▁and ▁the ▁independence ▁of ▁public ▁offices . ▁Such ▁cla uses ▁are ▁seen ▁as ▁in fr ing ing ▁parliament ary ▁so vere ig nt y , ▁and ▁while ▁they ▁have ▁not ▁been ▁tested ▁in ▁court , ▁it ▁is ▁probable ▁that ▁these ▁cla uses ▁are ▁not ▁leg ally ▁valid . ▁General ▁legal ▁r ationale ▁is ▁that ▁a ▁given ▁parliament ▁can ▁always ▁over turn ▁or ▁am end ▁the ▁legisl ation ▁of ▁its ▁prede cess ors . ▁The ▁exception ▁to ▁this ▁is ▁that ▁an ▁alter ation ▁to ▁the ▁state ' s ▁constitution ▁possibly ▁could ▁be ▁ent rench ed ▁if ▁it ▁was ▁passed ▁by ▁a ▁public ▁refer endum . ▁The ▁Australia ▁Act ▁ 1 9 8 6 ▁( Common wealth ) ▁and ▁West min ster ▁tradition ▁place ▁limits ▁on ▁the ▁level ▁to ▁which ▁state ▁constitution s ▁can ▁be ▁ent rench ed , ▁with ▁the ▁accepted ▁view ▁being ▁that ▁the ▁supposed ly ▁ent rench ed ▁cla uses ▁within ▁Victoria ' s ▁constitution ▁could ▁be ▁over turn ed ▁by ▁a ▁majority ▁of ▁both ▁houses ▁of ▁parliament ▁in ▁the ▁normal ▁fashion . ▁ ▁The ▁practice ▁of ▁alloc ating ▁tied ▁gr ants ▁is ▁used ▁by ▁the ▁federal ▁government ▁to ▁circum vent ▁the ▁power ▁of ▁state ▁parliament s . ▁The ▁federal ▁government ▁cannot ▁exercise ▁powers ▁on ▁matters ▁it ▁has ▁not ▁been ▁given ▁responsibility ▁for , ▁unlike ▁the ▁state ▁parliament s ▁whose ▁powers ▁are ▁hardly ▁limited . ▁Victoria ' s ▁Parliament , ▁like ▁all ▁of ▁the ▁states ▁of ▁Australia , ▁has ▁a ▁vertical ▁fis cal ▁im bal ance ▁and ▁is ▁dependent ▁on ▁the ▁federal