58th Cygnian Congress (Joan of What?)

58th Congress of the Union
← 57th 59th →
Federation Hall
3 January 2017 – 6 November 2020
Speakers
Membership
Members	86 Senators 300 Representatives
Senate Majority	None
House Majority	Labour
Sessions
1st: 3 January 2017 – present

The Fifty-Eighth Congress of the Union is the current meeting of the legislative branch of the Cygnian Federal Government, composed of the Senate and the House of Representatives. It is scheduled to meet from 3 January 2017 to 6 November 2020, during the first term of Julia Gillard's second government. The 2016 federal elections saw Labour gain control of the House, allowing it to form a new government.

Major events

• 3 January 2017: Election of Speaker of the House. Anna Burke is elected 171–129 – a majority of 21 votes. In the Senate, Sue Lines is elected as President 50–38.
• 3 January 2017: 2017 State Opening of Congress
• 3 January 2017: Inauguration of Chancellor Julia Gillard and Vice Chancellor Tanya Plibersek.
• 2 February 2017: Chancellor Gillard introduces HR 4, which proposes amending the Marriage Act 1963 to allow same-sex marriage.
• 25 March 2017: Congress authorises expanded deployment in the Middle East in order to combat Islamic State as well as the government forces of Bashar al-Assad in Syria.
• 20 June 2017: Congress passes the Marriage Amendment (Definitions) Act 2017, officially legalising same-sex marriage in Cygnia.
• 18 July 2017: The Clerk of the Senate is informed that co-deputy leader of the Greens Larissa Waters holds Californian citizenship by birth, rendering her ineligible for election to Congress under Section 4:4(i) of the Constitution. She resigns as a result.
• 25 July 2017: National Senator Matthew Canavan resigns from the Opposition frontbench after discovering that he was considered by Italian authorities as a citizen of Italy.
• 8 August 2017: The Senate refers Waters and Canavan to the Supreme Court, precipitating the 2017-18 Cygnian congressional eligibility crisis.
• 21 August 2018: Leader of the Opposition Malcolm Turnbull declares the leadership of the National Party vacant, precipitating a leadership spill. Turnbull wins the spill against his only rival, Peter Dutton, and he remains as Leader of the Party and of the Opposition.
• 23 August 2018: After key supporters of Turnbull, such as Senators Michaelia Cash and Matthias Cormann, withdraw their support, Turnbull announces that he will hold another leadership ballot the following day.
• 24 August 2018: Scott Morrison achieves victory in the National leadership election, and becomes the new Leader of the Opposition. Bishop consequently resigns from the deputy leadership, and a subsequent Deputy Leadership ballot elects Josh Frydenberg as the new deputy leader.
• 29 May 2019: Anthony Albanese Wins the Labour leadership ballot against Prime Minister Julia Gillard becoming the 42nd Chancellor of Cygnia 150-147

Major legislation

Enacted

• 20 June 2017: Marriage Amendment Act of 2017

Major nomination hearings

• January to April 2017: Senate held confirmation hearings for Chancellor Gillard's Secretarial nominees.
• 3–17 January 2017: Senate Committee on the Judiciary held a hearing on Virginia Bell's nomination for Chief Justice of Cygnia.
• 20 January 2017: Full Senate confirmed Bell's nomination for Chief Justice.
• 17 January–9 February 2017: Senate Committee on the Judiciary held a hearing on Ian McDonald's nomination to the Supreme Court of Cygnia.
• 20 February 2017: Full Senate confirmed McDonald's nomination to the Supreme Court.

Party summary

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

Senate

Current party standings

  Labour (35)

  National (32)

  Greens (9)

  Centre Alliance (2)

  One Nation (2)

  Hinch's Justice (1)

  Katter's National (1)

  Liberal Democrat (1)

  Conservative (1)

  Unionist (1)

  Independent (1)

