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Women In The 45th Australian Parliament

May 10, 2017

Women make up one-third of the 45th Parliament of Australia.

There are now 75 women in both houses, representing 33.18% of the combined total of 226 members. It was 30.97% at the end of the 44th Parliament.

There are 43 women (28.66%) in the 150-member House of Representatives, and 32 (42.10%) in the 76-member Senate.

With 43 members in both chambers, the ALP has the largest number of women (45.26%) in the parliament. The Liberal Party and Nationals combined have 21 members (20%).

The Greens (10 members in both houses) and the Nick Xenophon Team (4 members in both houses) each have 50-50 male-female representation.

At the 2016 double dissolution election, 30 women were elected to the Senate. Following the resignation of the ALP’s Stephen Conroy, the Victorian casual vacancy was filled by Kimberley Kitching. Following the resignation of Family First’s Bob Day, the South Australian casual vacancy was filled by Lucy Gichuhi, who sits as an independent. [Read more…]

Filed Under: 2016 Federal Election, A.L.P., Greens, House of Reps, Liberal National Party, Liberal Party, Members, NXT, One Nation, Senate, The Nationals, Women Tagged With: , , , , ,

Stephen Conroy Announces Resignation From Senate In Undelivered Speech

Sep 16, 2016

Senator Stephen Conroy, the ALP’s deputy leader in the upper house, has announced his resignation in an undelivered speech to the Senate that was tabled last night.

Conroy

Conroy, 53, rose in the Senate at 8.53pm, at the end of the second-reading debate on the government’s Omnibus Bill of expenditure cuts. He made a brief comment and tabled a speech.

The Senate then went on to debate crossbench amendments to the legislation. The third reading of the bill took place at 11.35pm and the Senate adjourned at 11.38pm. Conroy’s resignation only came to light this morning, although the Hansard transcript would have gone online in the early hours. [Read more…]

Filed Under: A.L.P., Audio, Senate, Valedictory Speeches, VIC, Video Tagged With: ,

Current Federal Parliamentary Leaders

Aug 30, 2016

Each political party represented in the Federal Parliament elects leaders in each house.

Just as the government is decided in the House of Representatives, so the parties elect their leaders and deputy leaders from amongst their representatives in the House. If the party is not represented in the lower house, its leader will be chosen from amongst its members in the Senate.

These tables are correct as of the first day of the 45th Parliament, August 30, 2016. The Liberal, Nationals and ALP positions are unchanged from those that applied immediately prior to the July 2 double dissolution election. Senate parties with more than one senator have been included for the first time. [Read more…]

Filed Under: A.L.P., Greens, House of Reps, Leaders, Liberal National Party, Liberal Party, NXT, One Nation, Senate, The Nationals, Turnbull Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Victorian Senate Results Finalised; Liberals Gain 1, Greens Keep 2, Hinch Elected

Aug 03, 2016

The Senate results for Victoria were finalised and announced today.

The Coalition picked up one seat to hold 5 (Liberal 4, Nationals 1), whilst the ALP retained its 4 seats. The Greens held their 2 senators and the remaining seat was taken by Derryn Hinch.

The Coalition polled 33.11% of the primary vote and secured the re-election of its 4 sitting senators – Mitch Fifield, Bridget McKenzie (Nats), Scott Ryan and James Paterson – plus a new member, Jane Hume.

The ALP polled 30.73%, enough to re-elect its 4 senators: Kim Carr, Stephen Conroy, Jacinta Collins and Gavin Marshall.

The Greens polled 10.87%, re-electing the party’s leader, Richard Di Natale and Janet Rice. Rice’s election means that the Greens have lost just one senator in the election, Robert Simms, in South Australia. With its 9 seats, the party will hold a vital balance of power position in the Senate, with the Coalition expected to finish with 30 seats.

Derryn Hinch’s Justice Party polled 6.05% and has secured the election of Derryn Hinch. The former broadcaster was elected on largely state issues related to sex offences and sentencing.

Two previous senators were defeated. Ricky Muir of the Australian Motoring Enthusiast Party managed just 0.91% of the vote. Muir was elected in 2013 off a primary vote of 0.51% and a complex series of preference deals permitted at the time through the system of group voting tickets. John Madigan, who was elected as a Democratic Labour Party candidate but subsequently sat as in independent before forming his own party, was also defeated. Madigan won just 0.15% of the primary vote. [Read more…]

Filed Under: 2016 Federal Election, A.L.P., AEC, Greens, Liberal Party, Senate, Turnbull, VIC Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
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