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126-776: AE was created by an act of federal parliament in 2002 as a statutory authority to replace the Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation , as the peak egg body in the country. In September 2004, the corporation hosted the Annual Conference of the IEC in Sydney. It was awarded the International body's most prestigious prize, the Golden Egg Award. At the same presentation night,

252-454: A " 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

378-580: A GST by the time of his 1993 election victory). Howard's premiership coincided with Al Qaeda's 11 September attacks on the United States. The Howard government invoked the ANZUS treaty in response to the attacks and supported America's campaigns in Afghanistan and Iraq. In the 2004 federal elections the party strengthened its majority in the lower house and, with its coalition partners, became

504-559: A boomerang throwing display on the lawns of Parliament. Bonner went on to win election at the 1972 election and served as a Liberal Senator for 12 years. He worked on Indigenous and social welfare issues and proved an independent minded Senator, often crossing the floor on Parliamentary votes. The McMahon government ended when Gough Whitlam led the Australian Labor Party out of its 23-year period in Opposition at

630-535: A coal strike to improve pit miners' working conditions. That same year Joseph Stalin 's Soviet Union exploded its first atomic bomb , and Mao Zedong led the Chinese Communist Party to power in China; a year later came the invasion of South Korea by Communist North Korea . Anti-Communism was a key political issue of the 1950s and 1960s. Menzies was firmly anti-Communist; he committed troops to

756-848: A federal structure, with autonomous divisions in all six states and the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). The Country Liberal Party (CLP) of the Northern Territory is an affiliate. Both the CLP and the Liberal National Party (LNP), the Queensland state division, were formed through mergers of the local Liberal and National parties. At state and territory level, the Liberal Party is in office in two states and one territory. The party

882-878: A former World War II Royal Australian Air Force pilot, with a battle scarred face, said he was "Australian to the bootheels" and had a personal style which often affronted some conservatives. The Gorton government increased funding for the arts, setting up the Australian Council for the Arts , the Australian Film Development Corporation and the National Film and Television Training School. The Gorton government passed legislation establishing equal pay for men and women and increased pensions, allowances and education scholarships, as well as providing free health care to 250,000 of

1008-619: A forum for debates on public policy matters. 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. Senators and members can also present petitions from their constituents. Both houses have an extensive system of committees in which draft bills are debated, matters of public policy are inquired into, evidence

1134-627: A heavy defeat in the 1943 election . In New South Wales, the party merged with the Commonwealth Party to form the Democratic Party , In Queensland the state party was absorbed into the Queensland People's Party . From 1942 onward Menzies had maintained his public profile with his series of "The Forgotten People" radio talks—similar to Franklin D. Roosevelt 's fireside chats of the 1930s—in which he spoke of

1260-667: A landslide at the resulting 1975 election . Fraser maintained some of the social reforms of the Whitlam era, while seeking increased fiscal restraint. His majority included the first Aboriginal federal parliamentarian, Neville Bonner , and in 1976, Parliament passed the Aboriginal Land Rights Act 1976 , which, while limited to the Northern Territory, affirmed "inalienable" freehold title to some traditional lands. The Fraser government also established

1386-664: A larger extent during the Howard Liberal government (most famously the GST), while unemployment benefits and bulk billing were re-targeted for a time by the Abbott Liberal government. Labor's Paul Keating lost the 1996 Election to the Liberals' John Howard . The Liberals had been in Opposition for 13 years. With John Howard as prime minister, Peter Costello as treasurer and Alexander Downer as foreign minister,

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1512-542: 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. The upper house , the Senate, consists of 76 members: twelve for each state , and two for each of the self-governing territories . Senators are elected using the proportional system and as

1638-572: A more conservative fiscal policy of debt reduction and balanced budgets as a means of stewarding Australia out of the Depression. Lyons' death in 1939 saw Robert Menzies assume the Prime Ministership on the eve of war. Menzies served as Prime Minister from 1939 to 1941 but resigned as leader of the minority World War II government amidst an unworkable parliamentary majority. The UAP, led by Billy Hughes, disintegrated after suffering

1764-573: A parliament has possessed armed personnel. Each of the two Houses elects a presiding officer. The presiding officer of the Senate is called the President ; that of the House of Representatives is the 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

