Parliament of Queensland
| Parliament of Queensland | |
|---|---|
| Type | |
| Type | Unicameral |
| Houses | Legislative Assembly |
| Leadership | |
| Speaker of the Legislative Assembly |
John Mickel, Labor since 13 June 1998 |
| Structure | |
| Members | 89 |
 |
|
| Legislative Assembly Political groups |
Government (51)
Opposition (31)
Crossbench (7)
|
| Elections | |
| Last general election | 21 March 2009 |
| Next general election | Due by March 2012 |
| Meeting place | |
 |
|
| Parliament House, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia | |
| Website | |
| www.parliament.qld.gov.au | |
The Parliament of Queensland is the legislature of Queensland, Australia. According to the state's constitution, the Parliament consists of the Queen and the Legislative Assembly. It is the only unicameral state parliament in the country, the upper chamber, the Legislative Council, having been abolished in 1922. The Legislative Assembly sits in Parliament House in the state capital, Brisbane.
Contents |
[edit] History
The Parliament was founded 22 May 1860, less than a year after the Colony of Queensland was created in June 1859.[1]
Since 2003 live audio broadcasts have streamed through the Internet from the Parliament while it is in session. In June 2007 the Parliament started broadcasting video of parliamentary proceedings. There were 4700 connections in the first three days of audio and video broadcasting.[2]
[edit] Membership
The Assembly has 89 'Members of Parliament' (MPs). These are intended to represent approximately the same population in each electorate. Voting is by the Optional Preferential Voting system (OPV). Elections are held approximately once every three years.
[edit] Relationship with Government
The role of the monarch in Parliament is to give the royal assent to legislation. This function is in practice exercised by the Governor of Queensland, who conventionally will never refuse assent to a bill that has passed the Legislative Assembly.
The party with the most seats in the house is invited by the Governor to form government.
The leader of that party subsequently becomes Premier of Queensland, leading a Cabinet of Ministers. Among the LNP, the Premier selects members of their party to act as Ministers. In the Labor Party, the Ministers are elected by partyroom ballot, with the Leader then assigning ministerial portfolios to each one.
[edit] See also
- Parliaments of the Australian states and territories
- Queensland Legislative Assembly
- List of members of the Queensland Legislative Assembly
[edit] References
- ^ "Almost 150 years strong" (lift out section). The Courier-Mail. 28 August 2007. pp. 40 to 41.
- ^ "See democracy in action" (lift out section). The Courier-Mail. 28 August 2007. pp. 40 to 41.
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Parliament of Queensland |
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