Question

Difficulty: MediumLegislative Power (Parliament)

The Australian Constitution defines how the nation is governed and how legislative power is structured. Under the Constitution, which three components together make up the Parliament of Australia?

  1. The King (represented by the Governor-General), the Senate, and the House of RepresentativesAnswer
  2. B
    The Prime Minister, the Cabinet, and the High Court of Australia
  3. C
    The Senate and the House of Representatives only

Answer

The Parliament of Australia consists of the King (represented by the Governor-General), the Senate, and the House of Representatives.
The Australian Constitution states that the legislative power of the Commonwealth is held by the Federal Parliament. This Parliament consists of three elements: the King (who is represented by the Governor-General), the Senate, and the House of Representatives. A bill must be passed by both houses and receive Royal Assent from the Governor-General to become a law.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Define the concept of legislative power.
Legislative power refers to the authority to make and change laws.
This establishes the context of what the Parliament does.
2
Review the structural requirements of the Australian Constitution.
Section 1 of the Constitution mandates that the Parliament must have three specific parts.
The Constitution is the fundamental rulebook for Australian government.
3
Identify the three constitutional parts of the Parliament.
The three parts are the King (represented by the Governor-General), the Senate (Upper House), and the House of Representatives (Lower House).
All three must participate in the process for a bill to successfully become a law.

Key Concept

The Three Parts of the Australian Parliament

Hints

1
Think about who represents the Monarchy in the Australian government system.
2
The Parliament includes both the 'Upper House' and the 'Lower House,' plus one more official.
3
The correct answer includes the representative of the King as well as the two houses where members are elected.

Practice More

Review how a bill becomes a law to see how these three parts interact.
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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