For elections to the Australian Parliament, see the Australian electoral system.
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2 Victoria 3 Queensland 4 Western Australia 5 South Australia 6 Tasmania 7 Australian Capital Territory 8 Northern Territory 9 External links |
The New South Wales Legislative Assembly has 93 members elected for four-year terms from single-member constituencies by preferential voting. The voting system is the same as for the House of Representatives except that New South Wales has optional preferential voting. This means that while voters may number every candidate if they wish, their vote is still formal if they choose not to. They may vote for one candidate only, or for as many candidates as they choose, provided that they number them in correct sequence.
The New South Wales Legislative Council has had three different methods of election (or appointment) in its history. From 1855 to 1933 its members were appointed by the Governor, and the Council had no fixed size. In the early part of this period the Governor exercised a personal discretion in appointing members, but once the convention became established that the Governor acted only on the advice of the Premier, this meant that the Council was in effect appointed by the Premier.
By the 1920s this was felt to be undemocratic and undesirable, so in 1933 the method of chosing members of the Council was changed by referendum. From 1933 to 1978, the Council consisted of 60 members, chosen for 12-year terms by a meeting of both Houses of the Parliament. One-third of the members came up for re-election every three years. This meant in practice that the party composition of the Council reflected that of the Assembly, with a lag of some years.
In 1978 Neville Wran's Labor government reformed the Council again by referendum. Since that time the Council has been elected by the people by proportional representation, with the whole state voting as one electorate. Voting was preferential as well as proportional. The size of the Council was reduced to 45 members, serving nine-year terms, with one third of the members coming up for election every three years.
When the term of the Legislative Assembly was extended from three years to four in 1984, the size of the Council was reduced again to 42, serving eight-year terms, with half the members coming up for election every four years. The Council also uses optional preferential voting.
The Victorian Legislative Assembly has 88 members elected for four-year terms from single-member constituencies by preferential voting. The voting system is the same as for the House of Representatives.
The Victorian Legislative Council has 44 members elected for eight-year terms from 22 single-member constituencies known as provinces. Each province has two members, one elected at each quadrennial election. Each province consists of four Legislative Assembly electorates.
The Legislative Council has always been elected, but until 1950 it was elected on a restricted franchise based on property. Until the 1970s the distribution of provinces heavily favoured country areas. These two features kept the Council firmly under conservative control.
At the 2002 Victorian state election, Labor, led by Steve Bracks, gained control of the Council for the first time. The Labor government then passed legislation reforming the council. From the next election, due in 2006, the Council will have 40 members. The state will be divided into eight provinces, each of which will elect five members by proportional representation.
The Queensland Legislative Assembly has 89 members, elected for three-year terms from single-member constituencies. Like New South Wales, Queensland has optional preferential voting.
The Queensland Legislative Council, which consisted of members nominated by the Governor, was abolished by a Labor government in 1922.
The Western Australian Legislative Assembly has 57 members, elected for four-year terms from single-member constituencies. The voting system is the same as for the House of Representatives. Western Australia is the only state in which Legislative Assembly seats are deliberately malapportioned in favour of country areas.
The Western Australian Legislative Council has 34 members elected for four-year terms from six multi-member constituencies known as regions, by proportional representation. Five regions elect five members while two regions elect seven members. As in the Assembly, the regions are deliberately malapportioned in favour of country areas.
The South Australian House of Assembly has 47 members, elected for four-year terms from single-member constituencies. The voting system is the same as for the House of Representatives.
The South Australian Legislative Council has 22 members, elected for eight-year terms on a statewide basis by proportional representation. Half the members come up for election at each quadrennial election.
The Tasmanian House of Assembly has 25 members, elected for four-year terms from five multi-member constituencies, each electing five members by proportional representation. Tasmania is the only state to use proportional representation to elect its lower house. In Tasmania this system is referred to as the Hare-Clark system, and it was introduced in Tasmania in 1909.
The Tasmanian Legislative Council has 15 members, elected for six-year terms from single-member constituencies. The voting system is the same as for the House of Representatives. The constituencies vote under a rotational election system, whereby two or three constituencies elect a member each year.
The Legislative Assembly of the Australian Capital Territory has 17 members, elected for four-year terms from three multi-member constituencies by proportional representation. Two of the constituencies elect five members while the third elects seven. The Territory has never had an upper house.
The Legislative Assembly of the Northern Territory has 25 members, elected for four-year terms from single-member constituencies. The voting system is the same as for the House of Representatives. The Territory has never had an upper house.
The New South Wales ParliamentNew South Wales
The Legislative Assembly
The Legislative Council
Victoria
The Legislative Assembly
The Legislative Council
Queensland
The Legislative Assembly
Western Australia
The Legislative Assembly
The Legislative Council
South Australia
The House of Assembly
The Legislative Council
Tasmania
The House of Assembly
The Legislative Council
Australian Capital Territory
The Legislative Assembly
Northern Territory
The Legislative Assembly
External links
The Victorian Parliament
The Queensland Parliament
The Western Australian Parliament
The South Australian Parliament
The Tasmanian Parliament
The Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly
The Northern Territory Legislative Assembly