Lyla Lindsey
The Australian federal government, also known as the Commonwealth Government, is a federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy. The government is headquartered in Canberra, in the Australian Capital Territory. As of December 2023, there are 1,334 government entities reportable to the Australian Government Organisations Register, including 191 principal entities and 693 secondary entities. The federal government is organised into 16 departments, each with its own specific responsibilities and portfolio areas. These departments are further divided into various agencies and entities, each with their own unique roles and functions, and are often grouped by size or function to allow for comparisons and effective governance.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of departments | 16 |
| Number of portfolio departments | 20 |
| Number of principal entities | 171 |
| Number of principal entities as of December 2023 | 191 |
| Number of secondary entities | 693 |
| Number of other entities | 450 |
| Number of government entities reportable to the Australian Government Organisations Register | 1,334 |
| Number of functional clusters of Australian Public Service (APS) agencies | 6 |
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What You'll Learn
Departments and agencies
The Australian Government, also referred to as the Commonwealth Government or federal government, is headquartered in the executive wing of Parliament House in Canberra, where the head offices of all federal departments are also located. As of 1 July 2022, there were 16 departments of the Australian Government, an increase from the Albanese Government's previous number of 14.
The Australian Government comprises 20 portfolio departments, each representing a seat in the federal cabinet and leading its respective portfolio area. There are 171 principal entities other than the cabinet departments. These government agencies are classified by the Australian Government Organisations Register as either a non-corporate Commonwealth entity, a corporate Commonwealth entity, or a Commonwealth company.
As of December 2023, there were 1,334 government entities reportable to the Australian Government Organisations Register. This includes 191 "principal" entities, 693 "secondary" entities, and 450 "other" entities. The six functional clusters applied to Australian Public Service (APS) agencies are: Policy, Smaller operational, Larger operational, Regulatory, Specialist, and National Cultural institutions.
The Australian Government, a federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy, includes the departments and other executive bodies that ministers oversee. The current executive government consists of Anthony Albanese and other ministers of the Australian Labor Party (ALP), in office since the 2022 federal election. The prime minister is the head of the federal government and is appointed by the governor-general, who also advises the Federal Executive Council in the exercise of executive power.
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Portfolio responsibilities
As of December 2023, there were 1,334 government entities reportable to the Australian Government Organisations Register. These entities are grouped into a number of areas of portfolio responsibility. Each portfolio is led by one or more government ministers who are members of the federal parliament, appointed by the governor-general on the advice of the prime minister.
The Australian Government comprises 20 portfolio departments, each representing a seat in the federal cabinet and leading its respective portfolio area. There are 171 principal entities other than the cabinet departments. These government agencies are classified by the Australian Government Organisations Register as either a non-corporate Commonwealth entity, a corporate Commonwealth entity, or a Commonwealth company.
The 20 portfolio departments include the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, the Department of Education, the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations, the Department of Health and Aged Care, the Attorney-General's Department, the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet, and the Department of Industry, Science and Resources.
The Albanese Government increased the number of departments to 16, effective from 1 July 2022. Some of the modifications made include splitting the Department of Education, Skills and Employment into the Department of Education and the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations, and transferring the policing, criminal justice and protective services functions from the Department of Home Affairs to the Attorney-General's Department.
The Australian Public Service (APS) agencies are also grouped into 'functional clusters' to allow comparisons between agencies with similar primary functions. The six functional clusters are Policy, Smaller Operational, Larger Operational, Regulatory, Specialist, and National Cultural Institutions.
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Federal cabinet seats
The Australian Government, also referred to as the Commonwealth Government or federal government, is the national executive government of Australia. It is a federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy. The government is headquartered in the executive wing of Parliament House in Canberra, where the head offices of all the federal departments are also located.
The executive branch of the Australian Government is made up of the prime minister and other cabinet ministers who have the support of the majority of the members of the House of Representatives (the lower house). The prime minister is the head of the federal government and is appointed by the governor-general, who is the federal representative of the monarch of Australia. The Federal Executive Council advises the governor-general in the exercise of executive power.
