Residence in a division for a period of one month before enrolment, is necessary to enable a qualified person to enrol. Enrolment and voting are compulsory although compulsory enrolment provisions did not apply to Aborigines before 21February 1984. Membership Qualifications necessary for membership of either House of the Commonwealth Parliament are possessed by any qualified elector who is an Australian citizen of the full age of eighteen years. His authority as the Queen's representative is derived from Letters Patent, instructions under the Royal Sign Manual and Signet, and the relevant sections of the Commonwealth Constitution. Executive Council Members of the Federal Executive Council are chosen, summoned and sworn by the Governor-General and hold office during his pleasure.
All Ministers are members.
Councillors usually retain membership for life but it is customary for attendance at meetings to be limited to Ministers of the day. The Senate is the Upper House. Originally it was intended that this House should protect the rights and interests of the States, but with the growth of the parliamentary system of party-line voting, its role has become mainly that of a house of review. At present the Senate consists of seventy-six members, twelve from each State, two from the Australian Capital Territory and two from the Northern Territory. The original provision was that each State, voting as a single electorate, should elect six Senators but by the Representation Act of 1983, which was effective for the 1984 elections, the number was raised to twelve.