In Australian parliamentary practice, the Opposition or the Official Opposition consists of the second largest party or coalition of parties in the Australian House of Representatives , with its leader being given the title Leader of the Opposition . The Opposition serves the same function as the official opposition in other Commonwealth of Nations monarchies that follow the Westminster conventions and practices. It is seen as the alternative government and the existing administration's main opponent in the Australian Parliament and at a general election. By convention, the Opposition Leader in the federal Parliament comes from the House of Representatives , as does the deputy, although the Government and Opposition may also both have leaders in the Senate . The Opposition is sometimes styled as His Majesty's Loyal Opposition to show that, although the group may be against the sitting government, it remains loyal to the Crown (the embodiment of the Australian state), and thus to Australia.
59-509: Opposition (27) Liberal (19) National (9) Crossbench (5) Greens (3) Independent ( 1 ) Independent Labor ( 1 ) Opposition (13) Liberal (11) National (2) The Parliament of Victoria is the bicameral legislature of the Australian state of Victoria that follows a Westminster-derived parliamentary system. It consists of
118-474: A Member of the Legislative Assembly. Ministers and former ministers are entitled to the style " The Honourable " (abbreviated to "The Hon") although some choose not to use it. The government of the day sits on benches to the right of the presiding officer within each chamber, while the opposition sits to the left. Members of a house who are not part of either the official government or opposition sit on
177-492: A candidate for either House, except for: It is also not permitted to be a member of both houses or a candidate for election to both houses of Parliament. Members of Parliament may be addressed by their name or by using their electorate, for example "The Member for Hawthorn" or "Member for Southern Metropolitan Region", and are entitled to the postnominal letters MLC if a Member of the Legislative Council, and MLA or MP if
236-442: A committee is determined by the parliament, usually as a new parliament begins. Each committee contains members of many political parties, not just the governing parties, although the government still generally aims to give itself functional majorities within each committee. Lobbyists, members of the public and organisations communicate with committees in order to give input into the drafting of bills. The Parliament of Victoria outlines
295-424: A four-year term. Each region contains eleven divisions from the Legislative Assembly. The Council is elected using a single transferable vote with the option of group voting tickets. Casual vacancies are filled by a joint-sitting of both houses. The new member must be from the same party as the original member was at the time of their election. The Council's power has decreased over time, as its role has changed. It
354-567: A general rule, official government policy is based on advice given by a committee. This ensures further public input as committees consist of members from many parties. Bills are then drafted by the Office of the Chief Parliamentary Counsel to ensure that all relevant clauses and technicalities in existing laws are covered. Any member, whether in government or otherwise, may draft their own bill. Bills are almost always tabled to Parliament by
413-466: A minister; any bills proposed by someone other than a Cabinet member are referred to as a private member's bill. Any private member's bill is usually drafted by the member in question without input from the OCPC. Opposition (Australia) The current Opposition at a federal level is the centre-right Liberal Party / National Party Coalition , led by Peter Dutton . The opposition parties and leaders in
472-401: A product of colonization , nor become colonially organized territories. Territories furthermore do not need to have been militarily conquered and occupied to come under colonial rule and to be considered de facto colonies, instead neocolonial exploitation of dependency or imperialist use of power to intervene to force policy, might make a territory be considered a colony, which broadens
531-526: A regular routine. Each sitting day begins with a prayer, and also an acknowledgement to country in respect to Victoria's Indigenous people. A quorum must be present for a day's proceedings to be legally binding, so the presiding officer will generally wait until enough members are within the chamber before entering. Members may only speak in the chamber when given leave to do so by the presiding officer. A proposed petition, motion or bill can be introduced into either house, but in practice most are introduced into
590-493: A settlement became known as its metropolis ("mother-city"). Since early-modern times, historians, administrators, and political scientists have generally used the term "colony" to refer mainly to the many different overseas territories of particularly European states between the 15th and 20th centuries CE , with colonialism and decolonization as corresponding phenomena. While colonies often developed from trading outposts or territorial claims , such areas do not need to be
649-552: A varying degree dominated by remaining colonial settler societies or neocolonialism . The term colony originates from the ancient Roman colonia , a type of Roman settlement. Derived from colonus (farmer, cultivator, planter, or settler), it carries with it the sense of 'farm' and 'landed estate'. Furthermore, the term was used to refer to the older Greek apoikia ( Ancient Greek : ἀποικία , lit. 'home away from home'), which were overseas settlements by ancient Greek city-states . The city that founded such
