Damon Mcknight
Australia has three levels of government: federal, state or territory, and local. The country is a representative democracy, and it is compulsory for all Australians over 18 to enrol and vote for representatives at each of these levels. The federal government, located in Canberra, is responsible for making laws for the whole of Australia and ensuring that these laws provide Australians with the services they need. The federal executive, which includes the Prime Minister and their ministers, is the main decision-making body of the Australian Government. Each level of government has its own responsibilities, and the three levels work together to provide services to the Australian people.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of government levels | 3 |
| Government type | Representative democracy |
| Federal Parliament location | Canberra |
| Federal Parliament houses | The House of Representatives and the Senate |
| Federal executive | Prime Minister and ministers |
| Federal Parliament responsibilities | Making laws for the whole of Australia |
| Local government responsibilities | Local road maintenance, garbage collection, building regulations and land subdivisions, public health and recreation facilities |
| State and territory government responsibilities | Justice, consumer affairs, health, education, forestry, public transport, main roads |
| State parliament representatives | Members of the Legislative Assembly (MLA), Members of the House of Assembly (MHA), Members of the Legislative Council (MLC) |
| Territory parliament house | Legislative Assembly |
| State/territory leader | Premier/Chief Minister |
| Head of State | King of Australia, His Majesty King Charles III |
| Executive power | Exercised by the Governor-General as the King's representative |
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What You'll Learn
Federal, state and territory parliaments
Australia has three levels of government: federal, state or territory, and local. Australians aged 18 and over vote to elect representatives to each of these levels. The federal parliament, located in Canberra, the nation's capital, makes laws for the whole of Australia. The federal parliament consists of two houses – the House of Representatives and the Senate. The House of Representatives has a maximum term of three years, although it can be dissolved early. The Senate has fixed terms, with half of the state senators' terms expiring every three years. The two houses of parliament meet in separate chambers of Parliament House (except in rare joint sittings) on Capital Hill in Canberra.
The parliaments of the Australian states and territories are legislative bodies within the federal framework of the Commonwealth of Australia. All the parliaments are based on the Westminster system, and each is regulated by its own constitution. Queensland and the two territories have unicameral parliaments, with a single house called the Legislative Assembly. The other states have a bicameral parliament, with a lower house called the Legislative Assembly (New South Wales, Victoria and Western Australia) or House of Assembly (South Australia and Tasmania), and an upper house called the Legislative Council. The Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory parliaments are also unicameral, with one house called the Legislative Assembly. The Australian Capital Territory is unique in that its parliament combines the responsibilities of both a local and state government.
The leader of a state government is called the Premier. The leader of each territory government is called the Chief Minister. State and territory government responsibilities include justice, consumer affairs, health, education, forestry, public transport, and main roads.
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Local councils
Australia has three levels of government: federal, state/territory, and local councils. The country has over 500 local councils that make by-laws and look after the needs of their local communities. Local councils are also referred to as local governments or LGAs (local government areas).
The responsibilities of local councils include services such as waste, leisure centres, parks and gardens, pet registrations, and more. Historically, the chief responsibility of local councils was the provision of physical infrastructure such as roads, bridges, and sewerage. From the 1970s, the focus shifted to community facilities such as libraries, maintenance of local roads, town planning, and development approvals. Local councils also began to play a role in areas like childcare, tourism, and urban renewal.
In the 21st century, the roles of local councils have expanded further as higher levels of government have devolved activities to the third tier. For example, local councils are now involved in providing community health services, regional airports, pollution control, community safety, and accessible transport. In Queensland and Western Australia, local councils have been granted the power to independently enact their own local subsidiary legislation.
It is worth noting that the Australian Capital Territory (ACT) does not have a separate local government. Instead, the ACT Government directorate Transport Canberra & City Services handles responsibilities that would typically fall under the purview of local government, such as local road maintenance, libraries, and waste collection.
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Executive government
Australia is a representative democracy with three levels of government: federal, state or territory, and local. The executive government, also known as the federal executive, is the main decision-making body and is responsible for implementing federal laws and ensuring that laws provide Australians with the services they need. The executive government is made up of the public service and government ministers, with the Prime Minister and senior ministers forming a cabinet that makes important policy decisions. 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 executive government decides on policies and drafts and introduces bills (proposed laws) to Parliament. Ministers work with their government departments to prepare these bills, which must be approved by Parliament to become laws. The executive government raises money through taxes on incomes and company profits, fuel excise, and customs duties, and the Treasurer delivers the Budget to Parliament annually.
The executive branch also includes various government departments and agencies, such as the Australian Taxation Office (ATO), which is responsible for administering income tax law across Australia. Another example is law reform commissions, which research and recommend changes to laws and legal processes, reporting to the Attorney General.
At the state and territory level, the leader of the state government is called the Premier, while in the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory, the leader is the Chief Minister. State and territory governments have responsibilities in areas such as justice, consumer affairs, health, education, and public transport.
The local level of government, typically called the city council or shire council, handles responsibilities such as local road maintenance, garbage collection, building regulations, and public health and recreation facilities.
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Legislative branch
The Parliament of Australia, also known as the Federal Parliament, is the federal legislature of Australia. It consists of three elements: the monarch of Australia (represented by the governor-general), the Senate (the upper house), and the House of Representatives (the lower house). The Senate consists of 76 members: twelve from each state and two from each of the self-governing territories. Senators are elected using a proportional system, resulting in a diverse range of parties within the chamber. The House of Representatives, on the other hand, currently has 151 members, each elected using full preferential voting from single-member electorates. This tends to lead to a chamber dominated by two major political groups: the centre-right Coalition (Liberal and National parties) and the centre-left Labor Party.
The Federal Parliament is the decision-making body of the federal government and has the power to make laws for the whole of Australia. It plays a crucial role in reviewing, debating, and voting on proposed laws, and its approval is necessary for a bill to become an act and part of the law. The Parliament combines elements from the Westminster system, where the party with a majority in the lower house forms the government, and the United States Congress, which provides equal representation to each state and scrutinises legislation before it is signed into law.
The legislative power of the Federal Parliament is outlined in Sections 51 and 52 of the Constitution. Section 51 grants the Parliament law-making power in 39 areas, some of which are exclusive to the federal level, while others are concurrent with state and territory parliaments. This includes the power to make laws for the territories, as outlined in Section 122. Additionally, under Section 51, state parliaments can refer matters to the Federal Parliament, allowing them to request federal intervention in areas that would otherwise be state responsibilities.
In addition to the federal level, Australia also has six state parliaments and two territory parliaments, known as legislative assemblies. Each state, except Queensland, has a bicameral parliament with two houses. Queensland, the Northern Territory, and the Australian Capital Territory have unicameral parliaments with a single house, the Legislative Assembly. The Australian Capital Territory is unique as its parliament combines the responsibilities of both local and state governments. State and territory governments have various responsibilities, including justice, consumer affairs, health, education, and public transport.
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State and territory government responsibilities
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Frequently asked questions
There are three levels of government in Australia: federal, state or territory, and local.
The federal government makes laws for the whole of Australia and ensures that these laws provide Australians with the services they need. The federal executive, which includes the Prime Minister and ministers, is the main decision-making body of the Australian Government.
State and territory government responsibilities include justice, consumer affairs, health, education, forestry, public transport, and main roads.
Local government responsibilities include local road maintenance, garbage collection, building regulations, land subdivisions, public health, and recreation facilities.
