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Difficulty: Very hardThe House of Representatives

Although the Australian House of Representatives is based on a system of proportional representation where states with larger populations have more electorates, the Australian Constitution provides a specific guarantee for the original states. According to the Constitution, what is the minimum number of members that each original state is guaranteed to have in the House of Representatives?

  1. Five membersAnswer
  2. B
    Twelve members
  3. C
    Two members

Answer

Each original state is guaranteed a minimum of five members in the House of Representatives.
The correct answer is correct because Section 24 of the Australian Constitution mandates that no original state (New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia, and Tasmania) can have fewer than five members in the House of Representatives, regardless of how small their population may be.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the constitutional basis for representation in the House of Representatives.
Representation is primarily proportional to the population of each state.
The House is known as the 'People's House' and is divided into electorates with roughly equal numbers of voters.
2
Determine if there are exceptions to the proportional population rule.
Section 24 of the Constitution provides a 'floor' or minimum representation for the original states.
Original states (NSW, Vic, Qld, WA, SA, and Tas) joined the Federation with specific protections for their representation.
3
Locate the specific numeric requirement in Section 24.
The Constitution specifies that 'five members at least shall be chosen in each Original State'.
This ensures that even if a state's population is very small (like Tasmania), they maintain a baseline level of influence in the lower house.

Key Concept

Constitutional Minimum Representation (Section 24)

Hints

1
Think about Section 24 of the Constitution, which deals with the size of the House.
2
Tasmania is currently the only state that relies on this constitutional guarantee because its population would otherwise entitle it to fewer seats.

Practice More

Review the 'nexus provision' which explains the relationship between the total size of the House and the Senate.
Estimated Time:2m 0s
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Topics

The House of Representatives

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