As of March 2024, there were 16 departments of the Australian Government. However, one source states that there are 20 portfolio departments, each representing a seat in the federal cabinet. There are 171 principal entities other than the cabinet departments, including non-corporate Commonwealth entities, corporate Commonwealth entities, and Commonwealth companies. These are categorised as either Government Business Enterprises or Corporate Commonwealth entities.
As of December 2023, there were 1,334 government entities reportable to the Australian Government Organisations Register. This includes 191 "principal" entities, 693 "secondary" entities, and 450 "other" entities.
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Executive agencies
The Australian Government, also referred to as the Commonwealth Government or the Federal Government, is a federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy. The government is headquartered in the executive wing of Parliament House in Canberra, where the head offices of all federal departments are located.
The Federal Executive Council is the body that advises the governor-general in the exercise of executive power. The governor-general is the federal representative of the monarch of Australia and appoints the prime minister, who is the head of the federal government. The prime minister, along with other cabinet ministers, form the executive branch of the government.
The executive branch of the Australian government has far-reaching powers. It can be delegated legislative power through provisions allowing for statutory instruments and Henry VIII clauses. The executive branch also retains certain powers traditionally part of the royal prerogative, such as the power to declare war and enter into treaties.
As of 2023, there are 1,334 government entities reportable to the Australian Government Organisations Register. This includes 191 "principal entities", 693 "secondary entities", and 450 "other entities". The principal entities include 20 cabinet departments, which represent a seat in the federal cabinet and lead their respective portfolio areas. These departments are classified as either a non-corporate Commonwealth entity, a corporate Commonwealth entity, or a Commonwealth company.
Examples of executive agencies include Services Australia (formerly the Department of Human Services), which is an executive agency within the Department of Social Services, and the Department of Home Affairs, which has policing, criminal justice, and protective services functions.
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Government Business Enterprises (GBEs)
The Australian Government, also known as the Commonwealth Government or Federal Government, is the national executive government of Australia. It is a federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy. The government's relationship to its Government Business Enterprises (GBEs) is similar to the relationship between a holding company and its subsidiaries. The government has a strong interest in the performance and financial returns of its GBEs, and there are reporting and accountability arrangements in place to facilitate active oversight.
As of March 2021, there were nine GBEs of the Government of Australia, comprising two corporate Commonwealth entities and seven Commonwealth companies. These include the Special Broadcasting Service, which combines government and commercial funding. The precise number of GBEs can vary, as some are privatized over time, such as Telstra, which was sold in 1997, and the State Electricity Commission of Victoria and the Gas & Fuel Corporation, which were disaggregated and sold in the 1990s.
The Australian Government comprises 20 portfolio departments, each representing a seat in the federal cabinet, and 171 principal entities other than the cabinet departments. These government agencies are classified as either non-corporate Commonwealth entities, corporate Commonwealth entities, or Commonwealth companies. As of December 2023, there were 1,334 government entities reportable to the Australian Government Organisations Register, including 191 "principal" entities, 693 "secondary" entities, and 450 "other" entities.
The Federal Executive Council advises the governor-general in the exercise of executive power, and decisions are made by current ministers in the council. The governor-general usually presides at these meetings, but in their absence, another minister nominated as the vice-president of the Executive Council presides. The current vice-president is Senator Katy Gallagher.
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Frequently asked questions
As of December 2023, there are 1,334 government entities reportable to the Australian Government Organisations Register.
The Australian Government comprises 20 portfolio departments, each representing a seat in the federal cabinet and leading its respective portfolio area. There are 171 principal entities other than the cabinet departments. These government agencies are classified by the Australian Government Organisations Register as either a non-corporate Commonwealth entity, a corporate Commonwealth entity, or a Commonwealth company.
The six functional clusters applied to APS agencies are: Policy, Smaller operational, Larger operational, Regulatory, Specialist, and National Cultural institutions.
