House of Reps

Question 1

Who Makes up the Australian Parliament?

Answer 1

• The Queen (represented by Governor General)
• Senate
• House of Reps

Question 2

How many members are elected to the House of Reps?

Answer 2

150 members are elected for the House of Reps

Question 3

What do members of the House do?

Answer 3

• Represent Australians
• Make and change federal law by debating and voting on purposed laws
• Closely examine the work of the Government

Question 4

How many seats in parliament?

Answer 4

76 Seats

Question 5

Define “Political Parties”

Answer 5

An organisation that represents a particular group of people or set of ideas

Question 6

Define “Coalition”

Answer 6

A temporary alliance for combined action

Question 7

Define “Federal Government”

Answer 7

A system that divides up power between a strong national government and smaller local governments

Question 8

Define “State Government”

Answer 8

A country subdivision in a federal form of government, which shares political power with the federal or national government

Question 9

Define “Local Government”

Answer 9

The administration of a particular county or district, with representatives elected by those who live there

Question 10

Define “Election”

Answer 10

A formal and organized choice by vote of a person for a political office

Question 11

Define “Bicameral Parliament”

Answer 11

A legislature with two houses, or chambers.

Question 12

Define “Legislature”

Answer 12

A deliberative body of persons, usually elective, who are empowered to make, change, or repeal the laws of a country or state

Question 13

Define “House of Representatives”

Answer 13

One of the two houses of the federal Parliament of Australia, whose Members are elected on a population basis

Question 14

Absolute Majority

Answer 14

More than half of the formal votes in a House of Representatives election

Question 15

Ballot Paper

Answer 15

A paper that shows the names of the candidates who are standing for election and on which voters mark their vote

Question 16

Electoral Roll

Answer 16

The list of people entitled to vote in an election or referendum

Question 17

Vote

Answer 17

The formal act of an elector in an election to choose the candidate the elector most wants to be the representative for that division. Australia has a secret vote, and enforces compulsory voting

Question 18

Election Candidate

Answer 18

A candidate for the Prime Minister

Question 19

Formal Vote

Answer 19

A vote that follows the rules and is counted towards the result

Question 20

Informal Vote

Answer 20

A vote that does not follow the rules and is not counted towards the results

Question 21

Electorate

Answer 21

All the people in a country or area who are entitled to vote in an election

Question 22

Ballot Box

Answer 22

The sealed container into which an elector places a completed ballot paper

Question 23

Donkey Vote

Answer 23

A ballot paper marked 1, 2, 3, 4 straight down (or up) a ballot paper

Question 24

Preferential Voting

Answer 24

A system of voting that requires a voter to indicate their order of preference for each candidate on the ballot paper

Question 25

How-To-Vote Cards

Answer 25

Printed materials offered to voters by party workers at polling places displaying how a party or a candidate would like voters to cast their vote

Question 26

Poll

Answer 26

Another word for an election

Question 27

Scrutineer

Answer 27

A person appointed by a candidate to observe the voting and counting of the votes

Question 28

Senate

Answer 28

One of the two houses of the federal Parliament of Australia, which has 76 Senators, 12 from each of the six states and two each from the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory, elected from each state and territory voting as one electorate

Question 29

Westminister system

Answer 29

a system of government originating in Britain, the main features of which are a head of state who is not the head of government, and an executive which is drawn from and directly responsible to the Parliament