Victorian Legislative Council

{{Short description|Upper house of Parliament of Victoria, Australia}} {{Use Australian English|date=April 2014}} {{Use dmy dates|date=March 2020}} {{Infobox legislature | background_color = firebrick | name = Legislative Council | legislature = 60th Parliament | coa_pic = Coat_of_Arms_of_Victoria.svg | coa_res = | session_room = Victorian Legislative Council.png | foundation = {{start date and age|1851}} | house_type = Upper house | body = Parliament of Victoria | leader1_type = President | leader1 = Shaun Leane | party1 = Labor | election1 = 20 December 2022 | leader2_type = Deputy President | leader2 = Wendy Lovell | party2 = Liberal | election2 = 19 December 2018 | leader3_type = Leader of the Government | leader3 = Jaclyn Symes | party3 = Labor | election3 = 23 March 2020 | leader4_type = Deputy Leader of the Government | leader4 = Lizzie Blandthorn | party4 = Labor | election4 = 5 December 2022 | leader5_type = Leader of the Opposition | leader5 = Bev McArthur | party5 = Liberal | election5 = 18 November 2025 | leader6_type = Deputy Leader of the Opposition | leader6 = Evan Mulholland | party6 = Liberal | election6 = 31 August 2023 | leader7_type = Government Whip | leader7 = Lee Tarlamis | party7 = Labor | election7 = August 2022 | members = 40 | structure1 = Victorian_Legislative_Council_(December_2022).svg | structure1_res = 200px | political_groups1 = '''Government (15)''' *{{Color box|{{party color|Australian Labor Party}}|border=darkgray}} Labor (15) '''Opposition (14)''' *{{Color box|{{party color|Liberal Party of Australia}}|border=darkgray}} Liberal (12) *{{Color box|{{party color|National Party of Australia}}|border=darkgray}} National (2) '''Crossbench (11)''' *{{Color box|{{party color|Australian Greens}}|border=darkgray}} Greens (4) *{{Color box|{{party color|Legalise Cannabis Australia}}|border=darkgray}} Legalise Cannabis (2) *{{Colour box|{{party color|Animal Justice Party}}|border=darkgray}} Animal Justice (1) *{{Color box|{{party color|Liberal Democratic Party (Australia)}}|border=darkgray}} Libertarian (1) *{{Color box|{{party color|One Nation}}|border=darkgray}} One Nation (1) *{{nowrap|{{Color box|{{party color|Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party}}|border=darkgray}} Shooters, Fishers, Farmers (1)}} *{{Color box|808080|border=darkgray}} Independent (1) | term_length = 4 years | last_election3 = 26 November 2022 | next_election3 = 28 November 2026 | meeting_place = Legislative Council Chamber, Parliament House, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia | website = {{URL|https://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/council/|Vic Legislative Council}} }}

The '''Victorian Legislative Council''' is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Victoria, Australia, the lower house being the Legislative Assembly. Both houses sit at Parliament House in Spring Street, Melbourne. The Legislative Council serves as a house of review, in a similar fashion to its federal counterpart, the Australian Senate. Although it is possible for legislation to be first introduced in the Council, most bills receive their first hearing in the Legislative Assembly.

The presiding officer of the chamber is the President of the Legislative Council. The Council presently comprises 40 members serving four-year terms from eight electoral regions each with five members. With each region electing 5 members using the single transferable vote, the quota in each region for election, after distribution of preferences, is 16.7% (one-sixth). Ballot papers for elections for the Legislative Council have above and below the line voting. Voting above the line requires only a '1' being placed in one box, and group voting tickets (GVTs) have been used since the 2006 election<ref>https://www.legislation.vic.gov.au/as-made/acts/constitution-parliamentary-reform-act-2003</ref>. Semi-optional voting is available if a voter votes below the line. The Legislative Council is the only parliamentary chamber to still employ GVTs.

