Also known as
- Parliament House
Assistant Ministers
Assistant Minister for Immigration, Foreign Affairs and Trade
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About Us
The Parliament consists of two Houses (the House of Representatives and the Senate), and the Queen, represented in Australia by the Governor General.
Work of the Parliament
Parliament makes laws, authorises the Government to spend public money, scrutinises government activities, and is a forum for debate on national issues.
Senate
The Senate is one of the two houses of the Australian Federal Parliament. It consists of 76 senators, twelve from each of the six states and two from each of the mainland territories. It shares the power to make laws with the other House of the Parliament, the House of Representatives.
House of Representatives
The House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of Parliament and is sometimes called ‘the People’s House’ or the ‘house of government’. The party, or parties, that hold a majority of seats in the House form government. There are currently 151 Members of the House of Representatives who each represent an electorate.
Parliamentary Departments
The work of the Australian Parliament – its Members, Senators and parliamentary committees – is supported by four separate departments:
- Department of the Senate
- Department of the House of Representatives
- Department of Parliamentary Services
- Parliamentary Budget Office
Publications
There are a number of publications that explain the work of the Parliament, and the various practices and procedures of the chambers.
Employment
Find out about current jobs in the four parliamentary departments:
- Department of the Senate
- Department of Parliamentary Services
- Department of House of Representatives
- Parliamentary Budget Office
Education Resources
If you would like to know more about different aspects of the work of Parliament, the Parliamentary Education Office has a range of on-line material. Other material can be found at:
