Crossing the floor
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In some parliamentary systems, politicians are said to cross the floor if they formally change their political affiliation to a political party different from the one they were initially elected under. In Australia though, this term simply refers to Members of Parliament (MPs) who dissent from the party line and vote against the express instructions of the party whip while retaining membership in their political party.
In the Australian Senate, Senators vote in favor of a motion by sitting on the benches to the president's right (left of photo), and against it by sitting on the benches to the president's left (right of photo)
Australian Senate
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The Senate is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Australia, the lower house being the House of Representatives. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Chapter I of the Constitution of Australia. There are a total of 76 senators: 12 are elected from each of the six Australian states regardless of population and 2 from each of the two self-governing internal Australian territories. Senators are popularly elected under the single transferable vote system of proportional representation.
The Australian Senate in 1923
The Senate chamber at Old Parliament House, Canberra, where the Parliament met between 1927 and 1988.
The Australian Senate