Comparing The Roles Of Parliament In Australia And The United Kingdom

Since the dawn of civilization, states all over the globe have lived according to the systems that they themselves have deemed efficient. No two regions of the world operate in the exact same manner despite how obvious their commonalities may appear to be. However, the two global power players of Australia and the United Kingdom both have an almost limitless amount of differences between them and nothing but ancient ties holding them together, yet one thing that they both seem to share is that somewhere within their operation of their government they utilize a parliamentary system. What are the respective roles of Parliament in Australia and Britain? The analysis of these different parliamentary structures allows society as a whole to further

understand varying governmental systems, and that their exteriors don’t necessarily define their means of operation.
To determine what is different, one must first find out what is in common. First there must be an established understanding of what makes up the average parliament. “A parliamentary system of government is one in which the government governs in and through the assembly, thereby 'fusing' the legislative and executive branches. Although they are formally distinct, the assembly and the executive (usually seen as the government) are bound together in a way that violates the doctrine of the separation of powers, setting Parliamentary systems clearly apart from Presidential ones.” By a quick glance Australia and the UK have seemingly few similarities as individual states, let alone what their parliaments potentially act like. The UK is state that has played a major role through the formation of just about every other countries’ history, especially Australia’s, since its formation. Naturally being a government that flourished economically, it has constantly been at the forefront of the modern age and paved the way in nearly every history book across the globe. Originally a dumping ground for Great Britain’s felons, Australia eventually gained independence in 1986 and ever since has been a defining force that remains behind the scenes in many global events. Yet under the hood there is much more to these two states than meets the eye. There are three prominent components that factor into what is universally known to create and make up a modern day parliament, the first being if it is unicameral and bicameral. This defines weather the parliament is made up of one or two chambers. This is fundamentally important because this alone determines how these parliaments negotiate and vote on a limitless array of topics at any given time. The next thing to know is of the leadership that is in power, this can range from anything like a monarch that it rules under or the elected senate officials. Finally, there is procedure, this breaks down the steps taken throughout the process of the average parliament’s meeting or session and the strict rules each parliament has set up. It is vital that there is a well-rounded understanding of these steps especially for the people living under a bicameral parliament because without knowing how it plays a role in the grand scheme of the government it waters down the gravity of it entirely.
"The basic framework of the British Parliament can still be seen in Australia.

Six of its nine parliaments are bicameral and Australian Parliamentary officials have much of the same roles and titles as their British counterparts." Best said by Australian professor and author Allan J. Ward, the bare bones of the Australian chambers are eerily similar to that of their former ruler. Both states are bicameral, having both ruled utilizing the two chamber system this essentially means that there are two individual bodies working in an effort to reach a common ground. In the UK they are called the House of Commons and the House of Lords and in Australia they are referred to as Senate and the House of Representatives, similar to The United States. Despite the name change, these two chambers both relatively have similar levels of power and responsibilities. Each divide up the parliament into separate halves, this allows there to be up to two opposing sides with different ideological stances fighting for full legislative power. They are not only in charge of presenting topics for debate but are to be held accountable for accurately representing the people of their country. Along with these other responsibilities the bicameral parliaments often ensure that the executive power of their state is operating in accords to what is in the best interest of continued prosperity. “Debates are the oldest method by which the two Houses subject the actions of the executive to critical scrutiny." For new legislature to be passed such as laws or bills, each parliament operates under a majority rules voting style. So these bicameral parliaments each have their two chambers hold assemblies in an effort to either find a common ground or attempt to sell their side’s argument. Through healthy debates and negotiations each voice is backed by a represented side. “Relations between the two Houses were generally harmonious, and bicameral groupings of members were able to coordinate strategy

both formally, in joint committees and conference or both Houses, and more informally, through personal connections.” Aside from the occasional heated discussion, these debates remain to a pivotal start and a crucial center point to how these two sides make up one parliament.