Parliament of Western Australia

Parliament of Western Australia
Parliament of Western Australia
41st Parliament
	Coat of arms of Western Australia
	Parliament of Western Australia logo
Type
Type	Bicameral
Houses	Legislative Council; Legislative Assembly
Sovereign	King (represented by the governor of Western Australia)
History
Founded	30 December 1890; 134 years ago
Leadership
Monarch	Charles III ; since 8 September 2022
Governor	Chris Dawson ; since 15 July 2022
President of the Legislative Council	Alanna Clohesy, Labor ; since 25 May 2021
Speaker of the Legislative Assembly	Stephen Price, Labor ; since 8 April 2025
Premier	Roger Cook, Labor ; since 8 June 2023
Leader of the Opposition	Basil Zempilas, Liberal ; since 25 March 2025
Structure
Seats	95; 59 MLAs; 36 MLCs
Legislative Assembly political groups	Government (46); Labor (46); Opposition (13); Liberal (7); National (6)
Legislative Council political groups	Government (21) ; Labor (21); Opposition (9); Liberal (7); National (2); Crossbench (6); Greens (1); Legalise Cannabis (1); Independent (4)
Elections
Legislative Assembly voting system	Full preferential voting
Legislative Council voting system	Single transferable vote
Last Legislative Assembly election	13 March 2021
Last general election	8 March 2025
Next general election	8 March 2029
Meeting place
	Parliament House,; Perth, Western Australia,; Australia
Website
	parliament.wa.gov.au

The Parliament of Western Australia is the bicameral legislature of the Australian state of Western Australia, which constitutes the legislative branch of the state's political system. The parliament consists of the King (represented by the governor), the Legislative Council (the upper house) and the Legislative Assembly (the lower house).^[1] The two houses of parliament sit in Parliament House in the state capital, Perth.

For a bill to become law, it must be passed by both the Legislative Council and the Legislative Assembly, and receive royal assent from the Governor.

The party or coalition commanding the support of a majority of the members of the Legislative Assembly is invited by the governor to form government. The head of government holds the office of Premier of Western Australia.^[2]

Currently, the Legislative Council has 36 members elected for four-year terms from multi-member constituencies by proportional representation, and the Legislative Assembly has 59 members, elected for four-year terms from single-member constituencies, using preferential voting. As with all other Australian states and territories, enrolment to vote and voting for both Houses is compulsory for all resident Australian citizens—and eligible British citizens (i.e., those permanently resident and on the electoral roll prior to the passage of the Australia Act)—who are over the legal voting age of 18.

History

The Western Australian Legislative Council was created in 1832 as an appointed body. In 1870 the then colony was ruled by a governor and an advisory Legislative Council made up of appointed officials and elected members. The Western Australian Legislative Assembly was created in 1890 when the then colony attained self-government. The first premier was John Forrest, who held office until 1901.

On 3 November 2011, the government introduced fixed four-year terms for Parliament, with elections being held every four years on the second Saturday in March.^[3]^[4] The 2013 state election was the first election under the fixed date system.

Acts of Parliament

The oldest recorded act of Parliament in Western Australia is the Civil Court of Western Australia (1832) act, an act for establishing a Court of Civil Judicature, assented to on 10 February 1832, under the first Governor of Western Australia, James Stirling. It predates the Parliament of Western Australia and was passed by the Western Australian Legislative Council instead.^[5] All up, ten acts were passed in 1832.^[6]

Since 1832, acts have been passed in every year but 1890, the year the Western Australian Parliament was formed.^[5] The last act to be passed prior to the establishment of the Parliament was the Electoral Act 1889,^[7] assented to on 26 June 1890.^[8]

In 2023, the Western Australian Parliament passed 34 acts.^[9]

Longest-serving members

Members of the Western Australian upper and lower houses with over 30 years of service.

