Joint sitting of Parliament

06 August 1974

A joint sitting of Parliament is a combined meeting of the Senate and House of Representatives to decide on a bill which the 2 houses, sitting separately, have been unable to agree on. A joint sitting of Parliament can only be called after a double dissolution and subsequent general election fails to resolve a deadlock between the Senate and House.

The only joint sitting of the Australian Parliament occurred in 1974 after the Senate rejected 6 bills which had passed in the House of Representatives. To resolve the deadlock, a double dissolution was granted and an election held. Although the government was returned it still did not have a Senate majority. The ‘trigger’ bills were again blocked by the Senate. Using section 57 of the Australian Constitution the Governor-General convened a joint sitting of the House of Representatives and the Senate to vote on the bills. All were passed.

In a joint sitting, bills must be agreed to by an absolute majority to be passed.