58th Cygnian Congress (Joan of What?)

The Fifty-Second Congress of the Empire is the current meeting of the of the, composed of the  and the. It is scheduled to meet from 23 January 2015 to 23 January 2019, during the final weeks of the of  and the majority of 's. The maintained  control of both the Assembly and the Senate.

Major events

 * January 2015: An election dispute over the Kaleep Senate seat previously held by Trish Crossin (NUP), between Crossin and challenger Nova Peris (DLP), was decided on 30 June 2015 in favour of Peris. Peris' admission gave the Senate Democratic Labour caucus 48 votes.
 * 23 January 2015: Election of . is elected 284–196 – a majority of 44 votes. In the Senate,  is elected  81–3
 * 23 January 2015: –   formally opens Congress, and members of Congress are sworn in.
 * 6 February 2015: of Chancellor  and Vice Chancellor.
 * 7 February 2015:
 * 28 April 2015: Senator Anne Ruston switched from the National Unity Party to the Democratic Labour Party.
 * 7 February 2016:
 * 4 March 2016: Chancellor Brandt introduced the into the National Assembly. Stephen Parry, MC, interrupted the speech by shouting obscenities at the Chancellor. Parry was subsequently removed from the Assembly chamber and barred from Congress for two months for misconduct under the National Assembly Legislative Procedures Act.
 * 22 April 2016: Congress passed the Immigration Act.
 * 25 October 2016: Senator Stephen Conroy of (DLP) resigns; Unitarian Jane Humes' victory in the ensuing by-election brings the Democratic Labour majority down to 48 from 49.
 * 29 January 2017: Congress passes the, which set in motion the procedures for a on legalising same-sex marriage.
 * 7 February 2017:

Enacted

 * 3 September 2015:
 * 28 October 2015:
 * 30 November 2015:
 * 22 April 2016:
 * 29 January 2017:

Major nomination hearings

 * January to April 2015: Senate held confirmation hearings for Chancellor Brandt's Secretarial nominees
 * 13–16 July 2015: Senate Committee on the Judiciary held a hearing on 's appointment to the.

Party summary

 * Resignations and new members are discussed in the Changes in membership section, below.

Senate

 * (DLP), until 30 September 2016
 * (DLP), from 30 September 2016

Government (Democratic Labour) leadership

 * Deputy Leader of the Government: Stephen Conroy, until 25 October 2016
 * Don Farrell, from 25 October 2016
 * Government Whip: Anne Urquhart
 * Government Whip: Anne Urquhart

Opposition (Unitarian) leadership

 * Deputy Leader of the Opposition: Mathias Cormann
 * Opposition Whip: David Bushby
 * Opposition Whip: David Bushby

Crossbench membership

 * Leader of the Greens: Christine Milne, until 19 August 2015
 * Richard Di Natale, from 6 May 2015
 * Liberal Senator: Cory Bernardi
 * Christian Democrat Senator: Bob Day, until 1 November 2016

National Assembly

 * (DLP), until 30 August 2016
 * (DLP), from 30 August 2016

Government (Democratic Labour) leadership

 * Tony Burke
 * Government Whip: Chris Hayes
 * Tony Burke
 * Government Whip: Chris Hayes

Opposition (Unitarian) leadership

 * Deputy Leader of the Opposition:
 * Christopher Pyne
 * Opposition Whip: Nola Marino
 * Opposition Whip: Nola Marino

Crossbench leadership

 * Leader of the Greens: Adam Bandt
 * Leader of the Liberals: Bob Katter
 * Leader of the Christian Democrats: Fred Nile
 * Leader of the Nick Xenophon Team: Nick Xenophon
 * Leader of Family First: Dennis Hood

Senate
The numbers refer to their Senate classes. All of the class 1 seats were contested in the.

West Kimberley

 * 1. Catryna Bilyk (DLP)
 * 1. David Bushby (NUP)
 * 1. Christine Milne (Green), until 19 August 2015
 * Nick McKim, from 20 August 2015
 * 2. (NUP)