1890-583: 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. The ability of the houses of Parliament to establish committees is referenced in section 49 of the Constitution, which states that, Liberal Party of Australia The Liberal Party of Australia

2016-468: A quorum is not present, so that debates on routine bills can continue while other members attend to other business outside the chamber. Sometimes the Opposition will " 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. It is the responsibility of

2142-514: A result, the chamber features a multitude of parties vying for power. The governing party or coalition has not held a majority in the Senate since 1981 (except between 2005 and 2007) and usually needs to negotiate with other parties and independents to get legislation passed. The lower house , the House of Representatives, currently consists of 151 members, each elected using full preferential voting from single-member electorates (also known as electoral divisions or seats). This tends to lead to

2268-648: A significant program of economic reform was never pursued. By 1983, the Australian economy was suffering with the early 1980s recession and amidst the effects of a severe drought. Fraser had promoted "states' rights" and his government refused to use Commonwealth powers to stop the construction of the Franklin Dam in Tasmania in 1982. The Liberal Party lost to the Bob Hawke -led Australian Labor Party in

2394-484: 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. 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 ordered that

2520-633: A subject or citizen of a "foreign power". When the Constitution was drafted, all Australians (and other inhabitants of the British empire) were British subjects , 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. Compulsory voting

2646-699: Is a centre-right political party in Australia . It is one of the two major parties in Australian politics , the other being the Australian Labor Party . The Liberal Party was founded in 1944 as the successor to the United Australia Party . Historically the most successful political party in Australia’s history, the Liberal Party is now in opposition at a federal level, although it presently holds government in Tasmania , Queensland and

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2772-400: Is a matter of desperate importance to our society, is a true revival of liberal thought which will work for social justice and security, for national power and national progress, and for the full development of the individual citizen, though not through the dull and deadening process of socialism. The formation of the party was formally announced at Sydney Town Hall on 31 August 1945. It took

2898-403: Is a slight resemblance despite the massive difference of scale. The building was also designed to sit above Old Parliament House when seen from a distance. Construction began in 1981, and the House was intended to be ready by Australia Day , 26 January 1988, the 200th anniversary of European settlement in Australia . It was expected to cost $ 220 million. Neither the deadline nor the budget

3024-511: Is a tie. 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. Government bills are drafted by the Office of Parliamentary Counsel . The first stage is a first reading , where

3150-663: Is commonly called the " nexus clause ". Hence, the House presently consists of 151 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. Federal electorates have their boundaries redrawn or redistributed whenever

3276-422: 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

3402-449: Is in opposition in the states of New South Wales , Victoria , South Australia , and Western Australia , and in the ACT. The party's ideology has been referred to as liberal , conservative , liberal-conservative , conservative-liberal , and classical liberal . The Liberal Party tends to promote economic liberalism and social conservatism . The National Right faction of

3528-419: 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. In the House of Representatives, the Speaker does not vote, but has a casting vote if there

3654-421: Is taken and public servants are questioned. There are also joint committees, composed of members from both houses. 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 . Section 57 of the Constitution states that, If the House of Representatives passes any proposed law, and

3780-591: Is the Brisbane City Council , where both Sallyanne Atkinson and Campbell Newman have been elected Lord Mayor of Brisbane . Following the 2007 federal election, Dr Brendan Nelson was elected leader by the Parliamentary Liberal Party. On 16 September 2008, in a second contest following a spill motion , Nelson lost the leadership to Malcolm Turnbull . On 1 December 2009, a subsequent leadership election saw Turnbull lose

3906-511: The 1983 election . A period of division for the Liberals followed, with former Treasurer John Howard competing with former foreign minister Andrew Peacock for supremacy. The Australian economy was facing the early 1990s recession . Unemployment reached 11.4% in 1992. Under Dr John Hewson , in November 1991, the opposition launched the 650-page Fightback! policy document—a radical collection of dry ( economic liberal ) measures including

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4032-482: The 1984 election . The system for electing senators has changed several times since 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 majorities. For instance, from 1920 to 1923 the Nationalist Party had 35 of the 36 senators, and from 1947 to 1950,