The Chamber of the Legislative Council is noticeably red - all carpet and furnishings in the chamber are red, which is a symbol of royalty and nobility. This aesthetic is in line with the United Kingdom's House of Lords.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Legislative Council Chamber {{!}} Parliament of Victoria |url=https://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/about/history-and-heritage/building/council-chamber/ |access-date=2024-04-10 |website=www.parliament.vic.gov.au |language=en}}</ref>

== History == {{Main|Parliament of Victoria#History}}

===First Legislative Council === thumb|none|250px|VLC electoral districts, 1851–1854 [[File:Royal prerogative a cartoon depicting SIR CHARLES HOTHAM bound with ropes.jpg|thumb|The Convicts' Protection Act, an act of the first legislative council, overriden by royal prerogative. The image depicts Sir Charles Hotham, bound with ropes 'manufactured in Downing Street', being threatened by Sir William Denison with a pistol marked 'Royal Prerogative'.<ref name=trove>{{cite web|publisher=The Hobart Mercury|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/2242680?|title=The Victorian Convicts' Protection Act|date=1854-10-17|access-date=2023-04-20|website=Trove}}</ref><ref name=trove2>{{cite web|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/2245387/640939# |title=Victoria: The Convicts' Prevention Act|date=1854-10-16|access-date=2023-04-20|website=Trove|publisher=The Hobart Mercury}}</ref>]]

The separate colony of Victoria was proclaimed on 1 July 1851 and writs for the election of the first Legislative Council were issued at the same time for the 20 elected members.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article4097366 |title=Anniversary of the Week. |newspaper=The Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 – 1956) |location=Melbourne, Vic. |date=4 July 1930 |access-date=26 January 2012 |page=2 Supplement: Saturday Camera Supplement |publisher=National Library of Australia}}</ref> The Legislative Council initially consisted of 30 members, 10 of whom were nominated by the Lieutenant-Governor and 20 were elected from 16 "electoral districts", with Melbourne electing three members, and Geelong and the county of Bourke electing two members each.<ref name=VicAct>{{cite web |url=http://www.legislation.nsw.gov.au/sessionalview/sessional/act/1851-3a.pdf |title=Victorian Electoral Act |year=1851 |access-date=30 July 2014 |publisher=New South Wales Government }}</ref> The electors were male British subjects over the age of 21 years, who owned freehold valued at £100 or a householder paying rent of £10 per year,<ref name=VicAct /> both very large sums at the time. Members of the Legislative Council were unpaid, further restricting participation of those without independent means. It took some time before the Legislative Council was elected and ready to sit.<ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=SyHvAgAAQBAJ&dq=St+Patrick%27s+Hall%2C+Melbourne&pg=PT127 A City Lost and Found]</ref> The Legislative Council met for the first time in November 1851 at St Patrick's Hall, which had been built in 1847 in Bourke Street, Melbourne.<ref>Australian Dictionary of Biography: [https://adb.anu.edu.au/biography/jackson-samuel-2266 Jackson, Samuel (1807–1876)]</ref> The Legislative Council sat there until the opening of the Parliament House in 1856. James Frederick Palmer was the presiding officer of the Council, then called speaker.

The Legislative Council was expanded in 1853 to 18 nominees and 36 elected members.<ref>Sweetman, p.108</ref> A further expansion of the Council occurred in 1855, when 8 new members were elected from five new electorates, with one new nominee.<ref>Sweetman, p.110</ref> <ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/vic/hist_act/aatfaveao1851atitnomotlcov1084.pdf |title=An Act to further alter "The Victoria Electoral Act of 1851" and to increase the Number of Members of the Legislative Council of Victoria |year=1855 |access-date=5 June 2013 }}</ref>

The first Legislative Council existed for five years and was responsible for at least three significant and enduring contributions to the parliamentary system of Victoria: *it drafted the ''Constitution of Victoria'', which provides the framework for the system of government in Victoria; *it introduced the secret ballot. The Victorian Electoral Act 1856 introduced secret ballots on 19 March 1856,<ref>[http://foundingdocs.gov.au/item-sdid-21.html Payment of Members Act 1870 (Vic)]</ref> an innovation at the time but now common around the world; and *it ordered the construction of the Victorian Parliament House in Melbourne.

