Module 3 – Lesson 6- How is Australia governed ?

The members of the Australian Parliament, which is divided into two chambers, the House of Representatives and the Senate, make up the Australian Government, often known as the Commonwealth Government or the Federal Government. Australians vote for their MPs in both of these chambers in federal elections.

The House of Representatives, also known as the People’s House or Lower House, is made up of Members of Parliament (MPs) chosen by the voters of a certain state or territory. There are 150 MPs in total, with each state/territory represented by a number according to its population.

The House of Representatives is in charge of introducing, discussing, and voting on any proposals to enact new or amend existing laws, as well as debating nationally significant topics.

The Senate, sometimes known as the Upper House, the House of Review, or the States’ House, is made up of Senators who represent specific states or territories; however, unlike the House of members, each state has the same number of members regardless of population (12). The Australian Capital Territory and Northern Territory each have two senators, for a total of 76 senators.