4158-546: The 1993 election , led by Premiers Dean Brown , John Olsen and Rob Kerin through two terms, until their defeat at the 2002 election . They remained in opposition for 16 years, under a record five opposition leaders , until Steven Marshall led the party to victory in 2018. The dual aligned Country Liberal Party governed the Northern Territory from 1978 to 2001. The party has held office in Western Australia intermittently since 1947. Liberal Richard Court

4284-549: The 2022 federal election , forming the Abbott (2013–2015), Turnbull (2015–2018) and Morrison (2018–2022) governments. The current party leader is Peter Dutton , who replaced former prime minister Scott Morrison as leader after the Coalition's defeat at the 2022 federal election. Two past leaders of the party, Sir Robert Menzies and John Howard , are Australia's two longest-serving Prime Ministers . The Liberal Party has

4410-593: The Australian Constitution which excluded Aboriginal Australians from being counted in the census – the referendum was one of the few to be overwhelmingly endorsed by the Australian electorate (over 90% voted "Yes"). By the end of 1967, the Liberals' initially popular support for the war in Vietnam was causing increasing public protest. The Liberals chose John Gorton to replace Holt. Gorton,

4536-552: The Australian Labor Party had 33 of the 36 senators. 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 , Australian Democrats and Australian Greens who have taken advantage of this system to achieve parliamentary representation and

4662-455: The Bob Hawke government at the 1990 election , the first time in federal history that Labor had obtained a net benefit from preferential voting. It is not possible to be simultaneously a member of both the Senate and the House of Representatives, but 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. They must not also be

4788-532: 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

4914-659: The Cold War , Menzies spoke of the possibility of a looming third world war. The Menzies government entered Australia's first formal military alliance outside of the British Commonwealth with the signing of the ANZUS Treaty between Australia, New Zealand and the United States in San Francisco in 1951. External Affairs Minister Percy Spender had put forward the proposal to work along similar lines to

5040-705: The Howard government remained in power until their electoral defeat to Kevin Rudd in 2007. Howard generally framed the Liberals as being conservative on social policy, debt reduction and matters like maintaining Commonwealth links and the American Alliance but his premiership saw booming trade with Asia and expanding multiethnic immigration. His government concluded the Australia-United States Free Trade Agreement with

5166-587: The Korean War and attempted to ban the Communist Party of Australia in an unsuccessful referendum during the course of that war. The Labor Party split over concerns about the influence of the Communist Party over the trade union movement, leading to the foundation of the breakaway Democratic Labor Party whose preferences supported the Liberal and Country parties. In 1951, during the early stages of

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5292-765: The Liberal National government in Queensland was defeated just three years after its historic landslide victory. The New South Wales Liberal-National Coalition, however, managed to win re-election in March 2015 . In 2016 the Federal Liberals narrowly won re-election in July 2016 while the Liberal-affiliated Country Liberals suffered a historic defeat in the Northern Territory and Canberra Liberals lost their fifth election in

5418-606: The Northern Territory at a sub-national level. The Liberal Party is the dominant partner in the Coalition with the National Party of Australia . At the federal level, the Liberal Party has been in coalition with the National Party (under various names) in both government and opposition since its creation, with only brief interruptions. The Coalition was most recently in power from the 2013 federal election to

5544-750: The Parliament of the Commonwealth and also known as the Federal Parliament ) is the federal legislature of Australia . It consists of three elements: the monarch of Australia (represented by the governor-general ), the Senate (the upper house), and the House of Representatives (the lower house). It combines elements from the Westminster system , in which the party or coalition with

5670-621: The Philadelphia -based architectural firm of Mitchell/Giurgola, with the on-site work directed by the Italian-born architect Romaldo Giurgola , 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 Australian flag . The façades, however, included deliberate imitation of some of the patterns of the Old Parliament House, so that there

5796-401: The Playmander . The LCL's Steele Hall governed for one term from the 1968 election to the 1970 election and during this time began the process of dismantling the Playmander. David Tonkin , as leader of the South Australian Division of the Liberal Party of Australia , became premier at the 1979 election for one term, losing office at the 1982 election . The Liberals returned to power at

