Neither house can claim to be the more powerful. The houses have different powers. To gain control of government and control of the Treasury, a party or coalition of parties must first gain control of the Legislative Assembly, the lower house. The lower house is modelled on the House of Commons in Westminster, and with its 59 elected members, it is said to be the voice of the people.

The Legislative Council, or upper house (modelled on the House of Lords in Westminster), is the house of review; its role is to scrutinise proposed laws and the government’s budget in detail. The Legislative Council has 36 elected members. Bills cannot become laws until they are passed by both houses.