Parliament of South Australia

Parliament of South Australia
55th Parliament
Coat of arms or logo
Logo
Parliament of South Australia logo
Type
Type
HousesLegislative Council
House of Assembly
SovereignGovernor of South Australia (the representative of the King)[a]
History
Founded22 April 1857 (22 April 1857)
Leadership
Frances Adamson
since 7 October 2021
Leon Bignell, Independent
since 11 April 2024
Terry Stephens, Liberal
since 3 May 2022
Peter Malinauskas, Labor
since 21 March 2022
Vincent Tarzia, Liberal
since 12 August 2024
Structure
Seats69
47 MHAs
22 MLCs
House of Assembly political groups
Government (27)
  Labor (27)

Opposition (14)

  Liberal (14)

Crossbench (6)

  Independent (6)
[b], with Cregan serving in the Cabinet)
Legislative Council political groups
Government (9)
  Labor (9)

Opposition (8)

  Liberal (8)

Crossbench (5)

  Greens (2)
  SA-BEST (1)
Length of term
House: 4 years
Council: 8 years
Elections
Instant-runoff voting
Single transferable vote
First general election
21 February 1851 as unicameral Legislative Council
9 March 1857 as bicameral parliament
Last general election
19 March 2022
Next general election
21 March 2026
RedistrictingRedistributions are carried out after each election by the South Australian Electoral Districts Boundaries Commission.
Meeting place
Parliament House,
Adelaide, South Australia,
Australia
Website
www.parliament.sa.gov.au
Constitution
Constitution of South Australia

The Parliament of South Australia is the bicameral legislature of the Australian state of South Australia. It consists of the 47-seat House of Assembly (lower house) and the 22-seat Legislative Council (upper house).[2] General elections are held every 4 years, with all of the lower house and half of the upper house filled at each election. It follows a Westminster system of parliamentary government with the executive branch required to both sit in parliament and hold the confidence of the House of Assembly. The parliament is based at Parliament House on North Terrace in the state capital of Adelaide.

Unlike the federal parliament and the parliaments of most other states, the South Australian Constitution does not define the parliament as including either the monarch or the governor of South Australia as one of its constituent parts. However, the constitution also vests legislative power in the state's governor acting with the advice and consent of both houses of parliament,[3] making the role of the governor effectively the same as those of the other states.[1]

The parliament may make laws for any matter within South Australia, subject to the Constitution of South Australia. Its power is further limited by the ability for the federal parliament to override it in some circumstances, subject to the Constitution of Australia. Similarly, the Supreme Court of South Australia, and ultimately the High Court of Australia, provides judicial oversight of parliament. The parliament is also vested with other powers, such as the means to investigate matters, conduct research and summon witnesses.[4]

  1. ^ a b Carney, Gerard (2006). The Constitutional Systems of the Australian States and Territories. Cambridge University Press. pp. 78–79. ISBN 9780521863056.
  2. ^ Constitution Act 1934 (SA) s 4
  3. ^ Constitution Act 1934 (SA) s 5 referencing the Australian Constitutions Act 1850 (Imp) 13 & 14 Vict. c 59, s 7.
  4. ^ "Constitution Act 1934". South Australia: Parliament of the South Australia. 1934. Retrieved 9 October 2011.


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