Members of Parliament

What is a Member of Parliament?

A Member of Parliament is a person who has been elected to the House of Representatives by the people of his or her electoral division.

Some Members also hold a parliamentary office and have special tasks and functions in addition to their regular duties as a Member. Among these are the Prime Minister, the Speaker, Ministers, Parliamentary Secretaries, the Leader of the Opposition, and the whips. All other Members, including shadow Ministers are private Members.

There were 975 Members of the House of Representatives from January 1901 to May 2001.

What does a Member do?

All Members have tasks and responsibilities relating to:

• the nation,
• the House of Representatives,
• the people of their electorate, and
• their political party.

In the House of Representatives Chamber, Members debate proposed new laws and examine government policies. Members also serve on committees that investigate a variety of government activities.

In their electorates, Members are involved in community affairs and support local organisations. They also work to explain the policies and activities of the Parliament to the voters.

Australia’s first Members

Australia’s first House of Representatives had 75 Members, all of whom were male.