Template:POTD/2025-10-10
The Australian Senate is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Australia, the lower house being the House of Representatives. It meets at Parliament House in the national capital, Canberra. There are 76 senators, elected through single transferable vote in state-wide and territory-wide elections. Each of the six Australian states elects 12 senators, while the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory elect 2 each. The role of the Senate is defined in the constitution of Australia and it has almost equal powers to the lower house. In contrast to other countries with a Westminster system of government, the Australian Senate plays an active role in legislation, although in practice most legislation is initiated by the government, which controls the lower house. This photograph shows the chamber where the Senate meets.Photograph credit: JJ Harrison