Omari Gates
Australia's system of government is a representative democracy and a constitutional monarchy. It is also a federation of states with three levels of government: federal, state or territory, and local. The federal government is led by a Prime Minister, who is the head of the government and is appointed by the governor-general, who is the representative of the monarch of Australia. The Parliament, the Executive, and the Judiciary are the three groups that make up the government and are defined by the Constitution, which outlines how they share power.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Type of Government | Representative democracy, constitutional monarchy, federation |
| Head of State | His Majesty King Charles III |
| Federal elections | Held approximately every 3 years |
| Federal Government | The Prime Minister, appointed by the Governor-General |
| Federal Parliament | The House of Representatives and the Senate |
| State or Territory Government | Chief Minister |
| Local Government | City council or shire council, headed by a Mayor or Shire President |
| Powers | Legislative, executive, and judicial |
| Legislative Power | Make and change laws |
| Executive Power | Implement laws, declare war, enter into treaties, provide financial stimulus payments, control immigration |
| Judicial Power | Make judgements on law |
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What You'll Learn
Australia's three levels of government: federal, state or territory, and local
Australia is a representative democracy and a constitutional monarchy. It is also a federation of states. The country has three levels of government: federal, state or territory, and local.
The federal government is led by the prime minister, who is the head of the government. The prime minister is appointed by the governor-general, who acts on behalf of the king in Australia. The prime minister and their sworn ministers form the cabinet, which makes most of the important policy decisions for the government. The cabinet is the Federal Executive Council, which is Australia's highest formal governmental body. The Federal Parliament, consisting of the House of Representatives and the Senate, is the decision-making body of the federal government. The House of Representatives and the Senate share the responsibility of reviewing, debating, and voting on proposed laws. The federal government's responsibilities include foreign affairs, social security, industrial relations, trade, immigration, currency, and defence.
The state or territory level of government has one house called the Legislative Assembly. The leader of each territory government is the Chief Minister. State and territory governments have responsibilities in areas such as justice, consumer affairs, health, education, forestry, public transport, and main roads.
The local level of government is usually called the city council or shire council. Councils are established by state governments to address the specific needs of a city or local community. The decision-making body of the local government is typically referred to as the council, and its members are called aldermen or councillors. The head of the council is the Mayor or Shire President. Local government responsibilities include local road maintenance, garbage collection, building regulations, land subdivisions, public health, and recreation facilities.
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The role of the Prime Minister
Australia has a parliamentary or semi-presidential system, in which the Prime Minister is the head of the federal government. The Prime Minister is the leader of the Australian Government and the Cabinet of Australia, with the support of the majority of the House of Representatives. The Prime Minister is appointed by the governor-general, who is the federal representative of the monarch of Australia. The governor-general usually appoints the parliamentary leader who has the confidence of the majority of the members of the House of Representatives.
The Prime Minister is responsible for the day-to-day decisions of the government and has significant influence over policy development, inter-governmental communications, honours and symbols policy, and Indigenous programmes. They also have the authority to make independent policy decisions, separate from the Cabinet, and have a prominent role in foreign policy, through their position as chair of the National Security Committee.
The Prime Minister is also responsible for selecting the members of the Cabinet, which is the key decision-making body of the government. The Cabinet makes most of the important policy decisions and sets the government's agenda. While the Cabinet is not a legal entity, and its decisions do not have legal force, it serves as the practical expression of the Federal Executive Council, which is Australia's highest formal governmental body.
The Prime Minister's role is not mentioned in the Constitution of Australia, and they do not have a fixed term. Prime Ministers generally serve the full length of their term unless they lose the majority of the House or are replaced as the leader of their party. As of 27 August 2023, the Prime Minister of Australia is paid a total salary of A$586,950, including the base salary for members of parliament and an additional 160% for the role of Prime Minister.
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The Federal Executive Council
Australia is a representative democracy with three levels of government: federal, state or territory, and local. The Federal Executive Council is a body established by Section 62 of the Australian Constitution to advise the governor-general on matters of the federal government. The governor-general is the federal representative of the monarch of Australia and is bound by convention to follow the advice of the Executive Council on almost all occasions. This gives the Executive Council de facto executive power.
The matters that are typically required to be dealt with by the Governor-General in Council include:
- Appointments
- Authorisation of budgets
- Declaring a new head of state
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State and territory governments
Australia is a federation of six states and two self-governing territories. The national government is the Australian Government, also referred to as the federal government or Commonwealth government. The constitution grants certain powers to the federal government, while some powers are shared with the states and territories, and others remain exclusively with the states and territories. The states and territories thus have a significant degree of autonomy; the Australian Government does not have the legal power to influence many of their decisions.
The three levels of government in Australia are federal, state or territory, and local. State and territory governments have responsibilities including justice, consumer affairs, health, education, forestry, public transport, and main roads. The Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory have a different arrangement, with each territory parliament having one house called the Legislative Assembly. The leader of each territory government is called the Chief Minister.
The decision-making body of local government is usually called the city council or shire council. Councils are established by state governments to look after the particular needs of a city or local community. The people's representatives who form the Council are called aldermen or councillors. The head of the Council is the Mayor or Shire President. Local government responsibilities include local road maintenance, garbage collection, building regulations and land subdivisions, public health, and recreation facilities such as swimming pools.
State, territory, and local council elections are conducted by other electoral management bodies in accordance with separate legislation.
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Constitutional monarchy
Australia is a constitutional monarchy, with a democratically elected parliament of representatives and a hereditary monarch as the country's head of state. The current monarch is King Charles III, who has reigned since 8 September 2022. The monarch is represented federally by the governor-general, who is appointed by the king on the advice of the prime minister. The governor-general is the highest authority in the land, with the power to appoint the prime minister, give royal assent to laws, and call federal elections. The governor-general acts on the advice of the prime minister and ministers, who form the cabinet, the key decision-making body of the government.
The Australian Constitution, based on the Westminster model, establishes a federal system with a distinct separation of powers. It gives Australia a parliamentary system of government, where the role of the sovereign and governor-general is both legal and practical. The governor-general is the federal representative of the monarch and has the power to appoint the prime minister, who is the head of the federal government. The prime minister, in turn, selects the cabinet members, who are typically added or removed through a cabinet reshuffle. While the cabinet's decisions are not legally binding, they serve as the practical expression of the Federal Executive Council, which is Australia's highest formal governmental body.
The Federal Executive Council is responsible for formally advising the governor-general in the exercise of executive power. It is composed of all current and former ministers, although only current ministers are summoned to meetings, which are usually presided over by the governor-general. The council's decisions give legal effect to the cabinet's deliberations. The executive branch retains certain powers traditionally associated with the royal prerogative, such as declaring war and entering into treaties. Additionally, there are certain "nationhood powers" derived from Section 61 of the Constitution, which are powers "peculiarly adapted to the government of a nation and which cannot otherwise be carried out for the benefit of the nation."
At the state level, the monarch is represented by a governor, who is assisted by a lieutenant-governor, generally the Chief Justice of the state's supreme court. The role and title of the monarch vary across the states. Queensland and South Australia recognise the monarch as their head of state, while New South Wales and Western Australia consider their governors as their respective heads of state. Tasmania and Victoria state that the governor "exercises the constitutional power" of the head of state.
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Frequently asked questions
Federal, state or territory, and local.
Foreign affairs, social security, industrial relations, trade, immigration, currency, and defence.
The Prime Minister.
His Majesty King Charles III.
The Parliament of Australia website notes that the name "Australian Government" is preferable to avoid confusion with the Commonwealth of Nations and the US federal government.
