REVISION+SHEET+-+PARLIAMENT

The Australian parliamentary system 1 What is the Westminster system? 2 What does the term ‘bicameral system’ refer to? 3 Give an example of a parliament in Australia that does not have a bicameral system. 4 What title is given to the Queen’s representative at a: • federal level • state level?

The structure of the Commonwealth Parliament 1 Which is the house of government? Explain. 2 If you were elected to a seat in the House of Representatives, how many years would you serve before the next election? 3 Explain three roles of the House of Representatives. 4 What type of bills cannot be introduced in the Senate? 5 How many members sit in the House of Representatives and Senate? 6 Explain the terms ‘house of review’ and ‘states’ house’. Do you think these terms apply to the Senate today? Explain. 7 When might the Senate be a ‘rubber stamp’ for the House of Representatives?

The structure of the Victorian Parliament 1 What is the structure of the Victorian Parliament? 2 If you were elected to the Legislative Assembly, how long would you serve? How does this compare with the term of office of the Legislative Council? 3 Explain the role of both houses of the Victorian Parliament.

Role of the Crown 1 Explain the role of the Crown in the Australian parliamentary system. 2 What is the Executive Council and what is its role? 3 To what extent is royal assent an automatic process? 4 How important is royal assent in the process of law-making? 5 Do the governor-general and the governors of each state have the right to withhold royal assent? Explain. 6 Explain the reserve powers of the governor-general and the governors of each state.

The functions of parliament 1 Explain the main functions of the houses of parliament. 2 What role do committees play in the law-making process? 3 Explain the role of cabinet. 4 Explain the difference between government and parliament.

The principles of the Australian parliamentary system 1 Explain the principle of representative government. 2 Distinguish between the terms ‘representative government’ and ‘responsible government’. 3 Explain how our Commonwealth Government is a responsible government under the requirements of our Australian parliamentary system. 4 List the three types of powers under the principle of separation of powers. Explain each power. 5 Explain how the legislative power and the executive power are combined in Australia. 6 Describe the separate nature of the judicial power. 7 ‘The principle of separation of powers is an essential element of democracy in Australia.’ Explain this statement and give reasons for the separation of powers.

Suggested Revision Work Construct a mind map using ‘parliament’ as the central word. In your mind map mention the following words and make the connections. Other words can be added to extend your mind map. Think about how your mind map can spread out as branches of a tree.
 * government
 * voters
 * representative government
 * responsible government
 * Crown
 * House of Representatives
 * Senate
 * bicameral
 * cabinet
 * governor-general
 * ministers