Name		Chamber	Start of tenure	End of tenure	Period of service
John Tonkin	Labor	Legislative Assembly	8 April 1933	19 February 1977	43 years, 317 days
Philip Collier	Labor	Legislative Assembly	27 October 1905	18 October 1948	42 years, 357 days
Vernon Hamersley	Country	Legislative Council	5 August 1904	24 October 1946	42 years, 80 days
John Drew	Labor	Legislative Council	14 May 1900	21 May 1918	41 years, 108 days
John Drew	Labor	Legislative Council	16 April 1924	17 July 1947	41 years, 108 days
Sydney Stubbs	Country	Legislative Council	22 May 1908	20 September 1911	39 years, 284 days
Sydney Stubbs	Country	Legislative Assembly	3 October 1911	15 March 1947	39 years, 284 days
William Johnson	Labor	Legislative Assembly	24 April 1901	27 October 1905	39 years, 215 days
			16 July 1906	29 September 1917
			22 March 1924	26 January 1948
Bill Grayden	Liberal	Legislative Assembly	15 March 1947	27 October 1949	39 years, 176 days
Bill Grayden	Liberal	Legislative Assembly	7 April 1956	6 February 1993	39 years, 176 days
Arthur Wilson	Labor	Legislative Assembly	11 September 1908	17 February 1947	38 years, 159 days
Sir John Kirwan	Free Trade	Legislative Council	22 May 1908	21 May 1946	37 years, 364 days
Norman Moore	Liberal	Legislative Council	22 May 1977	21 May 2013	35 years, 364 days
James Hegney	Labor	Legislative Assembly	12 April 1930	15 March 1947	35 years, 344 days
James Hegney	Labor	Legislative Assembly	25 March 1950	23 March 1968	35 years, 344 days
Charles Baxter	Country	Legislative Council	22 May 1914	2 March 1950	35 years, 284 days
Joseph Sleeman	Labor	Legislative Assembly	22 March 1924	21 March 1959	34 years, 364 days
Bert Hawke	Labor	Legislative Assembly	24 April 1933	23 March 1968	34 years, 334 days
Frank Troy	Labor	Legislative Assembly	24 June 1904	18 March 1939	34 years, 267 days
Sir Edward Wittenoom	Nationalist	Legislative Council	30 May 1883	23 January 1884	34 years, 113 days
			25 June 1885	6 November 1886
			16 July 1894	28 April 1898
			12 May 1902	6 November 1906
			13 May 1910	12 May 1934
George Miles	Independent	Legislative Council	18 September 1916	21 May 1950	33 years, 245 days
Colin Jamieson	Labor	Legislative Assembly	14 February 1953	8 February 1986	32 years, 359 days
Charles North	Liberal	Legislative Assembly	22 March 1924	7 April 1956	32 years, 16 days
Eric Heenan	Labor	Legislative Council	22 May 1936	21 May 1968	32 years, 0 days
Clive Griffiths	Liberal	Legislative Council	22 May 1965	21 May 1997	31 years, 364 days
Sir Harold Seddon	Liberal	Legislative Council	22 May 1922	21 May 1954	31 years, 364 days
Sir Ross McLarty	Labor	Legislative Assembly	12 April 1930	31 March 1962	31 years, 353 days
James Mann	Liberal	Legislative Assembly	12 April 1930	31 March 1962	31 years, 353 days
William Marshall	Labor	Legislative Assembly	12 March 1921	19 August 1952	31 years, 160 days
Michelle Roberts	Labor	Legislative Council	19 March 1994	8 March 2025	30 years, 354 days
Gilbert Fraser	Labor	Legislative Council	22 May 1928	1 November 1958	30 years, 163 days
Graham MacKinnon	Liberal	Legislative Council	22 May 1956	21 May 1986	30 years, 0 days

Notes

^ After the 2025 election, the Nationals and Liberals formed an opposition alliance. However, it is not a formal coalition and both parties maintain their independence from each other.
^ After the 2021 election, the Nationals and Liberals formed an opposition alliance. However, it is not a formal coalition and both parties maintain their independence from each other.
^

References

^ Constitution Act 1889 (WA) s 2
^ "Legislative Assembly" (PDF). About Parliament. Parliament of Western Australia. p. 7.1. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 March 2016. Retrieved 20 December 2014.
^ "New laws fix state election dates". ABC News. ABC News (Australia). 4 November 2011. Archived from the original on 7 December 2011. Retrieved 26 January 2012.
^ Green, Antony (8 February 2011). "Future election dates". ABC Elections. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 8 September 2011. Retrieved 26 January 2012.
^ ^a ^b "Acts as passed". www.legislation.wa.gov.au. Government of Western Australia. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
^ "Original Acts as passed: '1832' List of Acts". www.legislation.wa.gov.au. Government of Western Australia. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
^ "Original Acts as passed: '1889' List of Acts". www.legislation.wa.gov.au. Government of Western Australia. Retrieved 11 August 2024.
^ "Electoral Act 1889" (PDF). www.legislation.wa.gov.au. Government of Western Australia. 13 August 1889. Retrieved 7 August 2024.
^ "Original Acts as passed: '2023' List of Acts". www.legislation.wa.gov.au. Government of Western Australia. Retrieved 11 August 2024.

