The Political System of Australia

The Commonwealth of Australia is a constitutional monarchy: Queen Elizabeth II is the Queen of Australia, a role distinct and separate from her position as Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom. The Queen is nominally represented by the Governor-General and although the Constitution gives extensive executive power to the Governor-General, these powers are generally used only on advice from the Prime Minister. The Governor-General’s “reserve powers” are seldom exercised, the most notable example being to end the Australian constitutional crisis of 1975.

Government is undertaken by three arms of government:
Legislature: Commonwealth Parliament (and Governor-General)
Executive: the Federal Executive Council (Governor-General, Prime Minister and all other Ministers)
Judiciary: High Court of Australia and subsidiary Federal courts Government elected by the people.
Dominated by British Westminster style with substantial USA influence culminating in an uniquely Australian system which has been sometimes referred to as the ‘Washminster’ hybrid.

The Australian political system is divided into 3 sections of government…
The 3 tiers of government:
1.) Federal Government controls national issues such as foreign affairs, immigration, defence, post and telecommunications, pensions and social security, census and statistics, coinage, and banking.
The Prime Minister is the leader of governing party and is elected from within the party. The PM is considered to be the head in Australian politics.
The Governor General is the federal head of state and is the British monarch’s representative in Australia. The Governor General has numerous powers but is usually seen as a figure head.

In 2000, the GG was Sir William Dean who opened the Sydney Olympic games in his capacity as the head of state. The Governor General is selected by the Prime Minister who views a short list compiled by public servants. Governors General have almost always acted on the advice of the Prime Minister. When Australia becomes a republic, the Governor General will be replaced by a President who will be elected by parliamentary majority or by the people.
2.) State Governments are responsible for schools, police, gaols, hospitals, and most community services (there are also two territory governments with similar powers to state governments).
The State Premier is the leader of governing party and is elected from within the party.
The State Governor (a hangover from the Colonial Governor) is similar to the Governor General but at a state level.
3.) Local Governments (approx 900) Councils. Powers of local government differ from state to state. They control local administration issues such as local transport, garbage collection, town-planning and utilities.

Australia has a bicameral federal Parliament, comprising a Senate (the upper house) with 76 Senators, and a House of Representatives (the lower house) with 150 Members. Members of the lower house are elected on a population basis from single-member constituencies, known technically as ‘divisions’ but more commonly as ‘electorates’ or ’seats’. The more populous the state, the more members it will have in the House of Representatives. There is a minimum of 5 members for each state. In the Senate, each state, regardless of population, is represented by twelve Senators, and each mainland territory by two. Elections for both chambers are held every three years, usually with only one half of the Senate being eligible for re-election, as the Senators have overlapping terms of six years each. The government is formed in the lower house, and the leader of the majority party or coalition in the House of Representatives is the Prime Minister.

There are three major political parties in Australia, the Australian Labor Party, the Liberal Party, and the National Party of Australia. The Liberal Party/National Party Coalition has been in power since the 1996 election; the Coalition also won control of the Senate in the 2004 election. At present, the Labor Party dominates politics at the state level, with the Party in Government in every state and also in the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory.

Each city / town / shire / municipal council is administered by elected representatives once referred to as Aldermen but since the mid 1990s these representatives are more commonly being elected as Councilors. The Leader of the Council is usually given the title of Mayor who may be selected by a ‘hat draw’ comprising of all Councilors. However, the Mayor is usually elected by either the Councilors or by the people, depending on the local rules.

The ‘Separation of Powers’:
The Constitution allows for an Upper House and a Lower House. This exists at the Federal level and at the state level except for Queensland which abolished the Upper House in the 70s.
Upper House (Senate): Similar to British House of Lords except the Australian model requires the members of the Senate to be chosen by public election (constituents).
Lower House (The Government): Members are elected by local constituents and pass bills which have to be ratified by the upper house.

Contents
In recent decades Australia’s foreign relations have been driven by a close association with the United States, through the ANZUS pact, and developing relationships with Asia through regional bodies such as the ASEAN Regional Forum, and the South Pacific through the Pacific Islands Forum. It maintains ties to the Commonwealth of Nations by way of the Commonwealth Heads of Government. Much of Australia’s diplomatic energy is focused on international trade liberalisation. Australia led the formation the Cairns Group and APEC, and is a member of the OECD and the WTO. Australia has also initiated many bilateral free trade agreements, the most recent being the U.S.-Australia Free Trade Agreement. Australia is a founding member of the United Nations and maintains an international aid program, under which some 60 countries receive assistance. The 2005–06 budget provides $2.5 billion for development assistance[7], as a percentage of GDP this contribution is below that suggested as a UN Millennium Development Goal .