Parliament of the Commonwealth
Parliament of the Commonwealth | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Type | |
| Type | |
| Houses | Commonwealth Senate Commonwealth Assembly |
Term limits | 10 Years |
| History | |
| Founded | June 1619, 399 years ago |
| Preceded by | Assembly of Aldian Nations |
New session started | November 2012 |
| Leadership | |
Speaker of the Assembly | Forte Attley, Labor since 2012 Legislative Election |
Speaker of the Senate | Laars Fjordrekson, Labor since 2012 Legislative Election |
| Structure | |
 | |
Assembly political groups | 520 Seats Government (269) Opposition (243)
Crossbench (8)
|
 | |
Senate political groups | 100 Seats Government (40) Opposition (35)
Crossbench (25)
|
| Elections | |
Assembly voting system | Instant-Runoff Voting |
Senate voting system | Single Transferable Vote |
| Constitution | |
| Declaration of the Commonwealth | |
The Parliament of the Commonwealth, commonly known as the Commonwealth Parliament is the supreme legislative body within the Commonwealth of Aldia and its extra-solar territories. All other political bodies within the Commonwealth, with the exception of the executive, judicial bodies, ultimately answer to the Commonwealth Parliament. Its head is the Chancellor of the Commonwealth, its seat is at Domain Interchange at Parliament Square within Fortem, the capital city of the Commonwealth. The Commonwealth Parliament is a bicameral parliament and is comprised of two houses: the Commonwealth Assembly and the Commonwealth Senate. The Parliament of the Commonwealth is based on a unique hybrid parliamentarian system. It combines some aspects of the Westminster model of a lower house with the United States Congress model of an upper house. The Commonwealth Assembly is the lower house and proposes legislation to the upper house to be approved and ratified and monitors the government. The Commonwealth Senate is the upper house, is proportionally elected and is vested with significant powers as it has the capacity to either pass or block legislation put forward by the Chancellor and the Commonwealth Assembly.
Membership within the Commonwealth Assembly & Senate represents all twelve nation states of the Aldian System, its extra-solar territories and space habitats. The Commonwealth Senate consists of 100 members while Commonwealth Assembly consists of 520 seats. Politics within the Commonwealth Assembly has historically been dominated by major three parties: the Labor Party (Labor), the United Greens (Greens) and the Coalition (Liberals, Democrats & Conservatives). A fourth faction: the New Colonial Alliance, an alliance of colonial parties to better represent the interest & voice of the outer colonies, has recently gained more seats in parliament. In the 2012 Legislative Elections the NCA was able to take 76 seats in the Assembly and 14 seats in the Senate. Elections take place once every ten years which allows governments to adopt a more long-term approach towards strategic planning & policy making. Labor has been in government since the 1873 Presidential & Legislative Elections, having removed the Coalition from power after more than fifty years in power.
As noted, the Commonwealth Senate is vested with significantly higher powers as it possess the ability to block passage of a bill proposed by either the lower house or Chancellor. In the event that a bill that has been passed by the Assembly is blocked twice by the Senate, then the Speaker of the Assembly may advise the President of the Commonwealth for a double dissolution. This act will dissolve one or both the Commonwealth Assembly & Senate, bringing forward a snap election. If after a double dissolution the same bill still cannot be approved by both houses then the President will convene for a joint sitting of both houses where the bill, or bills, and any of its amendments will be considered by both houses. As its name suggests a joint siting is when members of both houses of the Commonwealth Parliament sit together as one legislative body to consider and/or deliberate a bill or bills. A joint sitting is a very rare occasion and has only occurred once.