5922-524: The Protectionist Party in 1909 by the second prime minister, Alfred Deakin , in response to Labor 's growing electoral prominence. The Commonwealth Liberal Party merged with several Labor dissidents (including Billy Hughes ) to form the Nationalist Party of Australia in 1917. That party, in turn, merged with Labor dissidents to form the UAP in 1931. The UAP had been formed as a new conservative alliance in 1931, with Labor defector Joseph Lyons as its leader. The stance of Lyons and other Labor rebels against

6048-523: The United States Senate , on which it was partly modelled, the Australian Senate includes an equal number of senators from each state, regardless of population. 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

6174-559: The White Australia Policy . In the early-1950s, external affairs minister Percy Spender helped to establish the Colombo Plan for providing economic aid to underdeveloped nations in Australia's region. Under that scheme many future Asian leaders studied in Australia. In 1958, the government replaced the Immigration Act's arbitrarily applied European language dictation test with an entry permit system, that reflected economic and skills criteria. In 1962, Menzies' Commonwealth Electoral Act provided that all Indigenous Australians should have

6300-400: The federation of the six Australian colonies. 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 King George V . The only building in Melbourne that was large enough to accommodate the 14,000 guests was the western annexe of the Royal Exhibition Building . After

6426-400: The 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

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6552-399: The 1972 election. Following Whitlam's victory, John Gorton played a further role in reform in October 1973 by successfully moving a motion, seconded by Labor minister Moss Cass , which decriminalised homosexuality on a federal and territory level . Billy Snedden led the party against Whitlam in the 1974 federal election , which saw a return of the Labor government. When Malcolm Fraser won

6678-455: The Australian egg industry was judged as the best in the world by an international judging panel. In July 2005, the corporation funded a trip for Brian Spotts of Colorado, to break the world record of standing eggs on end. In 2013, consumer rights organisation Choice made a super-complaint against AE after it proposed to change the definition for free range eggs in Australia from 2,000 hens per hectare to 10,000 hens per hectare. In 2014, AE

6804-412: The Bush administration in 2004. Howard differed from his Labor predecessor Paul Keating in that he supported traditional Australian institutions like the monarchy in Australia , the commemoration of ANZAC Day and the design of the Australian flag, but like Keating he pursued privatisation of public utilities and the introduction of a broad based consumption tax (although Keating had dropped support for

6930-477: 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. The Parliament performs other functions besides legislation. It can discuss urgency motions or matters of public importance : these provide

7056-416: The Fightback package, and particularly against the GST, which he described as an attack on the working class in that it shifted the tax burden from direct taxation of the wealthy to indirect taxation as a broad-based consumption tax . Pressure group activity and public opinion was relentless, which led Hewson to exempt food from the proposed GST—leading to questions surrounding the complexity of what food

7182-439: The Government's money bills in the Senate , until the government would promise a new election. Whitlam refused, yet Fraser insisted, leading to the divisive 1975 Australian constitutional crisis . The deadlock came to an end when the Whitlam government was controversially dismissed by the governor-general , Sir John Kerr on 11 November 1975 and Fraser was installed as caretaker prime minister, pending an election. Fraser won in

7308-406: 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

7434-400: The Liberal Party has also been referred to as right-wing , and right-wing populist . The Liberals' immediate predecessor was the United Australia Party (UAP). More broadly, the Liberal Party's ideological ancestry stretched back to the anti-Labor groupings in the first Commonwealth parliaments. The Commonwealth Liberal Party was a fusion of the Free Trade (Anti-socialist) Party and

7560-432: The Liberal Party leadership from Snedden in 1975, Gorton walked out of the Party Room, and quit the party shortly afterwards; he would go on to denounce the dismissal of the Whitlam Government , and endorsed and voted for Labor in the 1975 election . Following the 1974–75 Loans Affair , the Malcolm Fraser -led Liberal-Country Party Coalition argued that the Whitlam government was incompetent and so delayed passage of

7686-443: The Liberal Party was in opposition throughout Australia at the state and federal level; the highest Liberal office-holder at the time was Lord Mayor of Brisbane Campbell Newman . This ended after the 2008 Western Australian state election , when Colin Barnett became premier of that state. At the state level, the Liberals have been dominant for long periods in all states except Queensland, where they have always held fewer seats than

