| Senate of the United Cygnian States | |
|---|---|
| 59th Congress of the Union | |
 Seal of the Senate | |
| Type | |
| Type | Upper house of the Cygnian Congress |
| Leadership | |
| Speaker | Sue Lines, Labour since 3 January 2017 |
| Leader of the Government | Penny Wong, Labour since 3 January 2017 |
| Leader of the Opposition | Eric Abetz, National since 3 January 2017 |
| Government Whip | Anne Urquhart, Labour since 3 January 2017 |
| Opposition Whip | David Bushby, National since 3 January 2017 |
| History | |
| Established | 3 January 1949 |
| Preceded by | House of Councillors |
| Structure | |
| Members | 86 |
 | |
| Political groups | Government (35) Labour (35) Official Opposition (32) National (32) Crossbenchers (19) Greens (9) Centre (2) One Nation (2) Justice (1) Katter's (1) Liberal Democrat (1) Conservatives (1) Palmer United (1) Independent (1) |
| Election | |
| Voting system | Single transferable vote |
| Last election | 5 November 2016 |
| Next election | 7 November 2020 |
| Meeting place | |
 | |
| Senate Chamber Federation Hall, Northam, TS | |
The Senate of the United Cygnian States is a legislative chamber in the bicameral legislature of Cygnia, and together with the House of Representatives makes up the Congress of the Union.
The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the Constitution of Cygnia. Each state, regardless of population, is represented by four senators who serve eight-year terms each; the Territory of Swan is entitled to two, who are elected for a term of four years. Elections are held every four years, when one-half of the Senate is dissolved. The Senate chamber is located in the west wing of Federation Hall in Northam, TS. The House of Representatives convenes in the east wing of the same building.
The Senate has the capacity to reject all bills, including budget and appropriation bills, initiated by the government in the House of Representatives. As a result of proportional representation, the chamber features a multitude of parties vying for power. The governing party or coalition, which is only required to maintain the confidence of the lower house, has not held a majority in the Senate since 2005–2009 (and before that since 1981) and usually needs to negotiate with other parties and Independents to get legislation passed.
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