What does the Senate do in Australia?
The Senate fulfils its role as a check on government by scrutinising bills, delegated legislation, government administration, and government policy in general. It does this by way of procedures utilised in the Senate chamber itself and through the operation of the Senate committee system.
What are Senate responsibilities?
Role of the Senate. The Senate: decides matters of national interest; represents the interests of people in their states or territories; proposes, debates and votes on bills and amendments; examines issues in committees; and scrutinises—closely examines—executive government.
How long is a term in the Senate Australia?
Senators are elected for six-year terms, half of them being elected every three years.
What are the four powers of the Senate?
Special, exclusive powers given to the Senate include the following:
- Major presidential appointments must be confirmed by the Senate.
- Treaties with other nations entered into by the President must be approved by a two-thirds vote by the Senate.
- An impeachment trial occurs in the Senate.
Who do senators represent?
Senators represent their entire states, but members of the House represent individual districts. The number of districts in each state is determined by a state’s population. Each state has a minimum of one representative in Congress.
Why is a Senate important?
The framers of the Constitution created the United States Senate to protect the rights of individual states and safeguard minority opinion in a system of government designed to give greater power to the national government.
What happens if a sitting senator dies?
If a vacancy occurs due to a senator’s death, resignation, or expulsion, the Seventeenth Amendment allows state legislatures to empower the governor to appoint a replacement to complete the term or to hold office until a special election can take place. Some states require a special election to fill a vacancy.
Why is the Senate red?
Appearance. The Senate is red. The tradition of a red upper house comes from the House of Lords in the British Parliament. The red ochre tones used in the Senate are softer shades, typical of the Australian landscape.
What is the main focus of the Senate?
How many senators are in the Australian Senate?
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.
What was the purpose of the Senate in Australia?
The framers of the Australian Constitution intended that the primary role of the Senate would be to protect the interests of the less populous states in the federal Parliament by giving equal representation to all states (see Senate Brief No. 9).
How does the Senate in the Northern Territory work?
Territory Senators serve until the day before the poll of the next general election. A Senate casual vacancy is filled by a person chosen by the Parliament of the State concerned or, in relation to the Australian Capital Territory or Northern Territory, by the respective Legislative Assembly.
How long do Senators stay in the Senate?
KidzSearch Safe Wikipedia for Kids. The Senate is the upper house of the Parliament of Australia. The lower house is the House of Representatives. Senators are elected for a term that is usually six years. But some senators have three year terms.