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Question

Difficulty: EasyForming the Government

Under the Australian system of government, which house of Parliament must a political party or coalition have a majority of members in to form the government?

  1. The House of RepresentativesAnswer
  2. B
    The Senate
  3. C
    The Legislative Council

Answer

The House of Representatives
The House of Representatives is the correct answer because, according to Australian parliamentary practice, the political party or coalition that wins the majority of seats in this house after an election is invited to form the government. The leader of this party becomes the Prime Minister.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the two houses of the Australian Federal Parliament.
The House of Representatives (Lower House) and the Senate (Upper House).
Understanding the structure of Parliament is the first step in identifying how government is formed.
2
Determine which house is responsible for the formation of the government.
The House of Representatives.
The Australian Constitution and conventions establish that the party with the majority of support in the lower house forms the executive government.
3
Confirm the requirement for forming government.
A majority of seats (more than half).
The leader of the majority party in the House of Representatives is invited by the Governor-General to become the Prime Minister.

Key Concept

The government is formed by the party with the majority in the House of Representatives.

Hints

1
Think about which house is often called the 'Lower House' where the Prime Minister sits.
2
The government is formed in the house where there are currently 151 members representing local electorates.

Practice More

Research the role of the 'Opposition' and which party takes that role after an election.
Estimated Time:45s
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Topics

Forming the Government

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