The new constitution was approved by the Legislative Council in March 1854 and was sent to Britain where it was passed by the United Kingdom Parliament as the Victoria Constitution Act 1855 (18 & 19 Vict. c. 55), received royal assent on 16 July 1855 and was proclaimed in Victoria on 23 November 1855.<ref> {{cite web |url=http://foundingdocs.gov.au/resources/transcripts/vic5_doc_1855.pdf |title=Victoria Constitution Act 1855 |access-date=5 May 2013 }} </ref><ref name=AltConst>{{cite web | date = October 2010 | title = Altering Victoria's Constitution | work = Fact Sheet D3: Altering Victoria's Constitution | publisher = Parliament of Victoria | url = http://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/assembly/publications-a-research/fact-sheets/1019-fact-sheet-d3-altering-victorias-constitution | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110222110318/http://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/assembly/publications-a-research/fact-sheets/1019-fact-sheet-d3-altering-victorias-constitution | url-status = dead | archive-date = 22 February 2011 | access-date = 5 March 2011}}</ref> The Constitution established a Westminster-style system of responsible government that continues in Victoria today.<ref name=OrigConst>{{cite web | year = 1855 | title = Victoria Constitution Act 1855 | work = An Act to enable Her Majesty to assent to a Bill, as amended, of the Legislature of Victoria, to establish a Constitution in and for the Colony of Victoria | publisher = Parliament of the United Kingdom | url = http://www.foundingdocs.gov.au/item.asp?sdID=19 | access-date = 5 March 2011 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20110312000026/http://www.foundingdocs.gov.au/item.asp?sdID=19 | archive-date = 12 March 2011 | url-status = dead}}</ref>

===Second Legislative Council === thumb|none|250px|VLC electoral provinces, 1856–1882

The new Constitution came into effect in 1856. It created a bicameral Parliament of Victoria, with the Legislative Assembly being the lower house and the Council being the upper house. The Council consisted of 30 members, with five members being elected from each of the six provinces.<ref name=Sweetman>{{cite book |title=Constitutional Development of Victoria, 1851-6 |author=Edward Sweetman |year=1920 |publisher=Whitcombe & Tombs Limited |page=[https://archive.org/details/constitutionalde00swee/page/183 183] |url=https://archive.org/details/constitutionalde00swee |access-date=5 June 2013 }}</ref> The Parliament of Victoria first met on 21 November 1856 at the almost completed main sections of Parliament House. James Frederick Palmer was elected first President of the Council.

The Legislative Council was later elected from a varying number of provinces. In 1882, several new provinces were created while Central and Eastern were abolished.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://hansard.parliament.vic.gov.au/images/stories/volume-hansard/Hansard%2012%20CA%20V041%20Oct-Dec%201882.pdf |title=Victoria Parliamentary Debates (Hansard), Session 1882 |volume=41 |page=2670 |publisher=John Ferres |location=Melb. |year=1883 }}</ref> In 1904, more provinces were created<ref>{{cite book |url=https://hansard.parliament.vic.gov.au/images/stories/volume-hansard/Hansard%2019%20CA%20V107%20Jun-Aug%201904.pdf |title=Victoria Parliamentary Debates (Hansard), Session 1904 |volume=107 |year=1905 |publisher=R. S. Brain |location=Melb. }}</ref> and two members (MLCs) represented each province. The terms for members were two Assembly terms, and one member was elected in rotation at each election, by majority-preferential (AV) vote. Until 1950, the Legislative Council was elected on a restricted property-based franchise and always had a conservative majority.

Until 1958, elections for the Legislative Council were not held in conjunction with those for the Legislative Assembly, but starting at the 1961 election they have been held at the same time. Prior to the 2006 election, the Legislative Council consisted of 44 members elected for two terms of the Legislative Assembly from 22 two-member provinces. Half the members were elected at each election on a rotation basis. This old system tended to favour the Liberal Party and the National Party (often in Coalition) over the Labor Party and other parties;<ref>{{Cite web|date=2010-09-03|title=Victoria's unexpected minority|url=https://insidestory.org.au/victorias-unexpected-minority/|access-date=2020-11-16|website=Inside Story|language=en|quote="[...] before the 2002 election the Labor Party had enjoyed a majority in the Legislative Council for a grand total of three months (in 1985),"}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=2005-07-15|title=Will Bracks live to regret this reform?|url=https://www.theage.com.au/national/will-bracks-live-to-regret-this-reform-20050715-ge0ima.html|access-date=2020-11-16|website=The Age|language=en|quote="Through the 1980s, Labor actually managed to win a few state elections on the trot - but still without control of the upper house, except in 1985 when bizarre circumstances conspired to give a bare majority to Labor for a few short weeks, before normal service was resumed."}}</ref> as the Liberal party's support was more evenly spread across the state, compared to Labor's wasted votes in already safe provinces.<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Rodan|first=Paul|title=Not quite as expected: Victorian Labor and the Legislative Council 2010|url=https://www.aspg.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/4shRodan.pdf|journal=Australasian Study of Parliament Group|volume=Autumn/Winter 2012 Vol 27.1|quote=While earlier malapportionment had given way to a version of ‘one-vote-one value’ (with a ten per cent tolerance), the distinctive population distribution of metropolitan Melbourne continued to disadvantage the ALP as it stored up majorities in safe western and northern metropolitan provinces while losing to the Liberals where it mattered most. [...] the Liberals, due to the geographical dispersal of party support in the Melbourne metropolitan area, could secure upper house majorities even when they polled far fewer votes than the ALP, as in the period of the John Cain (junior) government, elected in 1982.}}</ref> This resulted in many instances of a Labor government being faced with an opposition-controlled Council – a rare occurrence elsewhere in Australia.

