Examkin

Question

Difficulty: MediumThe Senate (Upper House)

The Senate is one of the two houses of the Australian Parliament and is often referred to as the 'House of Review'. What is a key reason why the Senate is given this name?

  1. It considers and debates bills that have been passed by the House of Representatives, acting as a check on the government.Answer
  2. B
    It is the house where the political party with the most seats is reviewed and chosen to form the Australian Government.
  3. C
    It is responsible for reviewing and managing federal elections independently through the Australian Electoral Commission.

Answer

The Senate is called the House of Review because it considers and debates bills that have been passed by the House of Representatives.
The correct answer describes the Senate's vital role as a 'House of Review.' In this capacity, Senators from all states and territories examine proposed laws (bills) that have already been passed by the House of Representatives. This process acts as a check and balance on the power of the government, ensuring that legislation is thoroughly debated and improved before becoming law.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the place of the Senate in the Australian Parliament.
The Senate is the 'Upper House' of the Federal Parliament.
Knowing its position helps define its constitutional relationship with the 'Lower House'.
2
Analyze the legislative process for creating new laws.
Most bills start in the House of Representatives; after they pass there, they are sent to the Senate.
The Senate's role is to scrutinize, debate, and potentially suggest changes to these proposed laws.
3
Distinguish the Senate's role from other government functions.
The House of Representatives forms the government, while the AEC manages elections.
This confirms that the 'Review' in its name refers specifically to legislation rather than forming governments or running elections.

Key Concept

The Senate's role as the House of Review

Hints

1
Think about what happens to a proposed law after it leaves the first house of Parliament.
2
The term 'Review' suggests checking or examining something that has already been prepared by another group.
3
The Senate represents states and territories and scrutinizes bills passed by the House of Representatives.

Practice More

Review the composition of the Senate, including the number of senators that represent each state and territory.
Estimated Time:45s
Rate this question

Topics

The Senate (Upper House)

More questions from this topic