▁the ▁Assembly , ▁it ▁is ▁convention ▁that ▁more ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁executive ▁branch ▁sit ▁within ▁the ▁Assembly ▁than ▁the ▁Council . ▁ ▁Most ▁b ills ▁origin ate ▁within ▁the ▁Assembly , ▁partly ▁as ▁a ▁matter ▁of ▁convention ▁and ▁mostly ▁due ▁to ▁the ▁fact ▁that ▁b ills ▁not ▁spons ored ▁by ▁the ▁government ▁are ▁unlikely ▁to ▁be ▁passed . ▁A ▁bill ▁typically ▁goes ▁through ▁three ▁read ings , ▁each ▁followed ▁by ▁a ▁vote , ▁before ▁being ▁presented ▁to ▁the ▁Legisl ative ▁Council . ▁ ▁Legisl ative ▁Council ▁ ▁The ▁Legisl ative ▁Council ▁is ▁the ▁house ▁of ▁review . ▁It ▁contains ▁forty ▁members , ▁elected ▁from ▁eight ▁multi - member ▁elect or ates ▁known ▁as ▁regions . ▁Each ▁region ▁returns ▁five ▁members ▁for ▁a ▁four ▁year ▁term . ▁Each ▁region ▁contains ▁eleven ▁divisions ▁from ▁the ▁Legisl ative ▁Assembly . ▁The ▁Council ▁is ▁elected ▁using ▁a ▁single ▁transfer able ▁vote ▁with ▁the ▁option ▁of ▁group ▁voting ▁tick ets . ▁Cas ual ▁vac an cies ▁are ▁filled ▁by ▁a ▁joint - s itting ▁of ▁both ▁houses . ▁The ▁new ▁member ▁must ▁be ▁from ▁the ▁same ▁party ▁as ▁the ▁original ▁member ▁was ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁their ▁election . ▁ ▁The ▁Council ' s ▁power ▁has ▁decre ased ▁over ▁time , ▁as ▁its ▁role ▁has ▁changed . ▁It ▁was ▁initially ▁a ▁means ▁of ▁suppress ing ▁dem ocr atic ▁re forms , ▁particularly ▁since ▁the ▁more ▁representative ▁Assembly ▁was ▁seen ▁as ▁too ▁" li ber al " ▁and ▁" rad ical ". ▁It ▁now ▁serves ▁as ▁a ▁house ▁of