===2003 reforms=== upright=1.2|thumb|The eight regions of the Legislative Council (2014–2022) upright=1.2|thumb|The eight regions of the Legislative Council (2022–) The electoral system used to elect members of the Legislative Council changed for the 2006 Victorian election, as a result of major reforms passed by the Labor government, led by Steve Bracks, in 2003.<ref>Constitution (Parliamentary Reform) Act 2003</ref> Under the new system the State is divided into eight electoral regions, each of which returns five members. These Legislative Council members serve terms linked to the Legislative Assembly, which has fixed four-year terms unless earlier dissolved in exceptional circumstances.

Each electoral region covers 11 contiguous Legislative Assembly electoral districts and has 420,000 electors.

Five regions are metropolitan (Melbourne and environs) (North-Eastern Metropolitan, Northern Metropolitan, South Eastern Metropolitan, Southern Metropolitan, and Western Metropolitan) and three are non-urban regions (Eastern Victoria, Northern Victoria and Western Victoria).

Since 2006, Legislative Council members have been elected using the single transferable vote system of proportional representation. Each region elects five members. The quota for a seat in each region is 16.7% (one-sixth), approximately 70,000.

Small parties never receive this amount on the First Count in Victoria's Legislative Council elections but through the vote transfers that are part of STV, some candidates of small parties do receive vote transfers from other small-party candidates and pass quota that way. STV thus results in an increase in the number of minor parties represented in the Legislative Council as compared to the Instant-runoff voting system. Under Instant-runoff voting, in 2002 for example, the traditional big three - Labor, Liberal and National - took all the seats - Greens with 314,000 voters overall did not take one seat. In 2006 the Greens took almost exactly the same number of votes that it had in 2002 and this time won three seats, just slightly less than its 10 percent of the vote should have given it proportionally. The Democratic Labour Party also won a seat, the first one it had won in 50 years. STV was such that the success for those two parties was achieved while at the same time Labor, Liberal and National parties each still took a number of seats.

At the same time, the Council's ability to block supply was removed.

== Composition == {{Main|Electoral regions of Victoria|Members of the Victorian Legislative Council, 2022–2026}} Since the 2006 Victorian state election, the Legislative Council has had 40 members serving four-year terms, elected from eight electoral regions, each returning five members.

Prior to the 2006 election, the Legislative Council consisted of 44 members elected for two terms of the Legislative Assembly from 22 two-member provinces. Half the members were elected at each election on a rotation basis. The number of members was increased to 44 from 36 in 1976 and from 34 in 1967.

Property qualifications for voting in the Legislative Council were abolished for the 1952 Legislative Council election, increasing the number of eligible voters from 0.5 million in 1949 to 1.4 million in 1952, and resulting in a large increase in the number of Labor MLCs. However, Labor achieved a majority in the Council only at the 1985 and the 2002 elections.

