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 In addition to the parliamentary departments, certain non-parliamentary federal agencies have a role in producing, storing, and providing access to different types of documents. In particular, the Office of Parliamentary Counsel is responsible for drafting and publishing bills and other legislation; the National Archives of Australia collects, stores, and preserves official records of parliamentary office holders, such as the presiding officers of the two houses and the chairs of parliamentary committees; and the National Library of Australia collects, preserves, and provides access to various parliamentary documents, including Parliamentary Papers and other records.

I. The Parliament of Australia

Chapter I of the Australian Constitution describes the composition and powers of the Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia (i.e., the Federal Parliament), which consists of the Queen (represented by the Governor-General) and a bicameral legislature. The House of Representatives currently consists of 151 members representing single electorates, while the Senate consists of 76 senators, "twelve from each of the six states and two from each of the mainland territories." The Constitution also establishes the role of the presiding officers of the two houses: the President of the Senate and the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Australia has a Westminster-style system of government, whereby the executive government comes from within the Parliament and is responsible to the Parliament. The leader of the political party (or coalition) with the support of the majority of members of the House of Representatives becomes the Prime Minister, and selects ministers from both houses of Parliament.

II. Overview

A. Australian Parliamentary Documents

Documents and records produced in the Australian Parliament include the following:

The Law Library of Congress