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Parliament of Western Australia
41st Parliament
Coat of arms of Western Australia
Parliament of Western Australia logo
Type
Type	Bicameral
Houses	Legislative Council Legislative Assembly
Sovereign	King (represented by the governor of Western Australia)
History
Founded	30 December 1890; 133 years ago (30 December 1890)
Leadership
Monarch	Charles III since 8 September 2022
Governor	Chris Dawson since 15 July 2022
President of the Legislative Council	Alanna Clohesy, Labor since 25 May 2021
Speaker of the Legislative Assembly	Michelle Roberts, Labor since 29 April 2021
Premier	Roger Cook, Labor since 8 June 2023
Leader of the Opposition	Shane Love, National since 30 January 2023
Structure
Seats	95 59 MLAs 36 MLCs
Legislative Assembly political groups	Government (53)   Labor (53) Opposition (6)   National (3)   Liberal (3)
Legislative Council political groups	Government (21)   Labor (21) Opposition (9)   Liberal (7)   National (2) Crossbench (6)   Legalise Cannabis (1)   Greens (1)   One Nation (1)   Independent (3)
Elections
Legislative Assembly voting system	Full preferential voting
Legislative Council voting system	Single transferable vote
Last Legislative Assembly election	13 March 2021
Last general election	13 March 2021
Next general election	8 March 2025
Meeting place
Parliament House, Perth, Western Australia, Australia
Website
parliament.wa.gov.au

The Parliament of Western Australia is the bicameral legislature of the Australian state of Western Australia, which constitutes the legislative branch of the state's political system. The parliament consists of the King (represented by the governor), the Legislative Council (the upper house) and the Legislative Assembly (the lower house). The two houses of parliament sit in Parliament House in the state capital, Perth.

For a bill to become law, it must be passed by both the Legislative Council and the Legislative Assembly, and receive royal assent from the Governor.

The party or coalition commanding the support of a majority of the members of the Legislative Assembly is invited by the governor to form government. The head of government holds the office of Premier of Western Australia.

Currently, the Legislative Council has 36 members elected for four-year terms from multi-member constituencies by proportional representation, and the Legislative Assembly has 59 members, elected for four-year terms from single-member constituencies, using preferential voting. As with all other Australian states and territories, enrolment to vote and voting for both Houses is compulsory for all resident Australian citizens—and eligible British citizens (i.e., those permanently resident and on the electoral roll prior to the passage of the Australia Act)—who are over the legal voting age of 18.

History

The Western Australian Legislative Council was created in 1832 as an appointed body. In 1870 the then colony was ruled by a governor and an advisory Legislative Council made up of appointed officials and elected members. The Western Australian Legislative Assembly was created in 1890 when the then colony attained self-government. The first premier was John Forrest, who held office until 1901.

On 3 November 2011, the government introduced fixed four-year terms for Parliament, with elections being held every four years on the second Saturday in March. The 2013 state election was the first election under the fixed date system.

Acts of Parliament

The oldest recorded act of Parliament in Western Australia is the Civil Court of Western Australia (1832) act, an act for establishing a Court of Civil Judicature, assented to on 10 February 1832, under the first Governor of Western Australia, James Stirling. It predates the Parliament of Western Australia and was passed by the Western Australian Legislative Council instead. All up, ten acts were passed in 1832.

Since 1832, acts have been passed in every year but 1890, the year the Western Australian Parliament was formed. The last act to be passed prior to the establishment of the Parliament was the Electoral Act 1889, assented to on 26 June 1890.

In 2023, the Western Australian Parliament passed 34 acts.

See also

• 2021 Western Australian state election
• Parliaments of the Australian states and territories
• List of Western Australian railway-related acts

Notes

1. ^ After the 2021 election, the Nationals and Liberals formed an opposition alliance. However, it is not a formal coalition and both parties maintain their independence from each other.
2. • Louise Kingston
   • Wilson Tucker
   • Sophia Moermond

References

1. Constitution Act 1889 (WA) s 2
2. "Legislative Assembly" (PDF). About Parliament. Parliament of Western Australia. p. 7.1. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 March 2016. Retrieved 20 December 2014.
3. "New laws fix state election dates". ABC News. ABC News (Australia). 4 November 2011. Archived from the original on 7 December 2011. Retrieved 26 January 2012.
4. Green, Antony (8 February 2011). "Future election dates". ABC Elections. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 8 September 2011. Retrieved 26 January 2012.
5. ^ "Acts as passed". www.legislation.wa.gov.au. Government of Western Australia. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
6. "Original Acts as passed: '1832' List of Acts". www.legislation.wa.gov.au. Government of Western Australia. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
7. "Original Acts as passed: '1889' List of Acts". www.legislation.wa.gov.au. Government of Western Australia. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
8. "Electoral Act 1889" (PDF). www.legislation.wa.gov.au. Government of Western Australia. 13 August 1889. Retrieved 7 August 2024.
9. "Original Acts as passed: '2023' List of Acts". www.legislation.wa.gov.au. Government of Western Australia. Retrieved 11 August 2024.

External links

• Parliament website

v t e Members of the Parliament of Western Australia
Legislative Assembly	1890–1894 1894–1897 1897–1901 1901–1904 1904–1905 1905–1908 1908–1911 1911–1914 1914–1917 1917–1921 1921–1924 1924–1927 1927–1930 1930–1933 1933–1936 1936–1939 1939–1943 1943–1947 1947–1950 1950–1953 1953–1956 1956–1959 1959–1962 1962–1965 1965–1968 1968–1971 1971–1974 1974–1977 1977–1980 1980–1983 1983–1986 1986–1989 1989–1993 1993–1996 1996–2001 2001–2005 2005–2008 2008–2013 2013–2017 2017–2021 2021–2025
Legislative Council	1832–1870 1870–1872 1872–1874 1890–1894 1894–1896 1896–1898 1898–1900 1900–1902 1902–1904 1904–1906 1906–1908 1908–1910 1910–1912 1912–1914 1914–1916 1916–1918 1918–1920 1920–1922 1922–1924 1924–1926 1926–1928 1928–1930 1930–1932 1932–1934 1934–1936 1936–1938 1938–1940 1940–1944 1944–1946 1946–1948 1948–1950 1950–1952 1952–1954 1954–1956 1956–1958 1958–1960 1960–1962 1962–1965 1965–1968 1968–1971 1971–1974 1974–1977 1977–1980 1980–1983 1983–1986 1986–1989 1989–1993 1993–1997 1997–2001 2001–2005 2005–2009 2009–2013 2013–2017 2017–2021 2021–2025

v t e Parliaments of Australia – Federal, states and territories
Federal States Internal Territories Australia Senate House of Rep. New South Wales Council Assembly Queensland Council Assembly South Australia Council Assembly Tasmania Council Assembly Victoria Council Assembly Western Australia Council Assembly Australian Capital Territory Assembly Northern Territory Assembly

v t e Government of Western Australia
Executive	Monarchy Governor Premier Deputy Premier Cabinet Entities Police
Legislative	Parliament Legislative Assembly MLAs Electoral districts Speaker Legislative Council MLCs Electoral regions President Opposition Leader
Judicial	Supreme Court District Court Children's Court Family Court Magistrates Court Other courts and tribunals

31°57′06″S 115°50′49″E / 31.95167°S 115.84694°E / -31.95167; 115.84694

• Parliament of Western Australia
• Bicameral legislatures