External links

Parliament website

31°57′06″S 115°50′49″E / 31.95167°S 115.84694°E / -31.95167; 115.84694

[fn1-1] After the 2025 election, the Nationals and Liberals formed an opposition alliance. However, it is not a formal coalition and both parties maintain their independence from each other.

[2] After the 2021 election, the Nationals and Liberals formed an opposition alliance. However, it is not a formal coalition and both parties maintain their independence from each other.

[3] 
Louise Kingston

Wilson Tucker

Sophia Moermond

Ben Dawkins

[4] Louise Kingston

[5] Wilson Tucker

[6] Sophia Moermond

[7] Ben Dawkins

[4] Constitution Act 1889 (WA) s 2

[5] "Legislative Assembly" (PDF). About Parliament. Parliament of Western Australia. p. 7.1. Archived from the original (PDF) on 7 March 2016. Retrieved 20 December 2014.

[6] "New laws fix state election dates". ABC News. ABC News (Australia). 4 November 2011. Archived from the original on 7 December 2011. Retrieved 26 January 2012.

[7] Green, Antony (8 February 2011). "Future election dates". ABC Elections. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on 8 September 2011. Retrieved 26 January 2012.

[Acts-8] "Acts as passed". www.legislation.wa.gov.au. Government of Western Australia. Retrieved 11 August 2024.

[9] "Original Acts as passed: '1832' List of Acts". www.legislation.wa.gov.au. Government of Western Australia. Retrieved 11 August 2024.

[10] "Original Acts as passed: '1889' List of Acts". www.legislation.wa.gov.au. Government of Western Australia. Retrieved 11 August 2024.

[11] "Electoral Act 1889" (PDF). www.legislation.wa.gov.au. Government of Western Australia. 13 August 1889. Retrieved 7 August 2024.

[12] "Original Acts as passed: '2023' List of Acts". www.legislation.wa.gov.au. Government of Western Australia. Retrieved 11 August 2024.

[a]

[b]

[c]

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]

[9]

v t e Members of the Parliament of Western Australia
Legislative Assembly	1890–1894 1894–1897 1897–1901 1901–1904 1904–1905 1905–1908 1908–1911 1911–1914 1914–1917 1917–1921 1921–1924 1924–1927 1927–1930 1930–1933 1933–1936 1936–1939 1939–1943 1943–1947 1947–1950 1950–1953 1953–1956 1956–1959 1959–1962 1962–1965 1965–1968 1968–1971 1971–1974 1974–1977 1977–1980 1980–1983 1983–1986 1986–1989 1989–1993 1993–1996 1996–2001 2001–2005 2005–2008 2008–2013 2013–2017 2017–2021 2021–2025 2025–2029
Legislative Council	1832–1870 1870–1872 1872–1874 1890–1894 1894–1896 1896–1898 1898–1900 1900–1902 1902–1904 1904–1906 1906–1908 1908–1910 1910–1912 1912–1914 1914–1916 1916–1918 1918–1920 1920–1922 1922–1924 1924–1926 1926–1928 1928–1930 1930–1932 1932–1934 1934–1936 1936–1938 1938–1940 1940–1944 1944–1946 1946–1948 1948–1950 1950–1952 1952–1954 1954–1956 1956–1958 1958–1960 1960–1962 1962–1965 1965–1968 1968–1971 1971–1974 1974–1977 1977–1980 1980–1983 1983–1986 1986–1989 1989–1993 1993–1997 1997–2001 2001–2005 2005–2009 2009–2013 2013–2017 2017–2021 2021–2025 2025–2029

v t e Government of Western Australia
Executive	Monarchy Governor Premier Deputy Premier Cabinet Entities Police
Legislative	Parliament Legislative Assembly MLAs Electoral districts Speaker Legislative Council MLCs Electoral regions President Opposition Leader
Judicial	Supreme Court District Court Children's Court Family Court Magistrates Court Other courts and tribunals