What do you have to do to become a member of parliament?

Thanks for your question, Marty.

To become a member of parliament you need to convince people to vote for you in a federal election.

To become a senator you need to get elected by the voters in your state or territory at a federal election. Senate electorates are multi-member, meaning there is a group of senators elected to look after the interests of all the people of a state or territory.

This is different to the House of Representatives, where only one member is elected for each electorate .

Apart from being elected, members of parliament must also be:

  • aged 18 years old or older
  • an Australian citizen and not a citizen of any other country
  • able to vote in House of Representatives election
  • not serving a prison sentence of 12 months or more.

There are a number of requirements for enrolling as a candidate in a federal election. These are available on the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) website.

Apart from the legal requirements, to be a either a senator or member of the House of Representatives you will need to:

  • be a good communicator
  • enjoy talking to, working with and helping people
  • have good decision-making and negotiation skills
  • be interested in current affairs and politics
  • be prepared to work long hours.

It will also help to get elected if you:

  • are involved in your local community
  • know the people and issues in your area
  • have ideas and solutions to problems.
A member of the House of Representatives stands at a desk giving a speech. Other members sit at rows of desks watching and listening to her.

A member of the government speaking in the House of Representatives

DPS Auspic

A member of the government speaking in the House of Representatives

A member of the House of Representatives stands at a desk giving a speech. Other members sit at rows of desks watching and listening to her.

DPS Auspic

Description

A member of the House of Representatives stands to give a speech. Members who are not ministers or shadow ministers – called backbenchers – sit in the rows of seats behind the front row. They give speeches from their desks. The desks have microphones built in to broadcast and record their speeches. 

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.