How is Australia governed?

The Australian Government

The Australian Government is also called the Federal Government or the Commonwealth Government.

The Government is made up of members of the Australian Parliament, which has two Houses:

the House of Representatives
the Senate.

In a federal election, Australian citizens vote to elect representatives to each House of Parliament.

The House of Representatives

The House of Representatives is one of the Houses in the Australian Parliament. Other names for the House of Representatives are the Lower House or the People’s House.

Australia is divided into federal electorates. Members of Parliament (MPs) represent the people in their electorate.

The number of MPs for each state and territory is based on the number of people in that state or territory. Overall, there are over 150 members elected to the House of Representatives.

Members of Parliament and senators debate proposals for new laws in the Australian Parliament. The role of the House of Representatives is to consider, debate, and vote on proposals for new laws or changes to the laws, and discuss matters of national importance.

The Senate

The Senate is the other House in the Australian Parliament. The Senate is sometimes called the Upper House, the House of Review or the States’ House. Voters from each state also elect senators to represent them in the Senate. All states are equally represented in the Senate regardless of their size or population. There is a total of 76 senators. Each state elects 12 senators, and the Australian Capital Territory and Northern Territory elect two senators each.

Senators also consider, debate and vote on new laws or changes to the laws, and discuss matters of national importance.

State and territory government

There are six states and two mainland territories in Australia. Each state government has its own parliament and constitution. State and territory governments are based in their capital cities. The leader of a state government is the Premier and the leader of a territory government is the Chief Minister.

State governments operate in a similar way to the Australian Government. In each state, a Governor represents the King of Australia. In the Northern Territory, an Administrator is appointed by the Governor-General. The role and responsibilities of the Administrator are similar to those of a state Governor.

States have rights recognised by the Constitution while territories do not. States have the power to pass laws in their own right while self-governing territory laws can be altered or revoked by the Australian Government at any time.

In state and territory elections, Australian citizens vote to elect a representative for their area. These representatives become members of the relevant state or territory parliament.

Local government

The states and the Northern Territory are divided into local government areas which may be called cities, shires, towns or municipalities. Each area has its own local council. Councils are responsible for planning and delivering services to their local community. Citizens in each local government area vote to elect their local councillors.

What do the three levels of government do?

The main difference between the three levels of government is that, although some responsibilities may overlap, generally each level of government provides different services.

The Australian Government is responsible for:

taxation
national economic management
immigration and citizenship
employment assistance
postal services and the communications network
social security (pensions and family support)
defence
trade and commerce
airports and air safety
foreign affairs (relations with other countries).

State and territory governments are primarily responsible for:

hospitals and health services
schools
roads and railways
forestry
police and ambulance services
public transport.

Local governments (and the Australian Capital Territory Government) are responsible for:

street signs, traffic controls
local roads, footpaths, bridges
drains
parks, playgrounds, swimming pools, sports grounds
camping grounds and caravan parks
food and meat inspection
noise and animal control
rubbish collection
local libraries, halls and community centres
certain child-care and aged-care issues
building permits
social planning
local environmental issues.

What role do political parties play in the way Australia is governed?

A political party is a group of people who share similar ideas about how a country should be governed. They work together to have the party’s ideas turned into laws. The main political parties in Australia are the Liberal Party of Australia, the Australian Labor Party, the Nationals and the Australian Greens.

Most parliamentarians belong to political parties. Some do not belong to any political party, and they are called ‘independents’.

In Australia, people are free to join a political party if they choose.

How is the Australian Government formed?

After a federal election, the Australian Government is generally formed by the party or coalition of parties with the majority of members in the Houses of Representatives. The leader of this party becomes the leader of the Australian Government: the Prime Minister.

After a federal election, the party or coalition of parties with the second largest number of members in the House of Representatives forms the Opposition. Its leader is called the Leader of the Opposition.

The Prime Minister recommends members of the House of Representatives or Senators to become ministers in the Australian Government. The Governor-General approves the appointment of the Prime Minister and ministers.

Government ministers are responsible for an area of government (called a portfolio), such as employment, Indigenous Affairs or the Treasury. Ministers with the most important portfolios make up the Cabinet, which is the key decision making body of government.