Electoral System | Established | Name | No. of reps |
Electoral System | Staggered | ||||
States | NSW | 1856 | Legislative Assembly | 93 | Single Member Instant Runoff (IR) | 1825 | Legislative Council | 42 | Single Transferable Vote (STV) at-large | Yes | 135 | |
VIC
|
1855 | Legislative Assembly | 88 | Single Member IR | 1851 | Legislative Council | 40 | STV in eight constituencies | No | 128 | ||
QLD | 1859 | Legislative Assembly | 93 | Single Member IR | Unicameral (Legislative Council existed 1860–1922) | 93 | ||||||
WA | 1890 | Legislative Assembly | 59 | Single Member IR | 1832 | Legislative Council | 36 | STV in six constituencies | No | 95 | ||
SA | 1857 | House of Assembly | 47 | Single Member IR | 1840 | Legislative Council | 22 | STV at-large | Yes | 69 | ||
TAS | 1856 | House of Assembly | 25 | STV in five constituencies | 1825 | Legislative Council | 15 | Single Member IR | Yes | 40 | ||
Self-governing Territories |
ACT | 1989 | Legislative Assembly | 25 | STV in five constituencies | Unicameral | 25 | |||||
NT | 1974 | Legislative Assembly | 25 | Single member IR | 25 | |||||||
External Territories |
CX | 1993 | Shire Council | 9 | STV at-large | 9 | ||||||
CC | 1993 | Shire Council | 7 | STV at-large | 7 | |||||||
NI | 2016 | Regional Council | 5 | STV at-large | 5 | |||||||
Nation | Aus | 1901 | House of Representatives | 151 | Single Member IR | 1901 | Senate | 76 | STV in six states and two territories | Yes | 227 |
States and territories
New South Wales
The Parliament of New South Wales is a
Victoria
The Parliament of Victoria is a bicameral legislature comprising the
Queensland
The Parliament of Queensland is a
South Australia
The Parliament of South Australia is a bicameral legislature comprising the South Australian Legislative Council and the House of Assembly. According to the South Australian Constitution, unlike the Federal Parliament, and the parliaments of the other states and territories of Australia, neither the Sovereign nor the Governor is considered to be a part of the South Australian Parliament.[6] The Legislative Council has 22 members, elected for eight-year terms by proportional voting with half the members facing re-election every four years, and the House of Assembly which has 47 members, elected for four-year terms from single-member constituencies, using preferential voting. Voting is compulsory.
Western Australia
The Parliament of Western Australia is a bicameral legislature comprising the
Tasmania
The Parliament of Tasmania is a bicameral legislature comprising the
Australian Capital Territory
The Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly has 25 members, elected for four-year terms from multi-member constituencies, using the Hare-Clark system of proportional voting.
Northern Territory
The
Norfolk Island
In the external territory of
Christmas Island
In the external territory of Christmas Island in the Indian Ocean, the Shire Council provides local governance. The nine-member Shire Council was established in 1993. Councilors serve four-year terms, with four or five being chosen every second year.[13]
Cocos (Keeling) Islands
In the external territory of the
Current compositions
Shading indicates party or coalition in government.[a] Greyed out cells indicate that party is not active within that state.
