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How Systems Work

The Senate: The House of Review

Ages 12–16 25 min read Intermediate

The Senate is called the "House of Review" — its job is to scrutinise and improve legislation passed by the House of Representatives. But it's also where minor parties, independents, and crossbenchers hold real power, often deciding the fate of major laws.

Why the Senate Matters

The government almost always controls the House of Representatives (that's what makes them the government). But the government rarely controls the Senate. This means the Senate has genuine power to block, amend, or delay legislation.

The Crossbench

Senators who aren't part of the government or main opposition are called the "crossbench." These include:

  • Greens: Usually hold the balance of power when Labor governs
  • Independents: Like Jacqui Lambie, David Pocock
  • Minor party senators: Representing diverse views

When the government needs crossbench votes to pass legislation, these senators have enormous negotiating power. A single crossbench senator can extract significant policy concessions in exchange for their vote.

Senate Committees

Senate committees are where much of Parliament's most important work happens. They:

  • Investigate issues and hold public hearings
  • Examine bills in detail before they're debated
  • Scrutinise government spending (Estimates hearings)
  • Conduct inquiries into matters of public interest

Senate Estimates is particularly important — public servants are questioned about how government money is spent. This is often where waste, mismanagement, and controversial decisions are exposed.

Equal State Representation

Each original state gets 12 senators regardless of population. Tasmania (population 540,000) has the same Senate representation as NSW (population 8 million). This was a condition of smaller states joining the federation in 1901.

This means a Tasmanian senator represents about 45,000 people, while an NSW senator represents about 670,000. Is that fair? It depends on whether you think the Senate should represent people equally or represent states equally.

Tonight's Question

"Is it fair that Tasmania has the same number of senators as NSW? Or should Senate seats be based on population?"

Senate Estimates Roleplay

  1. One person plays a government minister. Others play senators on a committee.
  2. The minister must explain and justify a family "policy" (e.g., the household budget, screen time rules).
  3. Senators ask tough questions: Why this amount? What was the result? Were there alternatives?
  4. The minister must answer honestly and provide evidence.
  5. Discuss: how does accountability change when you have to explain your decisions publicly?

Go Further

  • Watch: Senate Estimates hearings — available on the APH website. See real accountability in action.
  • Research: The "Whitlam Dismissal" of 1975 — how the Senate's power to block supply led to a constitutional crisis.
  • Question: Should Australia abolish the Senate? What would be lost? What would be gained?
  • Book: The Senate: Powerhouse of the Australian Constitution by Rosemary Laing (2016).

What We Simplified

  • The Senate doesn't always block legislation. Most bills pass both houses. The Senate's blocking power is used selectively.
  • Committee work is time-consuming. Senate committees produce thousands of pages of reports annually. Most go largely unread by the public.
  • Territory senators exist too. The ACT and NT each have 2 senators (total 76). Their position is slightly different from state senators.

Sources

  • Parliament of Australia. "Senate Committees." APH Senate
  • Laing, R. (2016). The Senate. Parliamentary Library.
  • Singleton, G. et al. (2013). Australian Political Institutions. 10th ed. Pearson.

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