Australian House of Representatives facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids House of Representatives
48th Parliament of Australia
Commonwealth Coat of Arms
Type
Type	Lower house of the Parliament of Australia
Leadership
Speaker	Milton Dick, Labor Since 26 July 2022
Prime Minister	Anthony Albanese, Labor Since 23 May 2022
Leader of the House	Tony Burke, Labor Since 1 June 2022
Leader of the Opposition	Angus Taylor, Liberal Since 13 February 2026
Manager of Opposition Business	Dan Tehan, Liberal Since 17 February 2026
Structure
Seats	150

Political groups	Government (77) Labor (77) Opposition (58) Coalition Liberal (43) National (15) Crossbench (16) Independent (10) Greens (4) Katter's Australian (1) Centre Alliance (1)
Length of term	3 years
Elections
Voting system	Full preferential voting
Last election	3 May 2025
Next election	By 20 May 2028
Meeting place

House of Representatives Chamber Parliament House Canberra, Australian Capital Territory Australia

The House of Representatives is an important part 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 make laws for Australia.

The rules for the House of Representatives are found in the Constitution of Australia. Members of the House are called "Members of Parliament" or "MPs." They are elected for a maximum of three years. However, elections usually happen sooner than that.

The Australian government and the Prime Minister need the support of the House of Representatives to stay in power. This is a key part of how Australia's government works.

Currently, there are 150 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 as populations shift.

People vote for their MP using a system called "full-preferential voting." This system helps make sure the winning candidate has strong support from voters.

How the House of Representatives Started and What It Does
How Members are Elected: The Voting System
- How Preferential Voting Works
The Government and Its Ministers
Committees: Detailed Work of Parliament
- Powers of Committees
- Types of Committees
The Federation Chamber: A Second Debating Space
See also

How the House of Representatives Started and What It Does

The Australian House of Representatives in 1901

The House of Representatives was created in 1900 when Australia became a federation. This means different states joined together to form one country. The Speaker is in charge of running meetings in the House.

Members of the House are elected from specific areas called "electorates" or "divisions." These are like local areas that each choose one representative.

Fair Representation for All Voters

To make sure everyone has fair representation, electorates in each state have roughly the same number of voters. This idea is called "one vote, one value." However, smaller states are guaranteed at least five seats, even if their population is smaller. This helps balance power between states.

Electorate boundaries are redrawn regularly. This happens if the number of seats for a state changes, or if populations have shifted a lot. It also happens every seven years.

Making Laws and Forming Government

The Australian Constitution says that both the House of Representatives and the Senate must agree on new laws. However, laws about money, like taxes, must start in the House of Representatives.

The Governor-General asks the leader of the party (or group of parties) with the most support in the House to form the government. This leader becomes the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister then chooses other MPs to be ministers, who run different government departments.

The Role of the Opposition

The party or group of parties that does not form the government is called the Opposition. Their job is to question the government's plans and laws. They also try to hold the government accountable during sessions like Question Time. This helps ensure the government is doing its best for the country.

Inside the Chamber

The frontbench and despatch box in the House of Representatives

The House of Representatives chamber at Old Parliament House, Canberra, where Parliament met between 1927 and 1988

The House of Representatives chamber is decorated in shades of green. This colour was chosen to reflect the green of eucalyptus leaves, giving it a unique Australian feel. The seating is arranged in a horseshoe shape.

Sometimes, debates in the Australian Parliament can get very lively. The Speaker has special powers to keep order if things get too noisy. For safety, Australian Federal Police officers are present in the chambers.

How Members are Elected: The Voting System

A sample House of Representatives ballot paper

From 1901 to 1918, a simple "first-past-the-post" voting system was used. This meant the candidate with the most votes won, even if they didn't have more than half the votes.

After 1918, Australia changed to a "full-preferential voting" system. This system helps ensure the winning candidate has support from more than half of the voters. This system has been used ever since.

How Preferential Voting Works

Here's how you vote in a House of Representatives election:

You write "1" next to your favourite candidate. This is your first choice.
Then, you write "2", "3", and so on, next to all the other candidates. You must number every candidate in the order you prefer them.
If you don't number every candidate, your vote might not count. This is called an "informal" vote.

After everyone votes, the counting begins:

First, all the "1" votes are counted.
If one candidate has more than half of these first-choice votes, they win!
If no one has 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 until one candidate has more than half of the votes.

The Government and Its Ministers

The Governor-General officially appoints and removes ministers. These ministers are in charge of different government departments.

In practice, the Governor-General follows a tradition called the Westminster system. This means they choose ministers from the party or group of parties that has the most support in the House of Representatives. The leader of this group becomes the Prime Minister.

The most important ministers meet in a group called the Cabinet. These meetings are private and where big decisions about the country are made. While the Constitution doesn't officially recognise the Cabinet, its decisions are very important for how Australia is run.

A minister must be a member of either the House of Representatives or the Senate. If someone is appointed as a minister but isn't in Parliament, they must become a member within three months.

Committees: Detailed Work of Parliament

A House of Representatives committee room in Parliament House, Canberra

Besides the main debates in the chamber, the House of Representatives has many committees. These groups of MPs look closely at specific topics. They can ask questions of ministers and government officials.

Committees also investigate policies and proposed laws. After their work, they write a report for Parliament. This report shares what they found and suggests ideas for the government to consider.

Powers of Committees

Parliamentary committees have special powers. One important power is to ask people to come to hearings and share information or documents. If someone tries to stop a committee's work, they could be found in "contempt of parliament." This means they have disrespected Parliament.

People who speak at committee hearings are protected by "parliamentary privilege." This means they cannot be sued or charged for what they say during the hearing. This helps people speak freely and honestly.

Types of Committees

There are different kinds of committees:

Standing committees are permanent. They check new laws, the government's budget, and how departments are working.
Select committees are temporary. They are set up to study a specific issue and then finish their work.
Domestic committees manage the House's own affairs. For example, they decide how the House will handle certain laws.
Legislative scrutiny committees examine 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: A Second Debating Space

The Federation Chamber is like a second debating room for the House of Representatives. It handles topics that are not very controversial. This helps the main House focus on more important or debated issues.

The Federation Chamber cannot start new laws or make final decisions. However, it can discuss and prepare many items of parliamentary business. It was created in 1994 to help the House manage its workload better.

This chamber is less formal than the main House. Only three members are needed for a meeting: the Deputy Speaker, one government member, and one non-government member. If members disagree on a decision, the issue goes back to the main House for a final vote.

Inside the House of Representatives

The Federation Chamber is a part of the House, so it can only meet when the main House is also meeting. If there's a vote in the main House, members from the Federation Chamber must go there to cast their vote. The room where the Federation Chamber meets is designed to look similar to the main House chamber.