The two houses of Parliament
Victoria's Parliament is bicameral — two houses that both need to agree before a bill becomes law. Both are elected on the same day, every four years. Both will be on your ballot this November.
Legislative Assembly (lower house)
Also called the "house of government" — this is where the Premier sits and the government is formed, by whichever party or coalition holds a majority of seats.
- 88 members, one per district
- Districts are drawn to be roughly equal in population (~50,000 voters each)
- Elected by full preferential voting
- Members called MP or MLA
- Fixed 4-year term
Legislative Council (upper house)
Also called the "house of review" — scrutinises and amends legislation passed by the lower house. Governments often don't have a majority here, so the balance of power sits with minor parties and independents.
- 40 members — 5 per region
- 8 regions: 5 metropolitan, 3 regional
- Each region covers 11 districts
- Elected by proportional representation (Single Transferable Vote)
- Members called MLC
- Fixed 4-year term — all 40 seats up every election
Why have two houses?
The lower house produces decisive government — whichever side has 45+ of the 88 seats forms the government. The upper house, being proportionally elected, is more diverse and acts as a brake on the government, forcing it to negotiate.
Current composition (60th Parliament, 2022–2026)
- Labor has governed in majority since 2014, re-elected in 2022 with 55 seats (now effectively 54 after a defection).
- The Liberal–National Coalition is the opposition with 28–29 combined seats.
- In the upper house, the government has 15 seats and governs with crossbench support.