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7812-453: The NATO Alliance. The Treaty declared that any attack on one of the three parties in the Pacific area would be viewed as a threat to each, and that the common danger would be met in accordance with each nation's constitutional processes. In 1954, the Menzies government signed the South East Asia Collective Defence Treaty ( SEATO ) as a South East Asian counterpart to NATO. That same year, Soviet diplomat Vladimir Petrov and his wife defected from

7938-506: The National Party. The Liberals were in power in Victoria from 1955 to 1982. Jeff Kennett led the party back to office in that state in 1992, and remained premier until 1999. In South Australia, initially a Liberal and Country Party affiliated party, the Liberal and Country League (LCL), mostly led by Premier of South Australia Tom Playford , was in power from the 1933 election to the 1965 election , though with assistance from an electoral malapportionment , or gerrymander , known as

8064-519: The New South Wales Liberal-National Coalition led by Barry O'Farrell won government with the largest election victory in post-war Australian history at the State Election . In Queensland, the Liberal and National parties merged in 2008 to form the new Liberal National Party of Queensland (registered as the Queensland Division of the Liberal Party of Australia). In March 2012, the new party achieved Government in an historic landslide, led by former Brisbane Lord Mayor, Campbell Newman . In March 2013,

8190-399: The Parliament House Construction Authority was created. 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 design competition drew 329 entries from 29 countries. The competition winner was

8316-442: The Queensland People's Party did not become part of the Liberal Party until July 1949, when it became the Queensland division of the Liberal Party. After an initial loss to Labor at the 1946 election , Menzies led the Liberals to victory at the 1949 election , and the party stayed in office for a record 23 years— the longest unbroken run ever in government at the federal level. Australia experienced prolonged economic growth during

8442-430: 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

8568-498: The Soviet embassy in Canberra , revealing evidence of Russian spying activities; Menzies called a Royal Commission to investigate. In 1956, a committee headed by Sir Keith Murray was established to inquire into the financial plight of Australia's universities, and Menzies injected funds into the sector under conditions which preserved the autonomy of universities. Menzies continued the expanded immigration programme established under Chifley, and took important steps towards dismantling

8694-430: The United States and concluded the Agreement on Commerce between Australia and Japan which was signed in July 1957 and launched post-war trade with Japan, beginning a growth of Australian exports of coal , iron ore and mineral resources that would steadily climb until Japan became Australia's largest trading partner. Menzies retired in 1966 as Australia's longest-serving Prime Minister in history. Harold Holt replaced

8820-399: The United States, hosting the first visit to Australia by an American president, his friend Lyndon B. Johnson . Holt's government introduced the Migration Act 1966 , which effectively dismantled the White Australia Policy and increased access to non-European migrants, including refugees fleeing the Vietnam War . Holt also called the 1967 Referendum which removed the discriminatory clause in

8946-460: The Western Australian Liberal-National government won re-election, and Tony Abbott led the party to government at the 2013 Australian federal election . The party won government in Tasmania in 2014 and lost their fourth election in a row at the South Australian election . However, the Victorian Liberal-National government, now led by Denis Napthine , became the first one term government in Victoria in 60 years. Similarly, just two months later,

9072-417: The abolition of state payroll taxes and the privatisation of a large number of government owned enterprises − representing the start of a very different future direction to the keynesian economic policies practised by previous Liberal/National Coalition governments. The 15 percent GST was the centrepiece of the policy document. Through 1992, Labor Prime Minister Paul Keating mounted a campaign against

9198-419: The balance of power. From the 1984 election, group ticket voting was 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 and a form of optional preferential voting was introduced. Section 15 of the Constitution provides that a casual vacancy of a senator shall be filled by

9324-401: 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

9450-496: The chamber being dominated by two major political groups, the centre‑right Coalition (consisting of the Liberal and National parties) and the centre‑left Labor Party . The government of the day must achieve the confidence of this House in order to gain and remain in power. The House of Representatives has a maximum term of three years, although it can be dissolved early. The Senate has fixed terms, with half of

