Damon Mcknight
Australia has three levels of government: federal, state, and local. The federal government, led by the Prime Minister, is responsible for matters that affect the entire nation, such as foreign affairs, social security, and defence. State governments, led by Premiers, handle issues like justice, health, and education. Local governments, typically called city or shire councils, address the specific needs of their communities. These three levels of government were established in 1901 when six British colonies united to form the Commonwealth of Australia, with the federal government responsible for nationwide affairs and state governments retaining powers for local matters.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of members in the Australian Parliament | 226 |
| Number of members in the Senate | 76 |
| Number of members in the House of Representatives | 150 |
| Federal Government Leader | Prime Minister |
| State Government Leader | Premier |
| Territory Government Leader | Chief Minister |
| Federal Government Responsibilities | Foreign affairs, social security, industrial relations, trade, immigration, currency, defence |
| State and Territory Government Responsibilities | Justice, consumer affairs, health, education, forestry, public transport, main roads |
| Local Government Decision-Making Body | City council or shire council |
| Local Government Representatives | Aldermen or councillors |
| Territories Governed by Federal Law and State Law | Australian Capital Territory (ACT) and Northern Territory (NT) |
| Number of Territories in Australia | 8 |
| Federal Parliament Law-Making Power | Sections 51 and 52 of the Constitution |
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Federal government
Australia has three levels of government: local councils, state/territory parliaments, and the federal parliament. The federal parliament, also known as the Australian Government, is headquartered in the executive wing of Parliament House in Canberra, the nation's capital. The Australian Constitution established a federal parliament, giving Australia a federal system of government. This means that power is shared between the federal government and the state governments.
The federal parliament is responsible for making laws for the whole of Australia. It consists of the Senate and the House of Representatives, with 76 and 150 members respectively. The leader of the federal government, also known as the federal executive, is the Prime Minister, who is elected by their fellow party members as the leader of the party that has won the majority of members elected to the House of Representatives. The Prime Minister, along with senior ministers, forms the cabinet, which makes most of the important policy decisions of the government. The cabinet is not a legal entity, but its decisions are given legal force by the Federal Executive Council, Australia's highest formal governmental body.
The Federal Executive Council advises the governor-general in the exercise of executive power, and its decisions are implemented by the federal executive. The federal executive is responsible for putting federal laws into action and ensuring that laws provide Australians with the services they need. The federal government's responsibilities include foreign affairs, social security, industrial relations, trade, immigration, currency, and defence.
The terminology "Australian Government" is preferred to avoid confusion with the Commonwealth of Nations and the US federal government. However, the terms "Commonwealth Government" and "federal government" are also commonly used.
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State government
Australia has three levels of government that work together to provide services to the country's citizens. The state level is the second level of government, with the first being the local councils and the third being the federal parliament.
The state governments are located in the capital cities of each of the six states and two territories. Representatives elected to state parliaments are generally known as 'Members' – Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLA), Members of the House of Assembly (MHA), or Members of the Legislative Council (MLC). The leader of a state government is called the Premier. The Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory have a different arrangement, with their parliament combining the responsibilities of both local and state governments. Each territory parliament has one house called the Legislative Assembly, and the leader of each territory government is called the Chief Minister.
State and territory governments are responsible for justice, consumer affairs, health, education, forestry, public transport, and main roads. They make laws for their state or territory, and they have their own responsibilities, although in some cases, these are shared with the federal government. The federal government is responsible for areas that affect the whole nation, such as foreign affairs, social security, industrial relations, trade, immigration, currency, and defence.
The state parliaments gave local councils the task of looking after the particular needs of their local communities. The decision-making body of local government is usually called the city council or shire council. Councils are established by state governments, and the people's representatives who form the Council are called aldermen or councillors.
The three levels of government in Australia were established in 1901 when the six British colonies united to form the Commonwealth of Australia.
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Territory government
Australia has six federated states and ten federal territories, three of which are internal territories: the Australian Capital Territory, the Jervis Bay Territory, and the Northern Territory. The remaining seven are external territories, including the Australian Antarctic Territory and Norfolk Island.
Each territory has its own parliament, consisting of a single house called the Legislative Assembly. The leader of each territory government is called the Chief Minister. While territories are legally subordinate to the federal government, they can be autonomous and administer local policies and programs.
The Northern Territory Government, for example, has jurisdiction over a range of matters, including liquor licensing, gambling, child protection, education, health services, and environment protection. The Northern Territory also has its own independent executive government, legislature, and judicial system.
The Australian Capital Territory, home to the nation's capital city of Canberra, is another example of a territory with its own government and legislative assembly. The ACT government has responsibilities in areas such as health, education, public transport, and local community needs.
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Local government
Despite Australia's largely single-tier system of local governance, certain regions with low populations fall outside established LGAs. In these unincorporated areas, powers may be exercised by special-purpose governing bodies established outside local legislation. One example is New South Wales, which has county councils—special-purpose local governments that oversee multiple LGAs and are responsible for water supply, flood mitigation, and weed management.
The term "local government area" (LGA) is used by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) to collectively refer to all local government administrative zones, regardless of their varying designations. These designations differ across states, with urban municipalities often called cities, and many in Western Australia officially designated as "towns". Rural areas in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, and Western Australia are typically called shires, while those in South Australia use the term "district councils", and Tasmania uses "municipality".
It is worth noting that services like police, fire protection, and schools are provided by respective state or territory governments rather than local councils. However, local governments in Queensland and Western Australia maintain some responsibility for fire service functions.
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The cabinet
Australia's three levels of government work together to provide services to the country and its people. The federal, state, and territory parliaments, as well as local councils, make up these three levels.
The Prime Minister, who is a member of the House of Representatives, leads the Cabinet. They are chosen by their party members as the leader of the party that holds the majority of seats in the House of Representatives. The House of Representatives, together with the Senate, plays a crucial role in law-making, reviewing, debating, and voting on proposed legislation. Senators, who are elected to represent entire states or territories, join members of the House of Representatives in this process.
At the state and territory levels, the Cabinet's role is equally important. Each state government has a leader known as the Premier, except in the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory, where the leader is called the Chief Minister. These leaders, as part of the Cabinet, oversee state and territory responsibilities, including justice, consumer affairs, health, education, and infrastructure such as public transport and main roads.
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Frequently asked questions
Australia has three levels of government: federal, state, and local. The federal government is led by a Prime Minister, who, along with sworn ministers, forms the cabinet. The state government is led by a Premier, and the local government is led by a city council or shire council.
The federal government is responsible for areas that affect the whole nation, such as foreign affairs, social security, industrial relations, trade, immigration, currency, and defence. The federal government also has the power to override state or territory laws in certain areas, such as the environment, public health, and education.
Australians aged 18 and over vote to elect representatives to federal, state, and local governments. The federal government is formed by the party that wins the majority of members elected to the House of Representatives. The state and territory governments are formed by members elected to state parliaments, known as "Members". The local government is formed by councillors or aldermen who represent their local community.
