The Queensland Parliament consists of the Monarch and the Legislative Assembly. In accordance with the State’s constitution, the Monarch is personally represented by the Governor.

The Queensland Parliament is unicameral, meaning it has only one parliamentary chamber, the Legislative Assembly. The upper chamber, the Legislative Council, was abolished in 1922.

There are currently 93 members of the Legislative Assembly who each serve for a fixed four-year term.

Parliament House is located at the corner of George and Alice Streets in the Brisbane central business district and is surrounded by the City Botanic Gardens, the Queensland University of Technology Gardens Point campus and the Brisbane River.

 

A day in the Life of the Queensland Parliament

The following provides an outline of the routine of business during a sitting day in the Queensland Parliament. Several procedures that happen on different days have been included in order to demonstrate the various types occurring during a parliamentary week.

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The Executive Government of Queensland

Queensland's system of Government is a constitutional monarchy and, in its broadest sense, consists of the Governor and Executive Council, and the Legislative Assembly, with the judiciary completing the constitutional trinity.

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Officers of the Queensland Parliament

The Queensland Parliament is presided over by a number of officers who are responsible for the proceedings of the Legislative Assembly's business and the daily administration of the parliamentary complex.

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The Origins of the Queensland Parliament

The Queensland Parliament can trace its origins back to the British parliamentary or Westminster system. Because Britain was the colonising nation and the majority of Queensland’s early settlers were of British ancestry, it was a natural consequence that the colony’s legislature would be based on the British model.

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The Queensland Parliament and Parliamentary Process

(Including the parliamentary calendar, the parliamentary chamber, the opening of Parliament, the election of the Speaker, the Governor’s opening Speech and the Address-in-Reply debate) Meetings of Parliament involve complex and time-honoured processes based on tradition, the Standing and Sessional Orders, as well as the volatile, unpredictable ingredients resulting from adversarial, party politics.

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Parliamentary Scrutiny via Parliamentary Committees

Although Executive Governments originate from the Parliament, because of the advent of 20th century political parties they have tended to develop wills of their own. Over the years, therefore, the Parliament has evolved particular procedures and structures which are aimed at scrutinising an Executive Government's policies and performance.

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The Queensland Parliament and the Financial Process

The scrutiny by Parliament of the Government's annual financial requirements is an important and powerful feature of the legislature's role, and personifies the House of Commons' long, arduous battle that eventually saw it gain control over the British monarchs' revenues and expenditures.

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The Queensland Parliament and the Legislative Process

One of the principal and familiar roles of the Queensland Parliament involves the passing of legislation which establishes the laws of the State. A piece of legislation passed by the Parliament becomes an Act or Statute, and in its draft form prior to and during its legislative passage is called a Bill.

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The Queensland Constitution

Until recently, Queensland’s Constitution was located within a diverse range of legislative instruments, i.e. statutes (Imperial, Federal, State), Letters Patent, proclamations and an Order in Council. However, as a result of the work of a number of bodies, the Queensland Constitution has been consolidated into the Constitution of Queensland 2001 which came into effect on Queensland Day (6 June) 2002.

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The Queensland Electoral System

Queensland’s present electoral system is governed by the Electoral Act 1992, which creates an independent authority, the Electoral Commission of Queensland, to — conduct State elections, by-elections and referendums; administer Queensland’s electoral laws; maintain the electoral roll; conduct redistributions of electoral district boundaries; undertake research; and educate Queenslanders about their democratic rights and obligations.

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The Role of Parliament

The Queensland Parliament is often viewed as an historic, sandstone structure which is located at the end of George Street, Brisbane, and is somehow connected to the State's laws.

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Separation of Powers

In its purest sense the doctrine separation of powers refers to the distinct separation of the three branches of Government - the legislature, the Executive and the judiciary.

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Information on Parliament

The Mace is the symbol of the Parliament’s authority via the Speaker, which has been derived from the Crown.

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Learn About Parliament

The Queensland Parliament's structure and functions

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Information For

Helpful information for Teachers, Students, Lawyers, Media, Members and support staff, First time visitors and government agencies

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