Senate
This fact sheet explores the Senate, which is part of the Australian Parliament. It includes information about the role, appearance and history of the Senate.
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View with description and copyright information
The Senate.
David Foote/DPS AUSPIC
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View with description and copyright information
Role of the Senate
Parliamentary Education Office (peo.gov.au)
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View with description and copyright information
Senate current numbers
Parliamentary Education Office (peo.gov.au), DPS AUSPIC
The Senate is a part of the Australian Parliament which also consists of the Queen (represented by the Governor-General) and the House of Representatives. The Senate is also known as the upper house. Senators are elected to the Senate by the people of Australia.
Role
The Senate is made up of 76 senators. Twelve senators represent each state and 2 senators represent each territory.
In the Senate:
- senators represent the views of Australians and discuss matters of national and international importance
- national laws are made and changed, by debating and voting on bills—proposed laws. A bill must be agreed to in identical form in the House of Representatives and the Senate, and given Royal Assent by the Governor-General. It then becomes a law
- the work of the government is scrutinised—closely examined—especially in Question Time and through committees.
Appearance
The Senate is red. The tradition of a red upper house comes from the House of Lords in the British Parliament. The red ochre tones used in the Senate are softer shades, typical of the Australian landscape.
The seats in the Senate are arranged in rows to form a U-shape. The President of the Senate sits at the open end of the U-shape and is responsible for the orderly running of the Senate. Government senators sit to the right of the President and opposition senators sit to the left. The Leader of the Government in the Senate and the Leader of the Opposition in the Senate sit in front of their respective teams at a central table. Minor parties and independents sit in the central curved part of the U-shape.
The Senate has 4 raised viewing galleries. One is directly above the President and is reserved for the press gallery. The other galleries on either side are open to the public. Members of the press gallery and the public may visit the Senate at any time.
Reporting
Parliamentary proceedings are recorded and broadcast on ABC TV and radio, A-PAC (Australian Public Affairs Channel) and on the Parliament House website. Hansard reporters produce a daily record of what is said in the Senate.
History
The physical appearance of the Senate and some of its practices come from the British Parliament. The drafters of the Australian Constitution also looked to the United States (US) Congress when deciding on the form of the Australian Parliament. For example, the names 'Senate' and 'House of Representatives' were borrowed from the US system.
Although the Senate has links with both the British Parliament and the US Congress, it has developed its own unique style and procedures over the last century.
The Senate.
David Foote/DPS AUSPIC
Description
This image is of a large room with red furnishings. The seats are arranged around a large central table. There are 3 large chairs at the open end of the U-shaped seats that are elevated above the other chairs. There are people sitting in the seats and papers on the desks.
Copyright information
Permission should be sought from DPS AUSPIC for third-party or commercial uses of this image. To contact DPS AUSPIC email: auspic@aph.gov.au or phone: 02 6277 3342.
Role of the Senate.
Parliamentary Education Office (peo.gov.au)
Description
This diagram illustrates the role of the Australian Senate. The Senate: decides matters of national interest; represents the interests of people in their states or territories; proposes, debates and votes on bills and amendments; examines issues in committees; and scrutinises—closely examines—executive government.
Copyright information
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
You are free to share – to copy, distribute and transmit the work.
Attribution – you must attribute the work in the manner specified by the author or licensor (but not in any way that suggests that they endorse you or your use of the work).
Non-commercial – you may not use this work for commercial purposes.
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Senate current numbers
Parliamentary Education Office (peo.gov.au), DPS AUSPIC
Description
The current numbers in the Australian Senate:
Government - 35 senators
(Liberal Party of Australia, The Nationals, Liberal National Party of Queensland and the Country Liberal Party)
Opposition - 26 senators
(Australian Labor Party)
Minor Parties
Australian Greens - 9 senators
Centre Alliance - 2 senators
Pauline Hanson's One Nation - 2 senators
Jacqui Lambie Network - 1 senator
Independent - 1 senator
Copyright information
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivs 3.0 Unported License.
You are free to share – to copy, distribute and transmit the work.
Attribution – you must attribute the work in the manner specified by the author or licensor (but not in any way that suggests that they endorse you or your use of the work).
Non-commercial – you may not use this work for commercial purposes.
No derivative works – you may not alter, transform, or build upon this work.
Waiver – any of the above conditions can be waived if you get permission from the copyright holder.