Citizenship Parliament and Elections 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: What are the two houses of Australia's federal parliament?
- House of Representatives and Senate (Correct answer)
- House of Commons and Senate
- Parliament and Cabinet
- Congress and Senate
Correct answer: House of Representatives and Senate
Australia's federal parliament consists of two houses: the House of Representatives (lower house) and the Senate (upper house).
Question 2: How many senators does each state elect to the Australian Senate?
- 6
- 8
- 10
- 12 (Correct answer)
Correct answer: 12
Each of Australia's six states elects 12 senators to the Senate, giving 72 state senators, plus 2 each from the ACT and NT.
Question 3: Who is the head of government in Australia?
- The President
- The Prime Minister (Correct answer)
- The Governor-General
- The King
Correct answer: The Prime Minister
The Prime Minister is the head of government and leads the party or coalition that holds the majority in the House of Representatives.
Question 4: What is the main constitutional role of the Governor-General?
- To make laws for Australia
- To represent the King and carry out constitutional duties (Correct answer)
- To lead the government in daily matters
- To command the Australian military
Correct answer: To represent the King and carry out constitutional duties
The Governor-General is the King's representative in Australia and performs constitutional duties such as swearing in ministers and formally opening parliament.
Question 5: Where does Australia's federal parliament meet?
- Sydney
- Melbourne
- Brisbane
- Canberra (Correct answer)
Correct answer: Canberra
Australia's federal parliament meets in Parliament House in Canberra, the nation's capital city.
Question 6: How often must elections for the House of Representatives be held at minimum?
- Every 2 years
- Every 3 years (Correct answer)
- Every 4 years
- Every 5 years
Correct answer: Every 3 years
Under the Australian Constitution, elections for the House of Representatives must be held at least every three years.
Question 7: What is the lower house of Australia's federal parliament called?
- The Senate
- The House of Representatives (Correct answer)
- The Legislative Assembly
- The House of Commons
Correct answer: The House of Representatives
The House of Representatives is the lower house of federal parliament, and the government must maintain the confidence of this house to govern.
Citizenship Parliament and Elections 1
What are the two houses of Australia's federal parliament?