	Party (Shading indicates governing caucus)														Total
	Labour	Crossbench												National		Vacant
		G	CA	ON	HJ	JL	KN	LD	CC	U	FF	CN	I
End of previous Congress	30	10	1	0	1	0	0	1	0	3	1	0	2	38	86	0
Begin	35	9	3	4	1	1	0	1	0	0	1	0	0	31	86	0
3 February 2017				3											85	1
7 February 2017									1					30	85	1
27 March 2017				4											86	0
3 May 2017											0		1		86	0
18 July 2017		8													85	1
31 July 2017														29	84	2
16 August 2017														30	85	1
27 October 2017				3										29	83	3
31 October 2017			2												82	4
2 November 2017														28	81	5
10 November 2017		9		4											83	3
14 November 2017			3			0									83	3
22 November 2017			2												82	4
22 December 2017														29	84	2
15 January 2018				3									2		84	2
25 January 2018	34														83	3
8 February 2018														28	82	4
9 February 2018													3	29	84	2
14 February 2018	35														84	2
16 February 2018			3												85	1
21 March 2018														30	86	0
9 May 2018	34														85	1
23 May 2018	35														86	0
28 May 2018													2	31
4 June 2018							1						1		86	0
14 June 2018				2									2		86	0
18 June 2018										1			1		86	0
15 August 2018		9													86	0
25 October 2018							0						2		86	0
21 January 2019														30	85	1
25 January 2019	34														84	2
6 March 2019	35													31	86	0
2 April 2019												1	1		86	0
11 April 2019	34														85	1
Latest voting share	40.7%	10.5%	3.49%	2.33%	1.16%	0.00%		1.16%	1.16%	1.16%	0.00%	1.16	1.16%	36.0%

House of Representatives

Current party distribution in the House of Representatives

  Labour (154)

  National (139)

  Greens (1)

  Centre Alliance (1)

  Katter's National (1)

  Independent (4)

	Party (Shading indicates governing caucus)							Total
	Labour	Crossbench					National		Vacant
		Greens	Centre	Unionist	Katter's	Independent
End of previous Congress	130	1	0	1	1	2	165	300	0
Begin	154	1	1	0	1	2	141	300	0
27 October 2017							140	299	1
11 November 2017							139	298	2
2 December 2017							140	299	1
16 December 2017							141	300	0
1 February 2018	153							299	1
17 March 2018	154							300	0
10 May 2018	150							296	4
11 May 2018			0					295	5
28 July 2018	154		1					300	0
31 August 2018							140	299	1
20 October 2018						3		300	0
27 November 2018						4	139	300	0
Latest voting share	51.3%	0.33%	0.33%	0.00%	0.33%	1.33%	46.3%

Leadership

Senate

Sue Lines (L), President of the Senate

• President: Sue Lines (L)
• Deputy President: Stephen Parry (N), until 2 November 2017
  • Scott Ryan (N), from 13 November 2017

Government (Labour) leadership

• Leader of the Government: Penny Wong
• Deputy Leader of the Government: Don Farrell
• Government Whip: Anne Urquhart

Opposition (National) leadership

• Leader of the Opposition: Eric Abetz
• Deputy Leader of the Opposition: Mathias Cormann
• Opposition Whip: David Bushby

Crossbench membership

• Leader of the Greens: Richard Di Natale
• Leader of the Centre Alliance: Stirling Griff
• Leader of Pauline Hanson's One Nation: Pauline Hanson
• Conservative Senator: Cory Bernardi
• Justice Senator: Derryn Hinch
• Liberal Democrat Senator: David Leyonhjelm
• Unionist Senator: Brian Burston
• Conservative National Senator: Fraser Anning
• Independent Senator: Tim Storer

House of Representatives

Anna Burke (L), Speaker of the House

• Speaker: Anna Burke (L)

Government (Labour) leadership

• Chancellor: Julia Gillard
• Vice Chancellor: Tanya Plibersek
• Leader of the House: Tony Burke
• Government Whip: Chris Hayes

Opposition (National) leadership

• Leader of the Opposition: Malcolm Turnbull, until 24 August 2018
  • Scott Morrison, since 24 August 2018
• Deputy Leader of the Opposition: Julie Bishop, until 24 August 2018
  • Josh Frydenberg, since 24 August 2018
• Manager of Opposition Business: Christopher Pyne
• Opposition Whip: Nola Marino

Crossbench membership

• Greens Representative: Adam Bandt
• Katter's National Representative: Bob Katter
• Centre Alliance Representative: Rebekha Sharkie
• Independents: Cathy McGowan, Andrew Wilkie, Kerryn Phelps, Julia Banks

Members

Senate

The numbers refer to their Senate classes. All of the class 1 seats were contested in the December 2016 elections.

