What is the role of each House of Parliament?Describe the role of the Governor Generaldissolves the Parliament and issues writs for new elections; commissionsthe Prime Minister and appoints other Ministers after elections; givesassent to laws when they have been passed by the two Houses of Parliament- the Senate and the House of Representatives; acts on the advice ofMinisters through the Executive Council to issue Regulations andproclamations under existing laws; appoint Federal judges; ambassadorsand high commissioners to overseas countries and other senior governmentofficials; issue Royal Commissions of enquiry; exercise the prerogativeof mercy; and authorises many other executive decisions by Ministers suchas raising government loans or approving treaties with foreigngovernments. What is Hansard?Hansard is the name given to transcripts of parliamentary proceedings. How does a Referenedum work?What is the structure of Parliament?Describe the Parliamentary systemWhat is Executive government?Describe the role of the High CourtHow is each House elected?Why is the House of Representatives green?Why is question time so noisy?What is a quorum?How is the ministry elected?What is a cabinet?What is caucus?the meeting of the parliamentary members of a politicalpartythe members of Parliament belonging to a particular political party, usedparticularly in relation to the Australian Labor PartyWhat roles do the speaker and the president fulfill?What is parliamentary privilege?What are petitions?How is a law made?Role of high courtThe High Court is the highest court in the Australian judicial system. Itwas established in 1901 by Section 71 of the Constitution. The functions ofthe High Court are to interpret and apply the law of Australia; to decidecases of special federal significance including challenges to theconstitutional validity of laws and to hear appeals, by special leave, fromFederal, State and Territory courts.
The seat of the High Court is in Canberra, where it is located in its ownbuilding within the Parliamentary Triangle. The High Court building housesthree courtrooms, Justices’ chambers, and the Court’s main registry,library, and corporate services facilities. In addition, there are officesof the High Court Registry in Sydney and Melbourne, staffed by officers ofthe High Court. In Brisbane and Perth registry functions are performed onbehalf of the High Court by officers of the Federal Court of Australia, andin Adelaide, Hobart and Darwin they are performed by officers of theSupreme Court of the respective State or Territory. The Structure of ParliamentThe Parliament of Victoria is a bicameral, or two-chamber, legislature. TheLegislative Assembly, or Lower House, is the seat of Government.
TheLegislative Council, or Upper House, is a house of review . Accordingly,Members of Parliament either are Legislative Councillors, of whom there are44, or Members of the 88-strong Legislative Assembly. Within each of the chambers, Members are identified by their politicalaffiliationsand,withinthosegroupings,byseniorityandresponsibilities. The party that enjoys the support of a majority of the Legislative Assemblyforms Government. The largest party or grouping opposed to the Governmentforms the official Opposition.
Other parties, factions or Independents maychoose either to align with the Government or Opposition, or maintain anideological distance from both. This similarly applies in the LegislativeCouncil. Electoral outcomes therefore determine the internal use andseating arrangements of the chambers. In the Lower House, the conduct of the Chamber is controlled by theSpeaker. The Speaker is generally, though not necessarily, selected fromthe ranks of the Government by the Government. In the Upper House, aPresident is similarly chosen.
Both Presiding Officers are responsible formaintaining order in their respective chambers, and for representing theParliament on official and ceremonial occasions. From within the ranks of the Government a ministry is formed. It is led bythe Premier, aided by a Deputy Premier. Ministers can be drawn from eitherHouse. In both chambers, Government members sit to the right of the PresidingOfficer.
Opposition members sit to the left. Third party and other Memberssit to the rear of the Chamber either on the right or left of the PresidingOfficer depending on their political leaning. Ministers sit on the front bench of their legislative chambers (as doOpposition Shadow Ministers). Those Government and Opposition members notin the Ministry or Shadow Ministry sit behind their colleagues and arereferred to as backbenchers. Party Whips are chosen from the respective backbenchers.
Whipsareresponsible for ensuring that Members of their party are present in theChamber when required. Other backbenchers assist their respective
