Victorian Legislative Assembly

Legislative Assembly
Legislative Assembly
59th Parliament
Type
Type	Lower house of the Parliament of Victoria
History
Founded	1856
Leadership
Speaker	Colin Brooks, Labor ; since 7 March 2017
Deputy Speaker	Maree Edwards, Labor ; since 7 March 2017
Leader of the House	Jacinta Allan, Labor ; since December 2014
Government Whip	Darren Cheeseman, Labor ; since August 2020
Deputy Government Whip	Matt Fregon, Labor ; since September 2020
Structure
Seats	88
Political groups	Government (55) ; Labor (55) ; Opposition (27) ; Liberal (21); National (6) ; Crossbench (6) ; Greens (3) ; Independent (3)
Length of term	4 years
Elections
Voting system	Instant-runoff voting
Last election	24 November 2018
Next election	26 November 2022
Meeting place
	Legislative Assembly Chamber,; Parliament House, Melbourne,; Victoria, Australia
Website
	Vic Legislative Assembly

The Victorian Legislative Assembly is the lower house of the bicameral Parliament of Victoria in Australia; the upper house being the Victorian Legislative Council. Both houses sit at Parliament House in Spring Street, Melbourne.

The presiding officer of the Legislative Assembly is the Speaker. There are presently 88 members of the Legislative Assembly elected from single-member divisions.

History

Victoria was proclaimed a Colony on 1 July 1851 separating from the Colony of New South Wales by an act of the British Parliament. The Legislative Assembly was created on 13 March 1856 with the passing of the Victorian Electoral Bill,^[1] five years after the creation of the original unicameral Legislative Council. The Assembly first met on 21 November 1856,^[1] and consisted of sixty members representing thirty-seven multi and single-member electorates.^[2] On the Federation of Australia on 1 January 1901, the Parliament of Victoria continued except that the colony was now called a state.

In 1917, the Nationalist government in Victoria introduced compulsory preferential voting before the 1917 state election. This enabled the factions in the party to field competing candidates without splitting the vote by keeping preferences within the party.

Membership and elections

The Legislative Assembly presently consists of 88 members, each elected in single-member electoral districts, more commonly known as electorates or seats, using preferential voting, which is the same voting system used for the federal lower house, the Australian House of Representatives. Members represent approximately the same population in each electorate.

Members of the Legislative Assembly are elected for a fixed term of 4 years, with elections occurring on the last Saturday of November every 4 years. There are no limits to the number of terms for which a member may seek election. Casual vacancies are filled at a by-election.

Current membership

Distribution of seats

Party			Seats held
	Labor		55
Liberal/National Coalition			(27)
		Liberal	21
		National	6
	Greens		3
	Independent		3
Total			88

Officials

Speaker

At the beginning of each new parliamentary term, the Legislative Assembly elects one of its members as a presiding officer, known as the Speaker. If the incumbent Speaker seeks a new term, then the House may re-elect him or her merely by passing a motion; otherwise, a secret ballot is held. In practice, the Speaker is usually a member of the governing party or parties, who have the majority in the House. The Speaker continues to be a member of his or her political party, but it is left to their individual discretion as to whether or not they attend party meetings. The Speaker also continues to carry out his or her ordinary electorate duties as a member of Parliament and must take part in an election campaign to be re-elected as a member of Parliament.^[3]

A Deputy Speaker is also elected by the Assembly, who supports and assists the Speaker in the execution of their duties.

Non-member officials

The Legislative Assembly is also supported by a department of civil servants who provide procedural and administrative advice on the running of the Assembly, and performs other functions. The head of the department is the Clerk of the Assembly, who is assisted by a deputy clerk, an assistant clerk committees and an assistant clerk procedure.^[4]

The Assembly is also assisted by a serjeant-at-arms, who at present also holds the position of assistant clerk procedure.^[4]

2018 Victorian election

Results

Victorian state election, 24 November 2018^[5]^[6] Legislative Assembly << 2014–2022 >>
Enrolled voters		4,139,326
Votes cast		3,732,062		Turnout	90.16	−2.86
Informal votes		217,476		Informal	5.83	+0.61
Summary of votes by party
Party		Primary votes	%	Swing	Seats	Change
	Labor	1,506,467	42.86	+4.77	55	+8
	Liberal	1,069,146	30.42	−6.04	21	−9
	Greens	376,704	10.72	−0.76	3	+1*
	National	167,625	4.77	−0.76	6	−2
	Animal Justice	63,974	1.82	+1.59	0	±0
	Shooters, Fishers, Farmers	24,257	0.69	+0.61	0	±0
	Democratic Labour	24,097	0.69	+0.60	0	±0
	Victorian Socialists	15,442	0.44	+0.44	0	±0
	Reason	12,693	0.36	+0.10	0	±0
	Transport Matters	10,313	0.29	+0.29	0	±0
	Justice	9,277	0.26	+0.26	0	±0
	Sustainable Australia	8,183	0.23	+0.23	0	±0
	Country	6,566	0.19	−1.10	0	±0
	Liberal Democrats	4,030	0.12	+0.12	0	±0
	Aussie Battler	1,286	0.04	+0.04	0	±0
	Liberty Alliance	1,232	0.04	+0.04	0	±0
	Independent	213,294	6.07	+3.47	3	+2**
Total		3,514,586			88

Procedure

Most legislation is initiated in the Legislative Assembly. The party or coalition with a majority of seats in the lower house is invited by the Governor to form government. The leader of that party subsequently becomes Premier of Victoria, and their senior colleagues become ministers responsible for various portfolios. As Australian political parties traditionally vote along party lines, most legislation introduced by the governing party will pass through the legislative assembly.

