The Parliament consists of two Houses (the Senate and the House of Representatives), and the King, represented in Australia by the Governor General.

In 1901 the Australian Constitution established the Australian Parliament, also known as the federal Parliament or the Commonwealth Parliament.

The Australian Parliament has four main roles:

• Making and changing federal laws.
• Representing the people of Australia.
• Providing a place where government is formed.
• Keeping a check on the work of the government

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Parliamentary Departments

The work of the Australian Parliament – its Members, Senators and parliamentary committees – is supported by four separate departments:

Note: Information about the legal framework for these four departments is contained in the Parliamentary Service Act 1999

Publications and policies

There are a number of publications that explain the work of the Parliament, and the various practices and procedures of the chambers, as well as policies about the workings of Parliament House.

Employment

Find out about current jobs in the four parliamentary departments:

• Department of the Senate
• Department of Parliamentary Services
• Department of House of Representatives
• Parliamentary Budget Office

The Parliamentary Workplace Support Service

The Parliamentary Workplace Support Service (PWSS) is an independent and confidential service available to support everyone who works or volunteers in a Commonwealth Parliamentary workplace (CPW). Find out more

Education Resources

If you would like to know more about different aspects of the work of Parliament, the Parliamentary Education Office has a range of on-line material. Other material can be found at:

• Department of the Senate
• Department of the House of Representatives
• Department of Parliamentary Services
• Parliamentary Budget Office