This list is currently incomplete

Aotearoa

• 1. David Bushby (N), until 21 January 2019
  • Vacant since 21 January 2019
• 2. Catryna Bilyk (L)
• 2. Peter Whish-Wilson (G)
• 2. Helen Polley (L)

Auralia

• 1. Simon Birmingham (N)
• 1. Stirling Griff (NXT/CA)
• 1. Lucy Gichuhi (FF/Ind./N)
• 2. Anne Ruston (N)

Avon

• 1. Penny Wong (L)
• 1. Skye Kakoschke-Moore (NXT), until 22 November 2017
  • Tim Storer (NXT/CA/Ind.), from 16 February 2018
• 2. Nick Xenophon (NXT), until 31 October 2017
  • Rex Patrick (NXT/CA), from 14 November 2017
• 2. David Fawcett (N)

Carolina

• 1. Deborah O'Neill (L)
• 2. Marise Payne (N)
• 2. Concetta Fierravanti-Wells (N)
• 2. Jenny McAllister (L)

Darwin

• 1. Malarndirri McCarthy (L)
• 1. Nigel Scullion (N)
• 2. David Leyonhjelm (LD)
• 2. Ian Macdonald (N)

East Georgia

• 1. Brian Burston (ON/U)
• 1. John Williams (N)
• 2. Arthur Sinodinos (N)
• 2. Cory Bernardi (Con.)

Fiji

• 1. Yogesh Punja (N)
• 1. Jonathon Duniam (N)
• 2. Lisa Singh (L)
• 2. Nick McKim (G)

Gascoyne

• 1. Mathias Cormann (N)
• 1. Michaela Cash (N)
• 1. Chris Back (N), until 31 July 2017
  • Slade Brockman (N), from 16 August 2017
• 2. Glenn Sterle (L)

Gibson

• 1. Claire Moore (L)
• 1. Murray Watt (L)
• 2. James McGrath (N)
• 2. Barry O'Sullivan (N)

Kimberley

• 1. Anthony Chisholm (L)
• 1. Jane Hume (N)
• 2. Matthew Canavan (N)
• 2. Chris Ketter (L)

New Albion

• 1. Doug Cameron (L)
• 1. Fiona Nash (N), until 27 October 2017
  • Jim Molan (N), from 22 December 2017
• 2. Sam Dastyari (L), until 25 January 2018
  • Kristina Keneally (L), from 14 February 2018
• 2. Lee Rhiannon (G), until 15 August 2018
  • Mehreen Faruqi (G), from 15 August 2018

New Caledonia

• 1. Cynthia Ligeard (N)
• 1. Louise Pratt (L)
• 2. Louis Kotra Uregei (L)
• 2. Bridget McKenzie (N)

New Guinea

• 1. Gavin Marshall (L)
• 1. James Paterson (N)
• 2. Mitch Fifield (N)
• 2. Janet Rice (G)

New Hebrides

• 1. Don Farrell (L)
• 1. Alex Gallacher (L)
• 1. Sarah Hanson-Young (G)
• 2. Carol Brown (L)

New Zealand

• 1. George Brandis (N), until 8 February 2018
  • Amanda Stoker, from 21 March 2018
• 1. Pauline Hanson (ON)
• 1. Malcolm Roberts (ON), until 27 October 2017
  • Fraser Anning (CN) from 10 November 2017
• 2. Larissa Waters (G), until 18 July 2017
  • Andrew Bartlett (G), from 10 November 2017 until 27 August 2018
  • Larissa Waters (G), from 6 September 2018

Papua

Pilbara

• 1. Louise Pratt (L)
• 1. Pat Dodson (L)
• 2. Rachel Siewert (G)
• 2. Dean Smith (N)

Solomon Islands

Tasmania

• 1. Eric Abetz (N)
• 1. Jacqui Lambie (JLN), until 14 November 2017
  • Steve Martin (Ind./N), from 9 February 2018
• 2. Stephen Parry (N), until 2 November 2017
  • Richard Colbeck (N), from 9 February 2018
• 2. Anne Urquhart (L)

