✦ Plain-English Summary

Representation Amendment (6 Regions Per State, 2 Senators Per Region) Bill 2020

What it does

Australia currently has 12 senators per state, all elected statewide. This bill would split each state into 6 separate regions, with 2 senators elected from each region instead. So rather than voting for 12 senators representing your whole state, you'd vote for 2 senators in your local region.

Why it matters

This fundamentally changes how Senate representation works — moving from statewide elections to regional ones. It could shift which candidates get elected by changing the voting pool from millions statewide to smaller regional groups, potentially affecting the balance of power in Parliament.

Key details

• The Minister decides where the 6 regional boundaries go for each state, but must follow strict rules: each region must be between one-tenth and one-third of the state's size, the capital city stays in one region, and Indigenous boundaries have to be considered
• The Minister has to consult state governments and Indigenous representative bodies before drawing up the regions
• The changes only kick in at the next Senate election after the law passes — existing senators aren't affected immediately

Official Description

Amends the: Representation Act 1983 to: impose a geographical requirement on the representation requirements for the Senate, comprised of 6 divisions per state represented by two senators; and Commonwealth Electoral Act 1983 to make a consequential amendment.

Committee Referrals

Senate Standing Committee for the Scrutiny of Bills

No formal division recorded

This bill passed by voice vote — parliament agreed without calling a formal count. A division is only recorded when a member explicitly requests one.

No votes yet.

No votes were recorded for this bill.