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#1733271306443708-463: Is formed by the party or parties who command confidence and supply within the Assembly. The leader of the governing party or parties is the premier , the most senior elected member of Victoria's executive government. Victorians do not directly elect the premier, and the leader of the majority party is appointed premier by the governor. Jacinta Allan has been the premier since her selection as leader of
767-510: Is therefore mathematically impossible for a speaker to pass such legislation with their casting vote, as the largest possible tied vote is 43:43. The president used to have the same power, but their role has changed over time. Consequently, the president now has a deliberative vote but not a casting vote. This is modelled on the Australian Senate and ensures that a region of Victoria would not be deprived of one of its five votes. A tied vote in
826-407: The Australian states and territories are: Leanne Castley (Lib) Mark Speakman (Lib) Selena Uibo (ALP) Steven Miles (ALP) Vincent Tarzia (Lib) Dean Winter (ALP) John Pesutto (Lib) Shane Love (Nat) Colony A colony is a territory subject to a form of foreign rule. Though dominated by the foreign colonizers,
885-662: The King , represented by the governor of Victoria , the Legislative Assembly and the Legislative Council . It has a fused executive drawn from members of both chambers. The parliament meets at Parliament House in the state capital Melbourne . The current Parliament was elected on 26 November 2022, sworn in on 20 December 2022 and is the 60th parliament in Victoria. The two Houses of Parliament have 128 members in total, 88 in
944-692: The Labor Party on 27 September 2023. Parliament has sat at Parliament House, Melbourne since 1856, with the exception of the period 1901–1927, when Parliament House was used by the Federal Parliament and the Parliament of Victoria sat at the Royal Exhibition Building . The building has undergone significant renovations since its initial construction as it has been expanded, repaired and restored over time. The first major works were conducted in
1003-608: The Victorian Constitution . Its power is further limited by the ability for the federal laws to override state laws, subject to the Australian Constitution . State courts are responsible for interpreting the laws of Parliament, subject to appeal to the High Court of Australia . The parliament is also vested with other powers, such as the means to investigate matters, conduct research and summon witnesses. Government
1062-406: The 1890s, leading to further agitation for changes to the vote. This also led to voting within each chamber becoming more predictable, as strong party discipline began to form among party members, mostly aligned to three broad ideals: the labour movement, liberal movement and rural interests. Victoria's two-party system took hold, usually as a contest between the Labor Party and a coalition formed by
1121-454: The 1930s, using a £50,000 contribution from the Australian federal government paid in gratitude for the use of the building. Further construction was undertaken throughout the 1970s to make temporary offices for members of Parliament, although these were not modernised until further works began in 2015. Sections of the structure's outer walls have gradually been replaced over time. Prior to 1851
1180-404: The Assembly are filled by a by-election within the electorate. The Assembly functions as a representation of Victoria and commanding a majority within the Assembly provides a mandate for government policies. The Assembly is the only chamber authorised to draw funds from the public treasury, or to raise taxes, on its own initiative. Changes to taxation or funding for projects can still be debated by
1239-606: The Assembly, partly as a matter of convention and mostly due to the fact that bills not sponsored by the government are unlikely to be passed. A bill typically goes through three readings, each followed by a vote, before being presented to the Legislative Council. The Legislative Council primarily acts as a house of review. It has equal power to the Legislative of Assembly, except in relation to appropriation bills. It contains forty members , elected from eight multi-member electorates known as regions . Each region returns five members for
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#17332713064431298-734: The British Empire at the time), and ordering the construction of Victorian Parliament House in Melbourne. The Victorian Constitution was approved by the Legislative Council in March 1854. It was the sent to Britain where it was passed by the United Kingdom Parliament as the Victoria Constitution Act 1855. It was granted royal assent on 16 July 1855 and was proclaimed in Victoria on 23 November 1855. The constitution established
1357-562: The Council, but the Assembly may always authorise funding for the ordinary operation of government without needing Council approval. If the Council does not pass the Assembly's budget within a month it is passed to the governor for royal assent regardless. This means that, unlike the Australian Senate , the other chamber of Victoria's parliament cannot block supply for government funding. The Assembly has increased in power over time compared to
