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The 89 MLAs are intended to represent approximately the same population in each electorate, however that has not always been the case (see Queensland's Gerrymander ). RECENT EVENTS By-election s took place on August 20 , 2005 for the electorates of Chatsworth and Redcliffe following the resignations of Deputy Premier Terry Mackenroth and Speaker of the Legislative Assembly Ray Hollis . Both formerly safe Labor seats saw Liberal members Michael Caltabiano (Chatsworth) and Terry Rogers (Redcliffe) elected. Another by-election was held in the electorate of Gaven on April 1 , 2006 following the resignation of Labor MP Robert Poole . Labor was defeated, with Nationals candidate Dr. Alex Douglas being elected. CURRENT DISTRIBUTION OF SEATS (as at declaration of April 1 , 2006 By-election ) (see Detailed List ) PRIOR TO 1922 The Legislative Assembly was the lower house of a normal Westminster style Bicameral parliament. The upper house, the Legislative Council was contstituted in the style of a Senate . In 1922 the Legislative Council took the unusual step of voting to abolish itsef, leaving Queensland with a single-chamber parliament - currently the only Australian state with this arrangement. QUEENSLAND'S GERRYMANDER Queensland, until the reforms following the end of the Bjelke-Petersen era, had a system where electorates in rural districts were created with significantly smaller numbers of voters than urban seats, in effect making the vote of a person from rural Queensland worth significantly more than a vote by a person living in the highly urbanised areas of Southeast Queensland. (See Gerrymander ) This system was put in place by the Australian Labor Party before the Second World War, but Socio-economic and Demographic changes associated with mechanisation and urbanisation led to a drift of working class population to the cities and a subsequent shift in the fortunes of the Country Party (later National Party Of Australia ), which represented the interests of and appealed electorally to rural landholders. SEE ALSO
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