=== Current members of the Victorian Legislative Council === <div style=display:inline-table> {| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center" |- !Region !colspan="2"|1st MLC !colspan="2"|2nd MLC !colspan="2"|3rd MLC !colspan="2"|4th MLC !colspan="2"|5th MLC |- !rowspan=2; style="text-align:left" | Northern Metropolitan |rowspan=2; {{Australian party style|Labor}}| |rowspan=2|Sheena Watt (Labor) |rowspan=2; {{Australian party style|liberal}}| |rowspan=2|Evan Mulholland (Liberal) |{{Australian party style|greens}}| |Samantha Ratnam (Greens) |rowspan=2; {{Australian party style|labor}}| |rowspan=2|Enver Erdogan (Labor) |{{Australian party style|democratic labour}}| |rowspan=2|Adem Somyurek (Democratic Labour/ Independent){{efn|name=dlp|Adem Somyurek resigned from the Democratic Labour Party in March 2024.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Deery |first1=Shannon |title=Adem Somyurek quits DLP as internal power struggle erupts between opposing factions |url=https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/adem-somyurek-quits-dlp-as-internal-power-struggle-erupts-between-opposing-factions/news-story/d1feb3c120dbf8b78815194b6eb8dc3d |publisher=Herald Sun |access-date=15 February 2025 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240329043148/https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/adem-somyurek-quits-dlp-as-internal-power-struggle-erupts-between-opposing-factions/news-story/d1feb3c120dbf8b78815194b6eb8dc3d?amp&nk=d0f52e903804492e80a4e00e85df89e8-1711686718 |archive-date=29 March 2024 |date=26 March 2024}}</ref>}} |- |{{Australian party style|greens}}| |Anasina Gray-Barberio{{efn|name=ratnam|Samantha Ratnam resigned from parliament on 8 November 2024 and was replaced by Anasina Gray-Barberio on 13 November 2024.<ref>{{cite web |title=Victorian Parliament elects first Pasifika woman MP |url=https://www.abc.net.au/pacific/programs/pacificbeat/samoanmpvic/104398258 |publisher=ABC Pacific |access-date=15 February 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240927015938/https://www.abc.net.au/pacific/programs/pacificbeat/samoanmpvic/104398258 |archive-date=27 September 2024 |date=26 September 2024}}</ref>}} (Greens) |{{Australian party style|independent}}| |- ! style="text-align:left" | Southern Metropolitan |{{Australian party style|liberal}}| |David Davis (Liberal) |{{Australian party style|Labor}}| |John Berger (Labor) |{{Australian party style|liberal}}| |Georgie Crozier (Liberal) |{{Australian party style|greens}}| |Katherine Copsey (Greens) |{{Australian party style|Labor}}| |Ryan Batchelor (Labor) |- ! rowspan=2; style="text-align:left" | North-Eastern Metropolitan |rowspan=2; {{Australian party style|Labor}}| |rowspan=2|Shaun Leane (Labor) |{{Australian party style|liberal}}| |Matthew Bach (Liberal) |rowspan=2; {{Australian party style|Labor}}| |rowspan=2|Sonja Terpstra (Labor) |rowspan=2; {{Australian party style|liberal}}| |rowspan=2|Nick McGowan (Liberal) |rowspan=2; {{Australian party style|greens}}| |rowspan=2|Aiv Puglielli (Greens) |- |{{Australian party style|liberal}}| |Richard Welch{{efn|name=bach|Matthew Bach resigned from parliament on 87 December 2023 and was replaced by Richard Welch on 7 February 2024.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Baxendale |first1=Rachel |title=Businessman Richard Welch wins preselection to replace Matt Bach |url=https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/businessman-richard-welch-wins-preselection-to-replace-matt-bach/news-story/bb7c0ff1adb3c0cd24733369833ff4d6 |publisher=The Australian |access-date=15 February 2025 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240104095305/https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/businessman-richard-welch-wins-preselection-to-replace-matt-bach/news-story/bb7c0ff1adb3c0cd24733369833ff4d6?amp&nk=e3efbdd7b530e2c73e56a7cffa42494b-1704361997 |archive-date=4 January 2024 |date=3 December 2023}}</ref>}} (Liberal) |- ! style="text-align:left" | South-Eastern Metropolitan |{{Australian party style|Labor}}| |Lee Tarlamis (Labor) |{{Australian party style|liberal}}| |Ann-Marie Hermans (Liberal) |{{Australian party style|Labor}}| |Michael Galea (Labor) |{{Australian party style|legalise cannabis}}| |Rachel Payne (Legalise Cannabis) |{{Australian party style|liberal democrats}}| |David Limbrick (Liberal Democrats/ Libertarian){{efn|name=libdems|The Liberal Democratic Party changed its name to the Libertarian Party in 2023.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Carmody |first1=Broede |title=Liberal Democrats face identity crisis over forced name change |url=https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/liberal-democrats-face-identity-crisis-over-forced-name-change-20230417-p5d110.html |publisher=Sydney Morning Herald |access-date=15 February 2025 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230715233506/https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/liberal-democrats-face-identity-crisis-over-forced-name-change-20230417-p5d110.html |archive-date=15 July 2023 |date=18 April 2023}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Application to change a registered political party's name |url=https://www.vec.vic.gov.au/about-us/media/8-june-application-to-change-a-registered-political-party-name |publisher=Victorian Electoral Commission |access-date=15 July 2023 |date=8 June 2023 |archive-date=15 July 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230715233523/https://www.vec.vic.gov.au/about-us/media/8-june-application-to-change-a-registered-political-party-name |url-status=dead }}</ref>}} |- ! rowspan=3; style="text-align:left" | Western Metropolitan |rowspan=3; {{Australian party style|Labor}}| |rowspan=3|Lizzie Blandthorn (Labor) |{{Australian party style|Liberal}}| |rowspan=3|Moira Deeming (Liberal/Ind. Liberal/Liberal){{efn|name=deeming|Moira Deeming was expelled from the parliamentary Victorian Liberal Party in May 2023 and sat as an Independent Liberal until returning to the party room in December 2024.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Staszewska |first1=Ewa |title=Moira Deeming expelled from Victorian Liberal Party after allegedly serving John Pesutto with defamation concerns notice |url=https://www.skynews.com.au/australia-news/politics/moira-deeming-expelled-from-victorian-liberal-party-after-allegedly-serving-john-pessuto-with-defamation-concerns-notice/news-story/46f4f99534cef33f2995e3a3c7ccee7a |publisher=Sky News Australia |access-date=24 December 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241220233105/https://www.skynews.com.au/australia-news/politics/moira-deeming-expelled-from-victorian-liberal-party-after-allegedly-serving-john-pessuto-with-defamation-concerns-notice/news-story/46f4f99534cef33f2995e3a3c7ccee7a |archive-date=20 December 2024 |date=12 May 2023 |quote= The result will mean Ms Deeming remains in parliament as an independent Liberal after having been stripped of her whip position when she was suspended for nine months in March.}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Schmidt |first1=Nathan |title=Controversial MP Moira Deeming to sue Liberal leader after party expulsion |url=https://www.news.com.au/national/victoria/politics/controversial-mp-moira-deeming-to-sue-liberal-leader-after-party-expulsion/news-story/50cc115564d4c2f77d7e0fe7495493fc?amp |publisher=news.com.au |access-date=24 December 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231120030434/https://www.news.com.au/national/victoria/politics/controversial-mp-moira-deeming-to-sue-liberal-leader-after-party-expulsion/news-story/50cc115564d4c2f77d7e0fe7495493fc?amp |archive-date=20 November 2023 |date=20 November 2023 |quote=Victoria Independent Liberal MP Moira Deeming has expressed her gratitude to the state Liberal Party for supporting her push for an inquiry into gender-affirming care for children.}}</ref>}} |rowspan=3; {{Australian party style|Labor}}| |rowspan=3|Ingrid Stitt (Labor) |rowspan=3; {{Australian party style|legalise cannabis}}| |rowspan=3|David Ettershank (Legalise Cannabis) |rowspan=3; {{Australian party style|liberal}}| |rowspan=3|Trung Luu (Liberal) |- |{{Australian party style|Independent Liberal}}| |- |{{Australian party style|Liberal}}| |- ! style="text-align:left" | Northern Victoria |{{Australian party style|liberal}}| |Wendy Lovell (Liberal) |{{Australian party style|Labor}}| |Jaclyn Symes (Labor) |{{Australian party style|nationals}}| |Gaelle Broad (Nationals) |{{Australian party style|animal justice}}| |Georgie Purcell (Animal Justice) |{{Australian party style|one nation}}| |Rikkie-Lee Tyrrell (One Nation) |- ! style="text-align:left" | Eastern Victoria |{{Australian party style|liberal}}| |Renee Heath (Liberal) |{{Australian party style|Labor}}| |Tom McIntosh (Labor) |{{Australian party style|nationals}}| |Melina Bath (Nationals) |{{Australian party style|Labor}}| |Harriet Shing (Labor) |{{Australian party style|Shooters, Fishers and Farmers}}| |Jeff Bourman (SFF) |- ! style="text-align:left" | Western Victoria |{{Australian party style|Labor}}| |Jacinta Ermacora (Labor) |{{Australian party style|liberal}}| |Bev McArthur (Liberal) |{{Australian party style|Labor}}| |Gayle Tierney (Labor) |{{Australian party style|greens}}| |Sarah Mansfield (Greens) |{{Australian party style|liberal}}| |Joe McCracken (Liberal) |- |}

