There are a total of 69 members of parliament in South Australia and they represent the public. They are divided between two houses known as
- House of Assembly (Lower House)
- Legislative Council (Upper House)
Members of parliament get feedback from the public to put together laws and bills for the benefit of the community.
House of Assembly
The House of Assembly consists of 47 members. Each member represents one of the 47 electorates of South Australia. Each electorate is represented by a 'seat' in Parliament. Elections for the House of Assembly occur every 4 years at state elections. The political party or coalition of parties, that wins the most seats at the state election forms government. The leader of the winning political party becomes the Premier of South Australia.
The House of Assembly is where most legislation starts. Members of the House of Assembly introduce legislation. It is discussed and voted on. If it is supported by over 50% of the members, the legislation is passed by the House of Assembly. It is then sent to the Legislative Council for review.
A full list of members of the House of Assembly is available on the Parliament of South Australia website.
Legislative Council
The Legislative Council consists of 22 members. Members are elected for a term of 8 years. At each state election half of the Legislative Council seats are filled. Members for the other half of the seats are elected at the subsequent state election.
Legislative Council members review legislation that has been passed by the House of Assembly.
A full list of members of the Legislative Council is available on the Parliament of South Australia website.