Victoria

• 1. Jacinta Collins (L), until 25 January 2019
  • Raff Ciccone (L), from 6 March 2019
• 1. Derryn Hinch (J)
• 2. Richard Di Natale (G)
• 2. Kimberley Kitching (L)

West Georgia

• 1. Scott Ludlam (G)
• 1. Rod Culleton (ON), until 3 February 2017
  • Peter Georgiou (ON), from 27 March 2017
• 2. Sue Lines (L)
• 2. Linda Reynolds (N)

Territory of Swan

• 1. Katy Gallagher (L), until 9 May 2018
  • David Smith (L), from 23 May 2018
• 2. Zed Seselja (N)

House of Representatives

Under construction

State	Division	Member	Party		In office
Aotearoa	Canterbury	Julia Banks		National	2 Jul. 2016 – 27 Nov. 2018
				Independent	27 Nov. 2018 – present
	Gisborne
	Hamilton
	Napier
	Nelson
	Otago
	Taranaki
	Tauranga
	Waikato
	Whangarei	Hone Harawira		Labour	3 Jan. 2017 – present
Auralia	Kalgoorlie	Melissa Price		National	3 Jan. 2013 – present
Avon	Barker	Tony Pasin		National	3 Jan. 2013 – present
	Boothby	Nicolle Flint		National	3 Jan. 2017 – present
	Charlotte	Kate Ellis		Labour	3 Jan. 2005 – present
	Grey	Rowan Ramsey		National	3 Jan. 2009 – present
	Hindmarsh	Steve Georganas		Labour	3 Jan. 2017 – present
	Kingston	Amanda Rishworth		Labour	3 Jan. 2009 – present
	Makin	Tony Zappia		Labour	3 Jan. 2009 – present
	Mayo	Rebekha Sharkie		Centre Alliance	3 Jan. 2017 – 11 May 2018
					28 Jul. 2018 – present
	Port Charlotte	Mark Butler		Labour	3 Jan. 2009 – present
	Redford
	Sturt	Christopher Pyne		National	3 Jan. 1993 – present
	Wakefield	Nick Champion		Labour	3 Jan. 2009 – present
Carolina	Armadale
	Brand	Madeleine King		Labour	3 Jan. 2017 – present
	Burt	Matt Keogh		Labour	3 Jan. 2017 – present
	Canning	Andrew Hastie		National	19 Sep. 2015 – present
	Chittering
	Cockburn
	Cowan	Anne Aly		Labour	3 Jan. 2017 – present
	Curtin	Julie Bishop		National	3 Jan. 1997 – present
	Darling
	Disraeli
	Fremantle	Josh Wilson		Labour	3 Jan. 2017 – 10 May 2018
					28 Jul. 2018 – present
	Hasluck	Ken Wyatt		National	3 Jan. 2009 – present
	Melville
	Merredin
	Moore	Ian Goodenough		National	3 Jan. 2013 – present
	Narrogin
	Pearce	Christian Porter		National	3 Jan. 2013 – present
	Peel
	Perth	Tim Hammond		Labour	3 Jan. 2017 – 10 May 2018
		Patrick Gorman			28 Jul. 2018 – present
	Stirling	Michael Keenan		National	3 Jan. 2005 – present
	Swan	Steve Irons		National	3 Jan. 2009 – present
	Tangney	Ben Morton		National	3 Jan. 2017 – present
	York
Darwin	Alice Springs
	Arnhem
	Lingiari
	Litchfield
	Palmerston
	Solomon
East Georgia	Albany
	Alston
	Denmark
	Gladstone
	Kalgan
	Lockyer
	Vancouver
Fiji	Cakobau
	Lautoka
	Mara
Gascoyne
Gibson	Fitzgerald
	Keeling
	Murchison
	Walcott
Kimberley
New Albion	Banks	David Coleman		National	3 Jan. 2013 – present
	Barton	Linda Burney		Labour	3 Jan. 2017 – present
	Bennelong	John Alexander		National	3 Jan. 2009 – 11 Nov. 2017
					16 Dec. 2017 – present