==== Distribution of seats in the Legislative Council (2006 - present) ==== </div> <div style=display:inline-table> {| class="wikitable" |- ! rowspan =2 colspan =2 | Party !! colspan =5 | Seats |- ! 2006 !! 2010 !! 2014 !! 2018 !! 2022<ref>{{Cite web |title=Legislative Council Results - VIC Election 2022 |url=https://abc.net.au/news/elections/vic/2022/guide/lc-results |access-date=2022-12-14 |website=abc.net.au |language=en-AU}}</ref> |- | {{Australian party style|labor|width:4px}}| || Labor || 19 || 16 || 14 || 18 || 15 |- | {{Australian party style|liberal|width:4px}}| || Liberal || 15 || 18 || 14 || 10 || 12 |- | {{Australian party style|national|width:4px}}| || National || 2 || 3 || 2 || 1 || 2 |- | {{Australian party style|greens vic|width:4px}} | || Greens || 3 || 3 || 5 || 1 || 4 |- | {{Australian party style|legalise cannabis|width:4px}} | || Legalise Cannabis || - || - || - || - || 2 |- | {{Australian party style|liberal democrats|width:4px}} | || Libertarian || - || - || - || 2 || 1 |- | {{Australian party style|animal justice|width:4px}}| || Animal Justice || - || - || - || 1 || 1 |- | {{Australian party style|democratic labour|width:4px}}| || Democratic Labour || 1 || - || 1 || - || 1 |- | {{Australian party style|derryn hinch's justice party|width:4px}} | || Justice || - || - || - || 3 || - |- | {{Australian party style|one nation|width:4px}}| || One Nation || - || - || - || - || 1 |- | {{Australian party style|reason|width:4px}}| || Reason || - || - || 1 || 1 || - |- | {{Australian party style|shooters, fishers and farmers|width:4px}}| || Shooters, Fishers and Farmers || - || - || 2 || 1 || 1 |- | {{Australian party style|sustainable australia|width:4px}}| || Sustainable Australia || - || - || - || 1 || - |- | {{Australian party style|transport matters|width:4px}}| || Transport Matters || - || - || - || 1 || - |- | {{Australian party style|Vote 1 Local Jobs|width:4px}}| || Vote 1 Local Jobs || - || - || 1 || - || - |- ! style="text-align:left;" colspan =2 | Total || 40 || 40 || 40 || 40 || 40 |} </div>

