Lyla Lindsey
The Australian Government is a representative democracy with three levels of government that work together to provide services to the people of Australia. The federal government, state/territory parliaments, and local councils work in tandem to meet the needs of the Australian people. The federal government, headquartered in Canberra, is led by a Prime Minister who is supported by a cabinet of ministers. The Australian Senate and House of Representatives work together to propose and pass bills, which become laws. The Australian Government is officially named the Government of Australia, though the terms Australian Government and Commonwealth Government are also used.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of government levels | 3 |
| Federal Parliament location | Canberra |
| Federal Parliament composition | House of Representatives and the Senate |
| Number of Senators | 76 |
| Number of states | 6 |
| State parliaments composition | Legislative Assembly, House of Assembly, Legislative Council |
| Number of territories | 2 |
| Territory parliaments composition | Legislative Assembly |
| Number of local government bodies | 500+ |
| Local government body names | Councils, municipalities, shires |
| Federal system | Based on the British (Westminster) tradition of government |
| Federal system distribution of powers | National government (the Commonwealth) and the six states |
| State government leader | Premier |
| Territory government leader | Chief Minister |
| Federal executive | The Prime Minister and ministers |
| Cabinet composition | Prime Minister and senior ministers |
| Cabinet role | Examine proposed laws, discuss major national issues, determine government policy |
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What You'll Learn
The three levels of government
Australia has three levels of government: federal, state, and local. These three levels work together to provide the services needed by the Australian people.
The federal government, also known as the Commonwealth, is located in Canberra, the nation's capital. It is made up of the executive branch and the federal parliament, which is the main decision-making body of the Australian government. The executive branch consists of the monarch (represented by the governor-general), the prime minister, and the cabinet. The prime minister is the leader of the federal government and is responsible for selecting the cabinet members. The cabinet, which includes the prime minister and senior ministers, makes important policy decisions and discusses major national issues. The federal parliament consists of two houses: the House of Representatives and the Senate. The House of Representatives and the Senate play a joint role in reviewing, debating, and voting on proposed laws. The Senate is often referred to as the "state's house" or the "house of review".
The second level of government is the state and territory governments. Each state, except Queensland, has a parliament that consists of two houses. Queensland, the Northern Territory, and the Australian Capital Territory have unicameral parliaments with only one house, called the Legislative Assembly. The leader of a state government is called the Premier, while the leader of a territory government is called the Chief Minister. State and territory governments have responsibilities in areas such as justice, health, education, public transport, and community services.
The third level of government is the local government, also known as local councils. There are over 500 local government bodies across Australia, often called councils, municipalities, or shires. Local governments consist of elected members who serve the needs of local communities. They handle community needs and may be responsible for building development, public health, local roads, recreation, and community services.
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The role of the Prime Minister
The Prime Minister is the leader of the federal government and the elected leader of the majority party in power. They are elected by their fellow party members and lead a cabinet of ministers, who are responsible for decisions made by their department. The Prime Minister selects the members of the cabinet, which is the main decision-making body of the government. The cabinet makes most of the important policy decisions and discusses vital issues.
The Prime Minister is part of the executive branch, which is responsible for carrying out and upholding the laws. The executive branch also includes the monarch (represented by the governor-general) and the cabinet. The executive branch has the power to apply the rules set down by the legislative branch to specific situations.
The Prime Minister and their sworn ministers form the cabinet, which makes policy and decides the agenda of the government. The cabinet is responsible for putting federal laws into action and ensuring that Australians have access to the services they need. If a minister wants to introduce or change a law, they must first get approval from the federal executive. The Prime Minister also appoints six of the seven High Court judges, which is the highest court in Australia.
The Prime Minister leads the federal government, which works together with the state and local governments to provide services to Australians. The federal government is responsible for areas such as taxation and currency, defence, international relations, trade, immigration, and telecommunications. The state and territory governments are responsible for areas such as education, health, community services, and law and order.
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$136.71
The cabinet and its responsibilities
The Australian cabinet is the de facto highest executive body of the government. It is made up of the prime minister and senior ministers, who are responsible for making most of the important policy decisions of the government. 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 prime minister chairs the cabinet and sets its agenda, including when and where meetings take place. They guide discussions and their view is authoritative when a collective decision cannot be reached.