	Berowra	Julian Leeser		National	3 Jan. 2017 – present
	Blaxland	Jason Clare		Labour	3 Jan. 2009 – present
	Bradfield	Paul Fletcher		National	5 Dec. 2009 – present
	Calare	Andrew Gee		National	3 Jan. 2017 – present
	Chifley	Ed Husic		Labour	3 Jan. 2009 – present
	Cook	Scott Morrison		National	3 Jan. 2009 – present
	Cowper	Luke Hartsuyker		National	3 Jan. 2001 – present
	Cunningham	Sharon Bird		Labour	3 Jan. 2005 – present
	Dobell
	Eden-Monaro
	Farrer
	Fowler	Chris Hayes		Labour	3 Jan. 2009 – present
	Gilmore
	Grayndler	Anthony Albanese		Labour	3 Jan. 1997 – present
	Greenway
	Hughes
	Hume
	Hunter	Joel Fitzgibbon		Labour	3 Jan. 1997 – present
	Kingsford Smith
	Lindsay
	Lyne
	Macarthur
	Mackellar
	Macquarie
	McMahon	Chris Bowen		Labour	3 Jan. 2009 – present
	Mitchell
	New England	Barnaby Joyce		National	3 Jan. 2013 – present
	Newcastle
	North Sydney
	Page
	Parkes
	Parramatta
	Paterson
	Reid
	Richmond
	Riverina
	Robertson
	Shortland
	Sydney	Tanya Plibersek		Labour	3 Jan. 1997 – present
	Warringah	Tony Abbott		National	3 Jan. 1993 – present
	Watson	Tony Burke		Labour	3 Jan. 2005 – present
	Wentworth	Malcolm Turnbull		National	3 Jan. 2005 – 31 Aug. 2018
		Kerryn Phelps		Independent	20 Oct. 2018 – present
	Werriwa	Anne Stanley		Labour	3 Jan. 2017 – present
	Whitlam
New Caledonia	Leenhardt
	Tjibau
New Guinea	Bougainville
	Chimbu
	Enga
	Manus
	Milne Bay
	New Britain
	New Ireland
	Oro
	Port Moresby
	Sandaun
New Hebrides	At-large	Robert Bohn		Labour	3 Jan. 2013 – present
New Zealand	Blair
	Bonner
	Bowman
	Brisbane
	Capricornia
	Dawson
	Dickson
	Fadden
	Fairfax
	Fisher
	Flynn
	Forde
	Griffith
	Groom
	Herbert
	Hinkler
	Kennedy
	Leichhardt
	Lilley
	Longman
	Maranoa
	McPherson
	Moncrieff
	Moreton
	Oxley
	Petrie
	Rankin	Jim Chalmers		Labour	3 Jan. 2013 – present
	Ryan
	Wide Bay
	Wright
Papua
Pilbara
Solomon Islands	Honiara
	Malaita
Territory of Swan	Bean	Gai Brodtmann		Labour	3 January 2009 – present
	Fenner	Andrew Leigh		Labour	3 January 2017 – present
	Northam
Tasmania	Bass
	Braddon
	Denison
	Franklin
	Lyons
Victoria	Aston
	Ballarat
	Batman
	Bendigo
	Bruce
	Calwell
	Casey
	Chisholm	Anna Burke		Labour	3 Jan. 1997 – present
	Corangamite	Sarah Henderson		National	3 Jan. 2013 – present
	Corio	Richard Marles		Labour	3 Jan. 2009 – present
	Deakin
	Dunkley	Chris Crewther		National	3 Jan. 2017 – present
	Flinders
	Gellibrand
	Gippsland
	Goldstein
	Gorton
	Higgins
	Holt
	Hotham	Clare O'Neil		Labour	3 Jan. 2013 – present
	Indi
	Isaacs
	Jagajaga
	Kooyong	Josh Frydenberg		National	3 Jan. 2009 – present
	La Trobe
	Lalor	Julia Gillard		Labour	3 Jan. 1997 – present
	Mallee
	Maribyrnong	Bill Shorten		Labour	3 Jan. 2005 – present
	McEwen
	McMIllan
	Melbourne
	Melbourne Ports
	Menzies
	Murray
	Scullin
	Wannon
	Wills
West Georgia	Bunbury
	Forrest	Nola Marino		National	3 Jan. 2009 – present
	Geographe
	Leeuwin
	Margaret River
	Primrose