Who Is Involved in the House of Representatives

About the House of Representatives

The House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the Australian Federal Parliament, the other being the Senate. Information technology is sometimes called the 'people'south business firm' or the 'business firm of regime'.

Composition

The House currently has 151 Members. Each Member represents an electoral division. The boundaries of these electorates are adapted from time to time and so that they all comprise approximately equal numbers of electors—because of the distribution of Australia's population they vary greatly in area (from a few square kilometres to over two million square kilometres). Members are elected by a system known equally preferential voting, under which voters rank candidates in order of preference.

Each House of Representatives may go along for upwardly to iii years, later which general elections for a new House must be held. Elections are often held before the cease of this period.

The main political parties represented in the House are the Australian Labor Party, the Liberal Party of Australia and the National Party of Commonwealth of australia. In recent years there has also been a number of independent parties and Members.

See also:

• Infosheet 8 – Elections for the Firm of Representatives

Functions

Makes laws—The House's central role and the one which takes upwardly nearly of its time is the consideration and passing of new laws and amendments or changes to existing laws. Whatsoever Member tin can introduce a proposed police (neb) just nearly are introduced by the Government. To get constabulary, bills must exist passed past both the House of Representatives and the Senate. They may showtime in either firm but the majority of bills are introduced in the House of Representatives.

Determines the Authorities—After an election the political political party (or coalition of parties) which has the most Members in the House of Representatives becomes the governing party. Its leader becomes Prime Minister and other Ministers are appointed from among the party's Members and Senators. To remain in role a Government must keep the support of a majority of Members of the House.

Publicises and scrutinises authorities assistants—Argue of legislation and ministerial policy statements, word of matters of public importance, committee investigations, asking questions of Ministers (during question fourth dimension—at 2 pm—Members may inquire Ministers questions without detect on matters relating to their work and responsibilities; questions tin can likewise be asked on notice for written respond).

Represents the people—Members may present petitions from citizens and raise citizens' concerns and grievances in argue. Members also heighten bug of business with Ministers and government departments.

Controls government expenditure—The Government cannot collect taxes or spend coin unless allowed by law through the passage of taxation and appropriation bills. Expenditure is as well examined past parliamentary committees.

Come across as well:

• Infosheet 19 – the Firm, Government and Opposition

Sittings

The normal sitting pattern for the House extends from February to March, May to June and Baronial to December. During these periods the House commonly meets in blocks of two sitting weeks followed past two non-sitting weeks. Usually the House sits from Monday to Thursday each sitting week.

The guild of business for each sitting is set down by the rules of the House (the House of Representatives Continuing and Sessional Orders). The largest proportion of time is taken up with fence on government business—mainly the consideration of bills. On Monday, 'individual Members' day', time is reserved for debating reports from parliamentary committees and business organization sponsored by both government and non-regime backbenchers.

All proceedings are open to the public.

See likewise:

• Infosheet2 – A typical sitting day
• Sitting calendar

Committees

The House has a comprehensive system of standing committees. These include:

• investigative committees—These committees conduct out inquiries on matters of public policy or government administration. They accept evidence from the public and report to the House with recommendations for government action. The system of general purpose standing committees parallels the functions of government, for case, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs; Economics, Finance and Public Assistants; Education and Vocational Training; and

• domestic or internal committees—These committees are concerned with the performance of the House, for example, Procedure, Privileges, Members' Interests.

At that place are several articulation committees on which both Members and Senators serve together, for instance, the Public Accounts and Inspect Committee.

Encounter besides:

• Infosheet 4 – Committees

The Chamber

The photograph at left shows the Bedchamber of the House in action.

At the centre is the Speaker'south Chair and the Tabular array of the House. The two Clerks at the Tabular array advise the Chair and Members about procedure and record the formal minutes of proceedings. Hansard reporters sit at the small-scale central table to record the debates. Each Member has his or her ain seat, with government Members to the right of the Speaker and opposition and other non-government Members to the left. Ministers and senior opposition Members (the shadow ministry) sit down on the facing front end benches and speak from the Table, other Members speak from their places.

With the exception of question fourth dimension, Members are rarely all present in the Sleeping accommodation at the same time, but are engaged in work elsewhere, including participating in committee meetings and debates in the Main Committee. Members can watch what is happening in the Chamber at all times from their offices through the Parliament House internal television organisation.

Behind the Speaker's Chair at first floor level is the printing gallery, reserved for media representatives. On the other three sides of the Chamber are the public galleries, which are always open to visitors.

Come across also:

The Federation Chamber

The Federation Chamber provides an boosted forum for the 2nd reading and consideration in item stages of bills and debate of committee reports and papers presented to the House. 1 of the Business firm of Representatives committee rooms is dedicated to this role and fitted out as a small-scale Chamber. Its proceedings are also open to the public.

Meet as well:

• Infosheet sixteen – The Federation Sleeping room

The Speaker

The first action of the House following an election is to elect one of its Members to be Speaker. The Speaker presides over the sittings of the Firm and is responsible for its administration. The Deputy Speaker and 2d Deputy Speaker are also elected. A panel of other Members, appointed by the Speaker, provides assistance in presiding over the House and the Principal Commission. When in the Chair these Members are referred to equally 'Deputy Speaker'.

Run across as well:

• Infosheet 3 – The Speaker

Inter-Parliamentary Relations

The International and Parliamentary Relations Office (IPRO) provides advice and support relevant to the conduct of the Parliaments international and regional affairs. It provides general support for inter-parliamentary conferences and incoming and outgoing parliamentary delegations; training support for other parliaments, particularly the smaller parliaments in our region; and advice to the Presiding Officers and members on international parliamentary matters.

The IPROs objective is to back up external relations for the Parliament with a view to achieving productive and amicable international and regional relationships with other parliaments and parliamentary bodies and organisations.

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Source: https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/House_of_Representatives/About_the_House_of_Representatives

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