Australian House of Representatives facts for kids
Quick facts for kids House of Representatives |
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|---|---|
| 47th Parliament of Australia | |
 |
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| Type | |
| Type | |
| Leadership | |
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Milton Dick, Labor
Since 26 July 2022 |
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Leader of the House
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Tony Burke, Labor
Since 1 June 2022 |
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Manager of Opposition Business
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Paul Fletcher, Liberal
Since 5 June 2022 |
| Structure | |
| Seats | 151 |
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Political groups
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Government (77) Labor (77) |
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Length of term
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3 years |
| Elections | |
| Instant-runoff voting | |
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Last election
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21 May 2022 |
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Next election
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2025 |
| Meeting place | |
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| House of Representatives Chamber Parliament House Canberra, Australian Capital Territory Australia |
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The House of Representatives is one of two important parts of the Parliament of Australia. It is often called the "lower house". The other part is the Senate, which is the "upper house". Together, they form a two-chamber parliament. The rules for the House of Representatives are set out in Australia's Constitution of Australia.
Members of the House of Representatives are called "Members of Parliament" or "MPs". They are usually elected for up to three years. However, elections often happen sooner than that. Elections for the House of Representatives are usually held at the same time as elections for the Senate.
The Australian government and the Prime Minister must have the support of most members in the House of Representatives. This is how they get and stay in power.
Currently, there are 151 members in the House of Representatives. Each member represents a specific area called an "electoral division" or "electorate". The number of members can change over time. This happens when the boundaries of these electorates are updated.
Each electorate chooses one member. They use a special voting system called "full-preferential instant-runoff voting". This system was introduced in 1919. It helps make sure that the winning candidate has the support of more than half the voters.
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How Members Are Elected
Before 1919, Australia used a "first-past-the-post" voting system. In this system, the candidate with the most votes wins, even if it's less than half. However, after an election in 1918, the voting system changed. This was because a party won without having more than half the votes. This happened because votes were split among other parties.
So, Australia switched to "full-preferential voting". This system is also known as instant-runoff voting. It makes sure the winning candidate has the support of more than half the voters. This system is still used today.
How Preferential Voting Works
Here's a simple way to understand how votes are counted for the House of Representatives:
- Voters must number every candidate on the ballot paper. "1" is for their first choice, "2" for their second, and so on. If they don't number every candidate, their vote might not count.
- First, all the "1" votes (first preferences) are counted.
- If a candidate gets more than half of the "1" votes, they win!
- If no candidate gets more than half, the candidate with the fewest "1" votes is removed.
- The votes for the removed candidate are then given to the voters' second choice.
- This process continues. Candidates with the fewest votes are removed, and their votes are passed on. This happens until one candidate has more than half of the votes.
This system helps ensure that the winning candidate has broad support.
Working with the Government
The Governor-General officially appoints government ministers. However, in practice, ministers are chosen from the party or group of parties that has the most members in the House of Representatives. The leader of this group becomes the Prime Minister.
A smaller group of the most important ministers forms the Cabinet. Cabinet meetings are private. They are where important decisions about the country's policies are made. While the Cabinet makes decisions, they become official through another group called the Federal Executive Council. All Cabinet members are part of this Council.
A minister must be a member of either the House of Representatives or the Senate. If they are not, they must become one within three months of being appointed. This rule helps make sure that ministers are accountable to the people through Parliament.
Committees in the House
Besides the main debates in the House, there are many committees. These committees look into specific issues. They are like smaller groups that focus on different topics.
Committees allow all MPs to ask questions of ministers and government officials. They also investigate policies and new laws. After an investigation, the committee writes a report. This report shares what they found and suggests ideas for the government to consider.
Committees have special powers. One important power is being able to ask people to come and give evidence. They can also ask for documents. If someone tries to stop a committee's work, they can be found in "contempt of parliament". This means they have disrespected Parliament.
What is said in committee meetings is protected by "parliamentary privilege". This means that members and witnesses cannot be sued or charged for what they say during a hearing. This helps people speak freely and honestly.
There are different types of committees:
- Standing committees are permanent. They check new laws and government activities.
- Select committees are temporary. They are set up to deal with specific issues.
- Domestic committees manage the House's own affairs.
- Legislative scrutiny committees check laws and rules to see how they affect people's rights.
- Joint committees include members from both the House of Representatives and the Senate.
The Federation Chamber
The Federation Chamber is like a second debating room for the House of Representatives. It handles topics that are not very controversial. It helps the House get more work done at the same time.
The Federation Chamber cannot start new laws or make final decisions. But it can discuss and prepare things for the main House. It was created in 1994 to help manage the workload. It is less formal than the main House.
The Federation Chamber meets at the same time as the main House. If there is a vote in the main House, members from the Federation Chamber must go back to the main House to vote.
The Federation Chamber is located in a committee room that has been set up to look like the main House chamber. It was originally called the "Main Committee". Later, its name was changed to "Federation Chamber" to avoid confusion with other committees.
Images for kids
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The Australian House of Representatives in 1901
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The frontbench and despatch box in the House of Representatives.
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The House of Representatives chamber at Old Parliament House, Canberra, where Parliament met between 1927 and 1988.
See also
In Spanish: Cámara de Representantes de Australia para niños
