Australian politics

• The Senate is the upper house, with 76 members elected by proportional representation.
• Each state has an equal number of senators (12), regardless of population size.
• Both houses must pass identical bills before they become law.
• The Senate has the power to initiate legislation, but it can only do so with the consent of the House of Representatives.
• In the House of Representatives, there are 150 members who represent electorates based on population.
• Elections must be held at least once every three years, although they can be called earlier if the government loses confidence or wants to take advantage of favourable circumstances.
• In a double dissolution, all seats are vacated and new elections held simultaneously.
• The Senate also has the power to amend or reject bills passed by the House of Representatives.
• If no candidate receives over 50% of the vote, a second election will take place between the two leading candidates.
• Minority governments rely on support from other parties to get their laws passed through parliament.
• If no party wins enough seats to form a majority government, then the leader of the largest party becomes prime minister and forms a minority government.
• A majority of votes is required from both houses to pass a bill.
• If the Senate passes an amended bill, both Houses must agree on the final version before it becomes law.
• A bill becomes law when both houses pass it and receive royal assent from the Governor-General.
• A hung parliament occurs when neither major party wins enough seats to form a majority government.
• Crossbenchers have more influence in a minority government as they hold the balance of power.
• A coalition is formed when two or more political parties join together to govern.
• Coalition governments have been common in Australia since Federation.
• In Australia's federal system, there are three levels of government - national (federal), state/territory, and local.
• Each level of government has its own responsibilities and powers.
• National government deals with issues that affect all Australians, such as foreign affairs, defense, immigration, trade, and taxation.
• The House of Representatives has more power than the Senate because it can override any decision made by the Senate with a simple majority vote.
• In a hung parliament, the leader of the largest party usually becomes Prime Minister and forms a minority government with the support of smaller parties or independents.
• The House of Representatives has 150 members elected by popular vote every three years using preferential voting (single transferable vote).
• Each state elects between nine and twelve representatives based on population size.
• In Australia's federal system, states and territories are responsible for areas such as education, health care, police, roads, public transport, housing, planning, and local services like parks and libraries.
• States and territories also have powers over natural resources, agriculture, land use, water management, and environmental protection.
• The Constitution allows the Commonwealth Parliament to make laws with respect to trade and commerce, taxation, postal services, banking, currency, weights and measures, quarantine, immigration, external affairs, defense, national security, and other specified matters.
• The Liberal Party has governed alone only twice (1940-41 and 1975-83).
• In 2016, Malcolm Turnbull became Prime Minister with the support of crossbenchers.
• Minority governments are rare but can occur if one party holds less than half the seats in Parliament.
• The Constitution sets out which areas of responsibility belong to the Commonwealth Government and which ones belong to the states.
• The Constitution establishes the structure of the Commonwealth Government and outlines its powers.
• State/Territory governments deal with issues specific to their region, including education, health care, transport infrastructure, housing, and law enforcement.
• Local councils are responsible for providing services such as waste management, road maintenance, and community facilities.
• Local councils deal with issues such as roads, parks, rubbish collection, and rates.