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Since the Federation of Australia in 1901, Western Australia has been a state of the Commonwealth of Australia, and the Constitution of Australia regulates its relationship with the Commonwealth. Under the Australian Constitution, Western Australia ceded legislative and judicial supremacy to the Commonwealth, but retained powers in all matters ...
Western Australia v Commonwealth, [1] also known as the First Territory Senators' Case, was an important decision of the High Court of Australia concerning the procedure in section 57 of the Constitution and the representation of territories in the Senate.
Record board of the West Australian showing results for the Popular Referendum on Australian Federation, 31 July 1900. In 1900, Western Australians voted in a referendum to consider the draft Australian Constitution of the proposed Federation of Australia. [17] The result of the vote was 44,800 in favour and 19,691 against.
The preamble names all states except Western Australia, mentions God and recognises that the Australian people have agreed to unite under the Constitution. It ends with the standard enacting clause of the United Kingdom , acknowledging the Queen and the UK houses of Parliament as the legal authority of the act.
State constitutions in Australia are the legal documents that establish and define the structure, powers, and functions of the six state governments in Australia. Each state constitution preceded the federal Constitution of Australia as the constitutions of the then six self-governing colonies .
Lobbying from Western Australians led to two royal commissions into the Australian constitution in the 1920s, but no changes were forthcoming. [ 4 ] The Great Depression had a significant impact on Western Australia, leading to increased dissatisfaction with the federal government and support for secession. [ 5 ]
Western Australia is divided into 15 federal electoral divisions, each represented by a seat in the Australian House of Representatives. Like other Australian states, Western Australia is represented by twelve Senators in the Australian Senate, with six of those Senators elected for two three-year Senate terms at each half-Senate election.
Section 124 of the Constitution of Australia provides for the establishment or admission of new states to the federation. The Federal Parliament may also form a new state by separating territory from an existing state, join multiple states or parts of states, or increase, diminish, or otherwise alter the limits of a state, but in each case, it must have the approval of the parliament(s) of the ...