Australian House of Representatives, Lower house of Parliament in Canberra, Australia
The Australian House of Representatives is the elected lower chamber of Australia's Parliament in Canberra, with 151 members who propose, debate and vote on federal legislation. The chamber sits within Parliament House in a room with rows of cushioned green benches facing the Speaker's chair and the table of proceedings.
This chamber began operations in 1901 at the founding of the Commonwealth of Australia as part of a bicameral system adapting British parliamentary models to Australian federal needs. It moved into the Old Parliament House in 1927 and then relocated to the current building in 1988.
Representatives address one another through the Speaker, following parliamentary rules that connect British Westminster tradition with Australian legislative practice. The green upholstery of benches and carpets in the chamber recalls the British House of Commons colour scheme and creates a visually recognisable link to the country's parliamentary heritage.
Visitors can observe sessions from public galleries or follow live broadcasts of proceedings directly through official streaming channels. Access to the galleries usually requires advance registration, while online streams are freely available and offer subtitles.
The chamber uses instant-runoff voting, where electors rank candidates by preference to determine winners in electoral divisions. This system allows smaller parties to gain seats through the transfer of preferences, making Australian party composition more varied than in countries using simple majority voting.
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