Committees

Privileges Committee
Standing Orders Committee

Notes

^ Current independent MLAs: Ali Cupper (Mildura), Russell Northe (Morwell) and Suzanna Sheed (Shepparton)

References

^ ^a ^b ^c Edward Sweetman (1920). Constitutional Development of Victoria, 1851–6. Whitcombe & Tombs Limited. p. 67. Retrieved 16 November 2012.
^ "Elections". Fact Sheet G3: Elections. Parliament of Victoria.
^ The Speaker
^ ^a ^b Staff of the Legislative Assembly
^ "State Election 2018 provisional results". Victorian Electoral Commission. Retrieved 24 November 2018.
^ "Results: Victoria Votes 2018". ABC News. Retrieved 24 November 2018.

External links

[2] Current independent MLAs: Ali Cupper (Mildura), Russell Northe (Morwell) and Suzanna Sheed (Shepparton)

[Sweetman-1] Edward Sweetman (1920). Constitutional Development of Victoria, 1851–6. Whitcombe & Tombs Limited. p. 67. Retrieved 16 November 2012.

[elections-3] "Elections". Fact Sheet G3: Elections. Parliament of Victoria.

[4] The Speaker

[staff-5] Staff of the Legislative Assembly

[VEC-Results-6] "State Election 2018 provisional results". Victorian Electoral Commission. Retrieved 24 November 2018.

[abc-7] "Results: Victoria Votes 2018". ABC News. Retrieved 24 November 2018.

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v t e Members of the Parliament of Victoria
Legislative Assembly	1856–1859 1859–1861 1861–1864 1864–1865 1866–1867 1868–1871 1871–1874 1874–1877 1877–1880 1880–1883 1883–1886 1886–1889 1889–1892 1892–1894 1894–1897 1897–1900 1900–1902 1902–1904 1904–1907 1907–1908 1908–1911 1911–1914 1914–1917 1917–1920 1920–1921 1921–1924 1924–1927 1927–1929 1929–1932 1932–1935 1935–1937 1937–1940 1940–1943 1943–1945 1945–1947 1947–1950 1950–1952 1952–1955 1955–1958 1958–1961 1961–1964 1964–1967 1967–1970 1970–1973 1973–1976 1976–1979 1979–1982 1982–1985 1985–1988 1988–1992 1992–1996 1996–1999 1999–2002 2002–2006 2006–2010 2010–2014 2014–2018 2018–2022 2022–2026
Legislative Council	1851–1853 1853–1856 1856–1858 1858–1860 1860–1862 1862–1864 1864–1866 1866–1868 1868–1870 1870–1872 1872–1874 1874–1876 1876–1878 1878–1880 1880–1882 1882–1884 1884–1886 1886–1888 1888–1890 1890–1892 1892–1895 1895–1896 1896–1898 1898–1900 1900–1901 1901–1902 1902–1904 1904–1907 1907–1910 1910–1913 1913–1916 1916–1919 1919–1922 1922–1925 1925–1928 1928–1931 1931–1934 1934–1937 1937–1940 1940–1943 1943–1946 1946–1949 1949–1952 1952–1955 1955–1958 1958–1961 1961–1964 1964–1967 1967–1970 1970–1973 1973–1976 1976–1979 1979–1982 1982–1985 1985–1988 1988–1992 1992–1996 1996–1999 1999–2002 2002–2006 2006–2010 2010–2014 2014–2018 2018–2022 2022–2026

v t e Government of Victoria
Executive	Monarch Governor Lieutenant-Governor Cabinet Premier Deputy Premier Attorney-General Treasurer Entities Police Local Government Royal Commissions
Legislative	Parliament Legislative Assembly Speaker MPs Electoral districts Legislative Council President MLCs Electoral regions Opposition Leader
Judicial	Chief Justice Solicitor-General Supreme Court County Court Magistrates' Court Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) Coroners Court Children's Court Other courts and tribunals
Elections	2006 2010 2014 2018 2022 2026 By-elections Electoral Commission
Political parties	Labor Coalition Liberal National Greens Legalise Cannabis Democratic Labour Shooters, Fishers and Farmers One Nation Animal Justice Other parties

v t e Political parties in Victoria
Parliamentary parties	Labor (LA: 56, LC: 15) Coalition (LA: 28, LC: 14) Liberal (LA: 19, LC: 12) National (LA: 9, LC: 2) Greens (LA: 4, LC: 4) Legalise Cannabis (LC: 2) Animal Justice (LC: 1) Libertarian (LC: 1) One Nation (LC: 1) Shooters, Fishers and Farmers (LC: 1)
Other VEC-registered parties	Companions and Pets Family First Freedom Health Australia New Democrats Sustainable Australia United Australia Victorian Socialists
Defunct parties	Angry Victorians Aussie Battler Christians Conservatives Country Country Progressives Democratic Association of Victoria Derryn Hinch's Justice Henry George Justice Hudson Liberal Country Liberty Alliance Local Jobs National Liberal Public Transport Redistribution Liberals Reason Sex Party Socialist Alliance Restore Democracy Sack Dan Andrews Transport Matters Victorian Farmers' Union Victorian Liberals Victorian Socialist Party Voice for the West Voluntary Euthanasia
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