Re: OT: For information only !

Nik Taylor wrote:

>Tristan Mc Leay wrote:
>
>
>>Well it is, as far as I know... Certainly the Australian system has been
>>described as a Washminster system (Wash- from Washington, DC, -minster
>>from Westminster). The Senate of both countries is intended as a house
>>of the states more than the people; the states each have equal
>>representation regardless of the population (New States of Australia
>>would,* and the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory
>>do, have fewer Senators though). Both Senates wield a lot of power; one
>>of Australia's Prime Ministers, Gough Whitlam, was fired because his
>>government had no access to money because the Senate refused to pass the
>>Budget. I assumed the American Senate was elected from the word go, but
>>apparently it wasn't till 1913 (so Australia's Senate was elected even
>>earlier). The Australian Senate wasn't proportional till 1949
>>
>>
>
>Wait ... is Australia's senate proportional representation or equal
>representation?
>
>
>
Speaking for the Australian politics I know nothing about, I think the
following is true:  Each state is equally represented, but within the
states, the members are represented proportionally to the voters in that
state.