The Senate is the upper house of the Parliament of Australia. The Senate is comprised of 76 Senators – 12 from each of the six states and 2 from each territory – who are elected using a proportional representation election system.

Senators normally serve fixed six-year terms, beginning their terms on July 1 following the election and ceasing on June 30 six years later. At most federal elections, 40 of the 76 senators (half of the senators from the States and all four of the senators from the Territories) are contested, along with the entire House of Representatives.

The Senate typically sit for 50 to 60 days a year, with the majority of these days grouped into “sitting fortnights” or two four-day weeks. The main role of the Senate is to vote on bills: for bills to receive royal assent, they must first be passed by a majority through both the House of Representatives and the Senate, but not necessarily in that order. With the exception of appropriation and taxation bills, legislation can originate in the upper house. While traditionally upper houses around the world are limited to being houses of review, the Australian Senate plays an active role in legislation. In addition to their work in the main chamber, the Senate has a large number of committees which deal with matters referred to them by the Senate. The committees also conduct Senate Estimates hearing three times a year in which the government’s budget and operations are examined.