9576-670: The communist People's Republic of China in July 1971 — only to have the US President Richard Nixon and his National Security Advisor Henry Kissinger announce a planned visit soon after. During McMahon's period in office, Neville Bonner joined the Senate and became the first Indigenous Australian in the Australian Parliament . Bonner was chosen by the Liberal Party to fill a Senate vacancy in 1971 and celebrated his maiden parliamentary speech with

9702-567: 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. The construction of Old Parliament House , as it is called today, commenced on 28 August 1923 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

9828-571: The domain of the states. 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. 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,

9954-505: The event. 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, King George V . The Duke then opened the first parliamentary session in the new Senate Chamber. In 1978 the Fraser government decided to proceed with a new building on Capital Hill , and

10080-558: The first federal government in twenty years to gain an absolute majority in the Senate . This control of both houses permitted their passing of legislation without the need to negotiate with independents or minor parties, exemplified by industrial relations legislation known as WorkChoices , a wide-ranging effort to increase deregulation of industrial laws in Australia. In 2005, Howard reflected on his government's cultural and foreign policy outlook in oft repeated terms: When I became Prime Minister nine years ago, I believed that this nation

10206-813: The formation of the anti-Communist Democratic Labor Party (DLP) and the consequent split in the Australian Labor Party early in 1955 helped the Liberals to secure another victory in December 1955 . John McEwen replaced Arthur Fadden as leader of the Country Party in March 1958 and the Menzies-McEwen Coalition was returned again at elections in November 1958 —their third victory against Labor's H. V. Evatt . The Coalition

10332-465: 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 election following the 1974 double dissolution. However, there are other occasions when

10458-402: 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

10584-427: 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 enacting formula for acts of Parliament since 1990 is simply "The Parliament of Australia enacts:". Commonwealth legislative power is limited to that granted in the Constitution. Powers not specified are considered "residual powers", and remain

10710-495: The grounds of "disloyalty". Treasurer Billy Snedden replaced Gorton as deputy and Fraser was reinstated into the ministry, although Fraser remained unpopular within Liberal ranks for some time over the events of March 1971; Gorton never forgave Fraser and never spoke to him again. The economy was weakening as the post-war economic boom was drawing to a close. McMahon withdrew Australia's remaining combat troops from Vietnam, but criticised Opposition leader Gough Whitlam for visiting

10836-439: The introduction of a goods and services Tax (GST), various changes to Medicare including the abolition of bulk billing for non- concession holders , the introduction of a nine-month limit on unemployment benefits , various changes to industrial relations including the abolition of awards , a $ 13 billion personal income tax cut directed at middle and upper income earners, $ 10 billion in government spending cuts,

10962-524: The leadership to Tony Abbott by 42 votes to 41 on the second ballot. Abbott led the party to the 2010 federal election , which saw an increase in the Liberal Party vote and resulted in the first hung parliament since the 1940 election . Through 2010, the party remained in opposition at the Tasmanian and South Australian state elections and achieved state government in Victoria . In March 2011,

11088-416: 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

11214-424: The lower house voting system to full preferential voting for the subsequent 1919 election . This was in response to Labor unexpectedly winning the 1918 Swan by-election with the largest primary vote, due to vote splitting among the conservative parties. This system has remained in place ever since, allowing the Coalition parties to safely contest the same seats. Full-preference preferential voting re-elected

11340-607: The middle class as the "backbone of Australia" but as nevertheless having been "taken for granted" by political parties. Menzies called a conference of conservative parties and other groups opposed to the ruling Australian Labor Party, which met in Canberra on 13 October 1944 and again in Albury , New South Wales in December 1944. Outlining his vision for a new political movement, Menzies said: [W]hat we must look for, and it

11466-645: The more radical proposals of the Labor movement to deal the Great Depression had attracted the support of prominent Australian conservatives. With Australia still suffering the effects of the Great Depression, the newly formed party won a landslide victory at the 1931 Election, and the Lyons government went on to win three consecutive elections. It largely avoided Keynesian pump-priming and pursued

11592-482: The multicultural broadcaster SBS , accepted Vietnamese refugees, opposed minority white rule in apartheid South Africa and Rhodesia and opposed Soviet expansionism, but Liberal minister Don Chipp split off from the party to form a new centrist - social liberal party, the Australian Democrats in 1977. The Liberals under Fraser won substantial majorities at the 1977 and 1980 elections, but

