House of Commons (Tanaau)
House of Commons | |
|---|---|
| 1st Parliament | |
| Type | |
| Type | |
Term limits | None |
| History | |
| Founded | 17 November 2023 |
| Leadership | |
Speaker | Vacant |
Vacant | |
House Leader | Vacant |
Vacant | |
| Structure | |
Length of term | Up to Five Years |
| Elections | |
| First Past the Post | |
| Constitution | |
| Constitution of Tanaau | |
The House of Commons is the lower house of the Parliament of Tanaau. Unlike the House of Lords (the upper house of parliament), the House of Commons consists of elected members known as Members of Parliament (MPs). MPs are elected to represent single member constituencies by the first past the post system, and hold their seats until parliament is dissolved.
The government is de facto solely responsible to the House of Commons and the prime minister conventionally holds office for as long as they can command the confidence of the majority the House of Commons.
History
Founded in the constitution, the House of Commons was established on 17 November 2023.
Role
Relation with Government
While the monarch appoints the prime minister, by convention the prime minister is always answerable to the House of Commons and as a result must maintain its support.
The House of Commons may show its lack of support for the government by rejecting a motion of confidence or by passing a motion of no confidence. In the event of either of these things happening then the government is expected to submit their resignation to the monarch.
If they are unable to reform a government or form a coalition after a general election they are expected to resign.
Scrutiny of Government
The House of Commons scrutinises the government through committees and questioning the prime minister and other cabinet ministers during designated question times.
The House of Commons also has the power to impeach Ministers of the Crown, with the House of Lords trying them while acting as the High Court of Justice.
Sometimes the scrutiny in the house can be seen as ineffective due to the nature of the electoral system giving the government large majorities in the house, making them hard to scrutinise.
Legislative Functions
Bills may be introduced in either house of parliament by members of each house or by the monarch. However, the constitution defines that the House of Commons has the sole power to introduce bills concerning public finance.
Like with the House of Lords, all legislation has to receive the assent of the House of Commons before it can be sent to the monarch for royal assent. Any bill rejected by the House of Commons, House of Lords or the monarch cannot be presented again for the remainder of the legislative session.
Sometimes, the House of Commons will form committees to scrutinise and amend bills in the process of legislating.
Membership
Members of Parliament are elected to represent single member constituencies. They are elected by the first past the post electoral system.
General elections occur whenever parliament is dissolved. The monarch has the sole power to dissolve parliament, usually on the advice on the prime minister. Constitutionally, elections have to happen at least once every five years - however elections can be called prior to the expiration of the five year term.
Once elected, Members of Parliament continue to serve until the next dissolution of parliament. But if a member dies or ceases to be qualified for office, his or her seat falls vacant. It is also possible for the House of Commons to expel a member. In each case, the vacancy is filled by a by-election in the constituency, with the same electoral system as in general elections.
Upon taking office, Members of Parliament swear an oath of office. Incumbent Members of Parliament are entitled to use the post-nominals "MP" for the duration of their term.
Officers
At the beginning of each parliamentary term, the House of Commons elects a Speaker of the House to be presiding officer. Constitutionally, the speaker is appointed by the monarch, however in practice the speaker is always appointed on the House's nomination. The speaker of the house is always an elected member of parliament. The speaker is aided by up to two deputy speakers, both of which are also MPs.
All other secretaries and clerks of the house do not need the approval of the monarch - only the election of the house.
On the nomination of the prime minister, the monarch also appoints a Leader of the House of Commons who is the minister that manages the government's business in the House of Commons.
Committees
The House of Commons maintains a number of departmental select committees, which provide parliamentary scrutiny to each government department. Membership of these committees is determined by the political composition of the house and the committee chairs are determined by secret ballot by each committee. Select committees have the power to collect evidence and hold hearings to carry out the scrutiny of their specific government department.