What is bicameralism?

The term comes from the Latin meaning “two rooms” or “two houses”. The Parliament of NSW is a bicameral parliament with two distinct chambers: the Legislative Assembly, often referred to as the lower house, and the Legislative Council, known as the upper house.

Bicameralism, the practice of having two separate chambers within a legislature, is the most common arrangement of government systems including several Australian State Parliaments, the Commonwealth Parliament, the United Kingdom Parliament, and the United States Congress.

In contrast, unicameralism, characterised by a single parliamentary chamber, as exemplified in Queensland and New Zealand, represents an alternative model.

Catch up on our latest House Talk, where a panel of experts dive into the fascinating history of and differences between bicameral and unicameral systems, featuring voices from NSW and Queensland Parliament. Guest speakers included:

• Professor Rodney Smith, The University of Sydney
• David Blunt, Clerk of the Parliaments & Clerk of the Legislative Council
• Curtis Pitt, Speaker of the Queensland Legislative Assembly