Party | Federal |
NSW |
Vic |
Qld |
WA |
SA |
Tas |
ACT |
NT | |||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
House
|
Senate | Assembly | Council | Assembly | Council | Assembly | Assembly | Council | Assembly | Council | Assembly | Council | Assembly | Assembly | ||||
Australian Labor Party | 78 / 151
|
26 / 76
|
45 / 93
|
15 / 42
|
55 / 88
|
15 / 40
|
51 / 93
|
53 / 59
|
21 / 36
|
27 / 47
|
9 / 22
|
9 / 25
|
4 / 15
|
10 / 25
|
14 / 25
| |||
Liberal–National Coalition | ||||||||||||||||||
Liberal Party | 40 / 151
|
25 / 76
|
25 / 93
|
10 / 42
|
19 / 88
|
11 / 40
|
34 / 93 [b]
|
3 / 59 [c]
|
7 / 36 [c]
|
16 / 47 [c]
|
8 / 22 [c]
|
10 / 25
|
4 / 15
|
9 / 25
|
7 / 25 [d]
| |||
National Party | 15 / 151
|
6 / 76
|
11 / 93
|
5 / 42
|
9 / 88
|
2 / 40
|
3 / 59 [c]
|
3 / 36 [c]
|
0 / 47 [c]
|
0 / 22 [c]
|
||||||||
Australian Greens | 4 / 151
|
11 / 76
|
3 / 93
|
4 / 42
|
4 / 88
|
4 / 40
|
2 / 93
|
0 / 59
|
1 / 36
|
0 / 47
|
2 / 22
|
2 / 25
|
0 / 15
|
6 / 25
|
0 / 25
| |||
Centre Alliance/SA-Best[e] | 1 / 151
|
0 / 76
|
0 / 47
|
1 / 22
|
||||||||||||||
Katter's Australian Party | 1 / 151
|
0 / 76
|
3 / 93
|
|||||||||||||||
Dai Le and Frank Carbone Network
|
0 / 151
|
0 / 76
|
0 / 93
|
0 / 42
|
||||||||||||||
One Nation | 0 / 151
|
2 / 76
|
0 / 93
|
1 / 42
|
0 / 88
|
1 / 40
|
1 / 93
|
0 / 59
|
1 / 36
|
0 / 47
|
1 / 22
|
|||||||
Jacqui Lambie Network | 0 / 151
|
1 / 76
|
0 / 25
|
0 / 15
|
||||||||||||||
United Australia Party | 0 / 151
|
1 / 76
|
0 / 42
|
0 / 88
|
0 / 40
|
|||||||||||||
Shooters, Fishers and Farmers | 0 / 151
|
0 / 76
|
0 / 93
|
2 / 42
|
0 / 88
|
1 / 40
|
0 / 93
|
0 / 59
|
0 / 36
|
0 / 25
|
0 / 15
|
0 / 25
|
0 / 25
| |||||
Animal Justice Party | 0 / 151
|
0 / 76
|
0 / 93
|
1 / 42
|
0 / 88
|
1 / 40
|
0 / 93
|
0 / 59
|
0 / 36
|
0 / 47
|
0 / 22
|
0 / 25
|
0 / 15
|
0 / 25
|
0 / 25
| |||
Legalise Cannabis | 0 / 151
|
0 / 76
|
0 / 93
|
1 / 42
|
0 / 88
|
2 / 40
|
0 / 93
|
0 / 59
|
2 / 36
|
0 / 47
|
0 / 22
|
|||||||
Libertarian Party | 0 / 151
|
0 / 76
|
0 / 93
|
1 / 42
|
0 / 88
|
1 / 40
|
0 / 59
|
0 / 36
|
0 / 47
|
0 / 22
|
0 / 25
|
|||||||
Independents | 12 / 151
|
4 / 76
|
9 / 93
|
2 / 42
|
1 / 88
|
2 / 40
|
1 / 93
|
0 / 59
|
1 / 36
|
6 / 47
|
1 / 22
|
4 / 25
|
7 / 15
|
0 / 25
|
4 / 25
| |||
|
See also
- Electoral systems of the Australian states and territories
- Members of multiple Australian legislatures
References
- ^ "Think the dual citizenship saga does not affect state parliamentarians? It might be time to think again".
- ^ "State politicians not safe as dual citizenship crisis rolls on".
- .
- ^ "State elections". Victorian Electoral Commission. 26 November 2022. Retrieved 11 December 2022.
- ^ Green, Antony (24 March 2018) [20 Apr 2016]. "Electoral Law Ructions in the Queensland Parliament - Antony Green's Election Blog - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 24 March 2018. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
- ^ Constitution Act 1934, retrieved 6 June 2022
- ^ Election of the Legislative Council Archived 18 July 2008 at the Wayback Machine on website of Parliament of Western Australia
- ^ Electoral Amendment and Repeal Act 2005 (No.1 of 2005)
- ^ "New laws fix state election dates". ABC News. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 3 November 2011. Retrieved 26 January 2012.
- ^ Green, Antony (8 February 2011). "Future election dates". Blogs.abc.net.au. Archived from the original on 13 February 2011. Retrieved 26 January 2012.
- ^ Constitution Act 1934 (Tas) s.10
- ^ "Assembly". Norfolk.gov.nf. Archived from the original on 13 November 2009. Retrieved 27 June 2010.
- ^ "Welcome to the Shire of Christmas Island Archived 27 January 2007 at the Wayback Machine." Shire of Christmas Island. Retrieved on 23 February 2009.