==Notes== {{notelist}}

== References == {{reflist|30em}}

== Further reading == * {{cite journal| last = Strangio| first = Paul| title = Labor and reform of the Victorian Legislative Council, 1950-2003 | journal= Labour History |volume= 86 | pages= 33–52 | year = 1976| issue = 86| doi = 10.2307/27515966| jstor = 27515966}} * {{cite book| last1 = Griffith| first1 = Gareth| last2 = Srinivasan| first2 = Sharath| title = State Upper Houses in Australia | publisher = New South Wales Parliamentary Library Service| year = 2001| url =https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/researchpapers/Documents/state-upper-houses-in-australia/bg01-01.pdf}}

== External links == {{commons cat|Victorian Legislative Council}} * [https://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/council Legislative Council - Parliament of Victoria] * [https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/rearvision/australias-upper-houses/11038996 Australia's Upper Houses - ABC Rear Vision] A podcast about the development of Australia's upper houses into STV proportional representation elected chambers.

{{Parliaments of Australia}} {{Members of the Parliament of Victoria}} {{Electoral regions of Victoria}} {{VicCurrentMLCs}} {{Government of Victoria}} {{Political parties in Victoria (Australia)}}

Category:Victorian Legislative Council Category:Parliament of Victoria Victoria Category:1851 establishments in Australia