11718-530: The name Liberal in honour of the old Commonwealth Liberal Party. The new party was dominated by the remains of the old UAP; with few exceptions, the UAP party room became the Liberal Party room. The Australian Women's National League , a powerful conservative women's organisation, also merged with the new party. A conservative youth group Menzies had set up, the Young Nationalists , was also merged into

11844-590: The nation's poor (but not universal health care). Gorton's government kept Australia in the Vietnam War but stopped replacing troops at the end of 1970. Gorton maintained good relations with the United States and Britain, but pursued closer ties with Asia. The Gorton government experienced a decline in voter support at the 1969 election . State Liberal leaders saw his policies as too centralist, while other Liberals didn't like his personal behaviour. In 1971, Defence Minister Malcolm Fraser , resigned and said Gorton

11970-611: The new party. It became the nucleus of the Liberal Party's youth division, the Young Liberals . By September 1945 there were more than 90,000 members, many of whom had not previously been members of any political party. In New South Wales, the New South Wales division of the Liberal Party replaced the Liberal Democratic Party and Democratic Party between January and April 1945. In Queensland,

12096-403: The night to 5 am, Holder exclaimed: "Dreadful, dreadful!" before collapsing as a result of a cerebral haemorrhage . The Constitution provided that a new national capital would be established for the nation. 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

12222-573: 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

12348-496: The place until fourteen days after the state Parliament resumes sitting. The state Parliament can also be recalled to ratify a replacement. The lower house of the Australian Parliament, the 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

12474-619: The post-war boom period of the Menzies government (1949–66) and Menzies fulfilled his promises at the 1949 election to end rationing of butter, tea and petrol and provided a five-shilling endowment for first-born children, as well as for others. While himself an unashamed Anglophile, Menzies' government concluded a number of major defence and trade treaties that set Australia on its post-war trajectory out of Britain's orbit; opened up Australia to multi-ethnic immigration; and instigated important legal reforms regarding Aboriginal Australians. Menzies

12600-408: The power to appoint the governor-general), whom the King appoints as his representative in Australia on the advice of the 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 powers . The upper house of the Australian Parliament is the Senate , which consists of 76 members. Like

12726-648: The retiring Robert Menzies in 1966 and the Holt government went on to win 82 seats to Labor's 41 at the 1966 election . Holt remained prime minister until 19 December 1967, when he was declared presumed dead two days after disappearing in rough surf in which he had gone for a swim. His body has never been found. Holt increased Australian commitment to the growing War in Vietnam , which met with some public opposition. His government oversaw conversion to decimal currency . Holt faced Britain's withdrawal from Asia by visiting and hosting many Asian leaders and by expanding ties to

12852-444: The right to enrol and vote at federal elections (prior to this, indigenous people in Queensland, Western Australia and some in the Northern Territory had been excluded from voting unless they were ex-servicemen). In 1949, the Liberals appointed Dame Enid Lyons as the first woman to serve in an Australian Cabinet . Menzies remained a staunch supporter of links to the monarchy and British Commonwealth but formalised an alliance with

12978-409: The rules in an impartial manner. 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

13104-416: The same election, it is easier for smaller parties to win seats under the single transferable vote system: the 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%. If the conflict continues after such an election, the governor-general may convene a joint sitting of both houses to consider

13230-548: The same form, it is then presented to the governor-general for royal assent . 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. 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

13356-432: The size of the House be reduced from 127 to 124 members to comply with the nexus provision. 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 government, a predecessor of the modern-day Liberal Party of Australia , changed

13482-448: The sparsely built nature of Canberra of the time and its small population. The building was extensively decorated with Union Jacks and Australian flags and bunting. 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

13608-477: The speaker; the second determined that with the agreement of the two major parties, the standing orders could be amended without requiring an absolute majority. The Constitution establishes the Commonwealth Parliament, consisting of three components: the King of Australia , the Senate and the House of Representatives. All of the constitutional functions of the King are exercisable by the governor-general (except

13734-417: The state Parliament. 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. If the state Parliament happens to be in recess when the vacancy occurs, the Constitution provides that the state governor can appoint someone to fill