1416-577: The Council. The governor does not enter the Assembly, in keeping with the Westminster tradition of regal and vice-regal persons not entering into the chamber modelled on the House of Commons . Bills passed by the Assembly must also pass the Council within the same form. Either house can propose amendments to bills and all bills and their amendments, with the exception of supply bills, must pass both houses. The Council may debate supply bills but cannot amend them. In
1475-519: The Country Party (now known as the Nationals ) and the more recent Liberal Party . The principle of ensuring that rural regions, which typically represented the landed gentry when Victoria first formed, were over-represented in parliament was also rescinded. One-man-one vote was adopted in 1899 in the Legislative Assembly, and expanded to the Legislative Council in 1937. Wealth requirements for voting in
1534-420: The Legislative Assembly (lower house) and 40 in the Legislative Council (upper house). Victoria has compulsory voting and uses full preferential voting in single-member seats for the Legislative Assembly, and single transferable vote in multi-member seats for the proportionally represented Legislative Council. The council is described as a house of review. Majorities in the Legislative Council are rare, so
1593-490: The Legislative Assembly has had 88 members elected for fixed four-year terms from single-member constituencies, using preferential voting . Fixed four-year terms were introduced for both houses in 2003, replacing the previous provision that allowed the government to expire after no more than four years. Parliament consists of the King and two houses: the Legislative Assembly and the Legislative Council. The governor acts on behalf of
1652-423: The Legislative Assembly to be elected by and from Railway Officers and similarly one seat for Public Officers , and one seat in the Legislative Council for both groups combined . In 1907, these four seats were abolished and such officers voted instead in their electoral district and province and were otherwise prohibited from political campaigning. Voting was initially restricted based on gender, though. Victoria
1711-449: The Legislative Assembly were removed in 1857, but this reform was not made to the Legislative Council until 1950. Furthermore, the method of voting was changed; first-past-the-post voting was replaced with preferential voting for the Legislative Assembly in 1911 and compulsory voting introduced in 1923. Meanwhile, the preferential voting was used for elections to the Legislative Council from 1921, and elections made compulsory in 1935. Voting
1770-673: The Legislative Assembly. Any statute bill, with the exception of bills appropriating money for the ordinary annual services of government, must be passed by both Houses before being presented to the governor, who will sign the bill into law on behalf of the King . Ordinary appropriation bills need only be passed by the Legislative Assembly before being presented to the governor for royal assent. The parliamentary process extends beyond each chamber in turn. Proposed bills and motions will usually be passed separately within their party caucus before they are brought to Parliament. The governing party or parties will also generally only propose bills that have
1829-426: The Legislative Council. It is assumed that the government of the day will act upon the initiatives it campaigned on and the Assembly serves as a direct link between local members and each individual constituency. Furthermore, while it is not a requirement that ministers come from the Assembly, it is convention that more members of the executive branch sit within the Assembly than the Council. Most bills originate within
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1888-469: The Westminster-style system of responsible government that continues in Victoria today. It further stipulated several preconditions on voting that have since been rescinded such as restricting voting to only men of at least 21 years of age who met minimum wealth standards. Rural districts were also very over-represented in order to favour large landowners. The election for the first Victorian Parliament
1947-455: The approval of the relevant minister, and which have already been agreed upon during a cabinet meeting. Cabinet members have large flexibility in drafting bills. They are nonetheless limited by policies that require them to propose bills only within their specific portfolios, and to only allow amendments to existing bills that are relevant to the bill in question. Input is sought from various public groups, private interests and public servants. As
2006-710: The area of Australia now known as Victoria was part of the colony of New South Wales and was administered by the Government of New South Wales in Sydney . On 5 August 1850, the Parliament of the United Kingdom passed the Australian Colonies Government Act which made provision for the separation of Victoria from New South Wales. Enabling legislation was passed by the Parliament of New South Wales, and Victoria
2065-407: The assembly as a whole at official functions. The corresponding person in the Legislative Council is the president of the Legislative Council . Both the speaker and the president have important powers in controlling debate in their respective chambers, including the ability to punish members who step out of line or disobey their orders. The presiding officers also have powers to summon witnesses to
