Legal - Australian parliament [2]

How long are the terms of the House of Representatives?

• 2 years
• 3 years
• 4 years
• 5 years

Voting in Australia is....

• Compulsory for all citizens.
• only done by postal vote.
• carried out by citizens aged 16 and over.
• done by all residents.

On average, how many people live in each electorate?

• 15,000
• 50,000
• 150,000
• 1.5 Million

The concurrent law-making powers of the state and Commonwealth parliaments may be exercised by:

• a state parliament if the Commonwealth Parliament has not already exercised the power
• the Commonwealth Parliament where a state parliament has not already exercised the power
• both a state and the Commonwealth parliaments, but Commonwealth legislation may override the state’s legislation where an inconsistency exists
• both a state and the Commonwealth parliaments, but state legislation may override the Commonwealth’s legislation if there is an inconsistency

If a Commonwealth law is challenged in the High Court as not within their constitutional law-making powers, the court must:

• determine whether the law falls within one of the heads of power given to the Commonwealth by Section 51 of the Constitution
• mediate between the states and Commonwealth to determine whether the law is appropriate for the exercise of the Commonwealth
• look to the consequences of declaring the law valid and exercise its discretion in the best interests of the community
• determine whether the law is necessary for the implementation of international obligations of Australia as a nation

The term ‘residual powers’ refers to those powers which:

• remain with the British parliament as a result of the Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act 1900
• may be exercised by both the state and Commonwealth parliaments, but on which the Commonwealth Parliament has not yet legislated
• were held by the Australian colonies before federation and which remained with the state parliaments after Federation
• remained exclusively with the Commonwealth Parliament after the state parliaments had been given their powers

The Australian Constitution:

• can be altered by a majority agreement of parliament in the event that a referendum fails on two successive occasions
• can only be altered if the majority of both houses approved a referendum proposal which is subsequently passed by a majority of voters in a majority of states
• can be altered against the wishes of both houses of the Commonwealth Parliament in the event of public pressure leading to a referendum
• can be altered by way of referendum if the proposal has the approval of both houses of parliament

Does the Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act 1900 affect the legislative powers of the Commonwealth Parliament?

• Yes, it restricts that parliament’s ability to make effective laws because it specifically prohibits the Commonwealth from making some laws.
• No, it deals only with the states and the powers of the state parliaments.
• Yes, it has given some powers exclusively to the state parliament.
• No, it establishes the Commonwealth of Australia as a federation, and thus the state parliaments lost all the powers they previously had.

Each level of government—Commonwealth and state—has initial responsibility in certain areas of the law. Which one of the following areas lies largely in the control of the Commonwealth?

• motor traffic and liabilities of motorists
• currency and legal tender
• town planning
• crime

Who is the current Prime Minister of Australia?

• Scott Morrison

• Malcolm Turnbull

• Tony Abbott

• Bill Shorten