How Queensland lost its Upper House
Constitutional Clarion Constitutional Clarion
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 Published On Jul 31, 2024

While all other Australian States have bicameral Parliaments, Queensland is unique in being unicameral (along the with Territory legislatures). This video explains how Queensland came to lose its upper House - a tale which involves a lost referendum, a bit of skulduggery and a cameo from Winston Churchill.

It discusses the constitutional deadlock process that led to the referendum and the legal challenge to it in Taylor v Attorney-General (Qld). It explains how the Governor refused to 'swamp' the Legislative Council, but how a Lieutenant-Governor, who was a former Labor MP, did just that, giving Labor the numbers in the Legislative Council to vote to abolish itself. It then notes how Churchill advised the King to give assent to the reserved Bill.

It concludes by contrasting the position with that in New South Wales, where swamping attempts and a referendum both failed to abolish the Legislative Council.

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