Why do we have two Houses of Parliament? Victoria's parliament is based on the Westminster system, which has an Upper and a Lower House. The system of a parliament that has an Upper and a Lower House is known as a bicameral system. The Lower House (Legislative Assembly) is where the Government is formed and the Upper House (Legislative Council) is a house of review. The theory was that the democratically elected Lower House should be the seat of Government while the Upper House should review legislation passed by the Lower House from an "independent" position. Victoria’s Upper House was a "house of property" with property qualifications for candidates and electors in place. This could keep the more "radical" Lower House in check. These property qualifications were gradually eased and finally abolished in 1950. The two Houses are now both elected using the same method of voting and the same qualifications for candidates and electors. Party politics and party discipline mean that the Upper House does not act as an independent house of review, but it still plays an important role in the system of checks and balances to help ensure that legislation passed is in the best interest of all Victorians.