Parliament of Western Australia
Encyclopedia
The Parliament of Western Australia consists of the Legislative Council
("Upper House") and the Legislative Assembly
("Lower House"). The Parliament sits at Parliament House
in Harvest Terrace, Perth
.
For a bill to become law, it must be passed by both the Legislative Council and the Legislative Assembly and be assented to by the state governor
.
The party or coalition with the most seats in the Legislative Assembly is invited by the governor to form a government
. The head of government
holds the office of Premier.
Western Australia first obtained responsible government
in 1890, having previously been ruled since 1870 by a governor and a Legislative Council made up of appointed officials and elected members. The first premier was John Forrest
who held office until 1901.
Western Australian Legislative Council
The Legislative Council, or upper house, is one of the two chambers of parliament in the Australian state of Western Australia. Its central purpose is to act as a house of review for legislation passed through the lower house, the Legislative Assembly. It sits in Parliament House in the state...
("Upper House") and the Legislative Assembly
Western Australian Legislative Assembly
The Legislative Assembly, or lower house, is one of the two chambers of parliament in the Australian state of Western Australia. It sits in Parliament House in the state capital, Perth....
("Lower House"). The Parliament sits at Parliament House
Parliament House, Perth
Parliament House, Perth is located on Harvest Terrace in Perth, Western Australia. An important building of the Government of Western Australia, it is the home of the Parliament of Western Australia, including the Western Australian Legislative Council and Western Australian Legislative Assembly...
in Harvest Terrace, Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
.
For a bill to become law, it must be passed by both the Legislative Council and the Legislative Assembly and be assented to by the state governor
Governor of Western Australia
The Governor of Western Australia is the representative in Western Australia of Australia's Monarch, Queen Elizabeth II. The Governor performs important constitutional, ceremonial and community functions, including:* presiding over the Executive Council;...
.
The party or coalition with the most seats in the Legislative Assembly is invited by the governor to form a government
Government of Western Australia
The formation of the Government of Western Australia is prescribed in its Constitution, which dates from 1890, although it has been amended many times since then...
. The head of government
Head of government
Head of government is the chief officer of the executive branch of a government, often presiding over a cabinet. In a parliamentary system, the head of government is often styled prime minister, chief minister, premier, etc...
holds the office of Premier.
Western Australia first obtained responsible government
Responsible government
Responsible government is a conception of a system of government that embodies the principle of parliamentary accountability which is the foundation of the Westminster system of parliamentary democracy...
in 1890, having previously been ruled since 1870 by a governor and a Legislative Council made up of appointed officials and elected members. The first premier was John Forrest
John Forrest
Sir John Forrest GCMG was an Australian explorer, the first Premier of Western Australia and a cabinet minister in Australia's first federal parliament....
who held office until 1901.