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.