2124-416: The benches in between them, called the cross bench. This arrangement is used in the Legislative Council even though the governing parties rarely command a majority within it. The Government and Opposition appoint members as Managers of Government and Opposition Business in each house. These members are not within the control of the house in the same way that the president and speaker are, they are appointed by
2183-399: The chamber to assist in the legislative role of Parliament. The presiding officers also oversee votes within their respective chambers and provide proof of assent in the instance that a bill is passed. This proof is needed for a bill to be presented to the governor for royal assent. The presiding officers' voting roles are different. The speaker of the Assembly only has a casting vote, while
2242-520: The committee process as: The government will usually be given six months to respond to the committee's recommendations. As they need as broad an understanding as possible of the issues at hand, committees may perform inquiries with the authority to subpoena documents and summon witnesses. This assists with research and is a means of holding parties to account. Committees have broad powers when performing inquiries although there are some legal protections in place for witnesses, similar to those for witnesses in
2301-530: The concept, including indirect rule or puppet states (contrasted by more independent types of client states such as vassal states ). Subsequently, some historians have used the term informal colony to refer to a country under a de facto control of another state. Though the broadening of the concept is often contentious. The word "colony" comes from the Latin word colōnia , used for ancient Roman outposts and eventually for cities. This in turn derives from
2360-440: The council is considered to have failed to pass regardless of how the president cast their vote. The president does not need to move to one end of the chamber during a division, but instead advises the clerk which way they are voting. Committees are made of members of either house. They have a specifically defined role designed to seek community input about ideas or to investigate matters Parliament deems important. The membership of
2419-441: The event that the Council does not pass a budget within a month of it passing the Assembly it is passed onto the governor for royal assent regardless of how (or even if) the Council voted on it. The speaker of the Legislative Assembly is the presiding officer of the Legislative Assembly. The speaker is an elected member of the parliament and is chosen by the members of the Legislative Assembly to chair their meetings and represent
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2478-428: The government of the day must negotiate with other parties to pass much of its legislative agenda. All members serve four-year terms. The parliament's functions and processes have evolved over time, undergoing significant changes as Victoria changed from an independent colony to a state within the federated Australia . The Parliament may make laws for any matter within Victoria, subject to some referendum requirements in
2537-452: The judicial system. The different types of committees are: joint investigatory committees , comprising members of both houses, standing committees , comprising members of the Legislative Council, select committees , comprising members of one house or the other, and domestic committees , which are generally closed to the public as they concern matters of the parliament itself. Parliament's current committees are: Parliamentary days follow
2596-406: The members were distributed evenly, rather than a mixture of single and multi-member districts as the chamber was at its creation. The Legislative Assembly has similarly fluctuated in size over time. It contained 60 seats within its first iteration in 1856, eventually growing to as many as 95 by 1900. It was not until 1958 when all divisions were up for election at the same time, though, when all of
2655-589: The monarch. All members of both houses are elected for fixed four-year terms. General elections are held on the last Saturday in November every four years with the parliament expiring on the Tuesday twenty-five days before the election. The most recent general election was held on 26 November 2022. Parliament can be dissolved earlier by the governor, and a general election called, in two exceptional circumstances: Anyone enrolled to vote in Victoria can stand for election as
2714-415: The premier and ministers are accountable to Parliament and must face questioning and scrutiny from Parliament. The Assembly schedules question time and has time and subject limits on the ways that Ministers must respond to matters raised to them by any other member of the Assembly. It consists of eighty-eight members who are elected for four-year terms using full preferential voting . Casual vacancies in
2773-477: The premier and the leader of the Opposition respectively. Each party represented in each house appoints a member as their party whip . The whip's main duty is to ensure that all of the members of their party are present within a chamber when a formal vote takes place. The Legislative Assembly is the house of government, in that the government of the day must command a majority of support in this chamber. Furthermore,
2832-507: The president of the Council only has a deliberative vote. The speaker may therefore only vote when a matter is tied, with their casting vote determining the outcome. This is consistent with the Westminster tradition of the speaker acting as an impartial arbiter. Some pieces of legislation, such as altering the Constitution, require an absolute majority (45 of the 88 possible votes) to pass. It