13860-408: 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 election , and was increased again to twelve from

13986-694: 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. The two houses of Parliament meet in separate chambers of Parliament House (except in rare joint sittings ) on Capital Hill in Canberra , Australian Capital Territory . The Commonwealth of Australia came into being on 1 January 1901 with

14112-474: 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. Since 1973, citizens have had the right to vote upon turning 18. Prior to this it was 21. Australian Federal Police officers armed with assault rifles have been situated in the Federal Parliament since 2015. It is the first time in Australian history that

14238-470: The two houses meet as one. 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. Once

14364-541: Was "not fit to hold the great office of Prime Minister". In a vote on the leadership the Liberal Party split 50/50, and although this was insufficient to remove him as the leader, Gorton decided this was also insufficient support for him, and he resigned. Foreign Affairs minister William McMahon replaced Gorton as prime minister. Gorton initially served as McMahon's deputy leader as well as Defence Minister, although Gorton would be forced to resign in August 1971 by McMahon on

14490-482: 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. 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

14616-537: Was and wasn't to be exempt from the GST. Hewson's difficulty in explaining this to the electorate was exemplified in the infamous birthday cake interview , considered by some as a turning point in the election campaign. Keating won a record fifth consecutive Labor term at the 1993 election . A number of the proposals were later adopted into law in some form, to a small extent during the Keating Labor government, and to

14742-476: Was defining its place in the world too narrowly. My Government has rebalanced Australia's foreign policy to better reflect the unique intersection of history, geography, culture and economic opportunity that our country represents. Time has only strengthened my conviction that we do not face a choice between our history and our geography. The 2007 federal election saw the defeat of the Howard federal government, and

14868-594: Was fined $ 30,000 for faking an egg shortage during an oversupply to boost their profits. Parliament of Australia Opposition (55) Coalition Crossbench (18)   Labor (25) Opposition (30) Coalition   Liberal (24)   National (6) Crossbench (21)   Greens (11)   One Nation (2)   Australia's Voice ( 1 )   Lambie Network ( 1 )   United Australia ( 1 ) [REDACTED] [REDACTED] The Parliament of Australia (officially

14994-543: Was introduced for federal elections in 1924. The immediate justification for compulsory voting was the low voter turnout (59.38%) at the 1922 federal election , down from 71.59% at the 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

15120-443: Was made by Herbert Payne , a backbench Tasmanian Nationalist Senator who on 16 July 1924 introduced a 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. The 1925 federal election was the first to be conducted under compulsory voting, which saw

15246-545: Was met. In the end it cost more than $ 1.1 billion to build. New Parliament House was finally opened by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia , on 9 May 1988, the anniversary of the opening of both the first Federal Parliament in Melbourne on 9 May 1901 and the Provisional Parliament House in Canberra on 9 May 1927. In March 2020, the 46th Parliament of Australia was suspended due to

15372-501: Was narrowly returned against Labor's Arthur Calwell in the December 1961 election , in the midst of a credit squeeze. Menzies stood for office for the last time at the November 1963 election , again defeating Calwell, with the Coalition winning back its losses in the House of Representatives. Menzies went on to resign from parliament on 26 January 1966. Menzies came to power the year the Communist Party of Australia had led

15498-576: Was passed in 1973, senators have been elected to represent the territories. 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 . Only half of

15624-595: Was premier of the state for most of the 1990s. In New South Wales, the Liberal Party has not been in office as much as its Labor rival, and just three leaders have led the party from opposition to government in that state: Sir Robert Askin , who was premier from 1965 to 1975, Nick Greiner , who came to office in 1988 and resigned in 1992, and Barry O'Farrell who led the party out of 16 years in opposition in 2011. The Liberal Party does not officially contest most local government elections, although many members do run for office in local government as independents. An exception

15750-431: Was selected for the location of the nation's capital city in 1908. 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

15876-482: Was strongly opposed to Labor's plans under Ben Chifley to nationalise the Australian banking system and, following victory at the 1949 election, secured a double dissolution election for April 1951 , after the Labor-controlled Senate rejected his banking legislation. The Liberal-Country Coalition was returned with control of the Senate . The Government was re-elected again at the 1954 election ;

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