The cabinet is not a legal entity, and it is not mentioned in the Australian Constitution. It exists solely by convention and follows the traditions of the British parliamentary cabinet system, including collective decision-making and responsibility, cabinet solidarity and confidentiality. Cabinet meetings are strictly private and occur once a week, with only cabinet ministers and three official note-takers present.
The cabinet is supported by several committees focused on governance and specific policy issues. These include the National Security Committee, the Parliamentary Business Committee, the Government Communications Subcommittee, the National Security Investment Subcommittee, the Net Zero Economy Committee and the Priority and Delivery Committee.
Ministers who are not part of the cabinet belong to the outer ministry, which consists of junior ministers. There are also assistant ministers, who are responsible for a specific policy area and report directly to a senior cabinet minister. The cabinet, outer ministry, and assistant ministers collectively form the full Commonwealth ministry of the government.
The Federal Executive Council is the body that formally advises the governor-general in the exercise of executive power and is Australia's highest formal governmental body. All cabinet members are also members of the Executive Council, and a senior member acts as the vice-president and presides in the absence of the governor-general.
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The Australian Senate
The Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia, or the federal Parliament, is made up of two houses: the House of Representatives and the Senate. The functions of the Senate are to represent the states equally and to review the proposals and decisions of the House of Representatives and the executive government. The powers, roles and composition of the Senate are set out in Chapter I of the federal constitution, as well as federal legislation and constitutional convention.
There are 76 senators: 12 from each state and 2 from each territory. Senators are elected for a 6-year term, and there is a half-Senate election every federal election. Senators are popularly elected under the single transferable vote system of proportional representation in state-wide and territory-wide districts. The system for electing senators has changed several times since Federation. The original arrangement involved a first-past-the-post and block voting system, on a state-by-state basis. This was replaced in 1919 by preferential block voting. In 1948, single transferable voting with proportional representation on a state-by-state basis became the method for electing senators.
The Senate cannot introduce or amend appropriation bills (bills that authorise government expenditure of public revenue) or bills that impose taxation. That role is reserved for the lower house; the Senate can only approve, reject or defer them.
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The Australian Government's judiciary
The Australian judiciary is made up of judges who sit in federal courts and the courts of the States and Territories of Australia. The High Court of Australia is the highest court in the Australian judicial hierarchy and was created by Section 71 of the Constitution. It has appellate jurisdiction over all other courts and original jurisdiction in certain matters, including powers of judicial review. The High Court hears matters involving disputes about the meaning of the Constitution, as well as final appeals in civil and criminal matters from all courts in Australia.
The large number of courts in Australia have different procedural powers and characteristics, different jurisdictional limits, remedial powers, and cost structures. The Federal Court of Australia and the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia (FCFCOA) are among the federal courts created by the federal Parliament. The FCFCOA sits in each state and territory except Western Australia, where family law matters are heard by the Family Court of Western Australia.
State and territory courts fall within the responsibilities of the relevant state or territory Attorney-General or Minister for Justice. The Supreme Courts of the States and Territories are superior courts of record with general and unlimited jurisdiction within their own State or Territory. The Federal Court and the supreme courts of each State and Territory are generally considered to be superior courts.
All the states and territories, except Tasmania, have a civil and administrative tribunal. These hear cases relating to lesser state or territory administrative disputes involving some individual, business, or government body.
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Frequently asked questions
The three levels of government in Australia are the federal, state/territory, and local council governments.
The federal government is responsible for matters such as taxation and currency, defence, international relations, trade, immigration, postal services, air travel, telecommunications, and broadcasting.
State and territory governments are responsible for areas not covered by the federal government, including education, health, main roads, public transport, community services, law and order, sport and recreation, and police.
Local governments, also known as councils, municipalities, or shires, handle community needs and may be responsible for building development, public health, local roads, parks, garbage collection, and other community services.
The leader of the Australian government is the Prime Minister, who is the elected leader of the majority party in government.