2891-666: The rule remains separate to the original country of the colonizers, the metropolitan state (or "mother country"), which together have often been organized as colonial empires , particularly with the development of modern imperialism and its colonialism . This coloniality and possibly colonial administrative separation, while often blurred, makes colonies neither annexed or integrated territories nor client states . Colonies contemporarily are identified and organized as not sufficiently self-governed dependent territories . Other past colonies have become either sufficiently incorporated and self-governed , or independent , with some to
2950-505: The then 66 seats were contested. The Assembly reached 88 seats in 1985 and has remained at this number ever since. Until November 2006, the Legislative Council had 44 members serving eight-year terms, elected from single-member constituencies, with half the seats falling vacant every four years. Since then it has had 40 members, each serving four-year terms. They are elected from eight multi-member constituencies, each returning five members, and elected by proportional representation. Since 2006,
3009-462: The vote in some states, Victoria did not directly legislate voting based on race. Therefore, Indigenous Victorian men were entitled to vote from 1857, provided they met the other requirements. Furthermore, Indigenous Victorians who enrolled to vote in Victoria were allowed to vote in federal elections from 1901. The 1903 constitution, similar to the functional constituencies in China, reserved two seats in
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#17332713064433068-447: The word colōnus , which referred to a Roman tenant farmer . Settlements that began as Roman coloniae include cities from Cologne (which retains this history in its name) to Belgrade to York . A telltale sign of a settlement within the Roman sphere of influence once being a Roman colony is a city centre with a grid pattern. The Special Committee on Decolonization maintains
3127-535: Was formally created a separate colony of the United Kingdom on 1 July 1851. The Australian Colonies Government Act provided for the colony to be administered by a lieutenant-governor and a Legislative Council of 51 members, 21 of which were to be elected and the remainder appointed by the Lieutenant-Governor. The lieutenant-governor was subordinate in some matters to the governor of New South Wales , who
3186-540: Was further expanded in 1973, when the voting age was lowered from 21 to 18. The minimum age for membership of either house was also lowered to 18. The number of divisions within each of the chambers was gradually increased over time. The Legislative Council was expanded from 30 members representing 6 provinces to its peak of 48 members spread throughout 14 provinces by 1888. The number of both provinces and members continued to change until it remained relatively fixed by 1974, when 44 members represented 22 provinces. Furthermore,
3245-413: Was given the title governor-general . The Legislative Council met for the first time in November 1851 at St Patrick's Hall, Melbourne. The first Legislative Council existed for five years and was responsible for at least three significant and enduring contributions to the parliamentary system of Victoria: drafting the first Constitution of Victoria, ensuring a secret ballot within elections (a novelty within
3304-576: Was held during the spring of 1856, the first Victorian Members of Parliament met on 21 November 1856 in the recently completed Parliament House and were sworn in, and on 25 November 1856 the first Victorian Parliament was officially opened by acting governor Major-General Edward Macarthur . The Legislative Council consisted of thirty members representing six Provinces, each province returning five members. The Legislative Assembly consisted of sixty members representing thirty-seven multi and single-member electorates. Although Indigenous Australians were denied
3363-504: Was initially a means of suppressing democratic reforms, particularly since the more representative Assembly was seen as too liberal and radical. It now serves as a house of review, more closely modelled on the Australian Senate than on the United Kingdom's House of Lords . Majorities within the Council are rare by design, while minority interest groups are more likely to be elected than within the Assembly, encouraging debate and compromise. The governor's opening address to Parliament occurs in
3422-548: Was presented to the parliament. This petition was proudly used as a promotional tool for the federation of Australia. The newly federated nation allowed women to vote in elections, as well as stand for office, since 1902. Yet Victoria did not expand its suffrage to include women until 1908, nor allow women to stand for office until 1924. The first woman was not elected into the Victorian Parliament until 1933. Political parties began to increase in size and influence throughout
3481-504: Was the last state within Australia to intentionally recognise female voters. The Electoral Act 1863 granted the vote to all rate payers, which included some women at the time. Therefore, women were legally allowed to, and indeed did, vote in the election of 1864. The act was clarified in 1865 to exclude women. Agitation for allowing women to vote began in earnest in 1891, with presentation of an immense petition containing over 30,000 signatures
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