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Australia is a federation, with different powers and responsibilities for the three levels of government: the federal government, the states and territories and local government. The federal nature and the structure of the Parliament of Australia were the subject of protracted negotiations among the colonies during the drafting of the ...
The name of the government in the Constitution of Australia is the "Government of the Commonwealth". [16] This was the name used in many early federal government publications. [17] However, in 1965 Robert Menzies indicated his preference for the name "Australian Government" in order to prevent confusion with the new Commonwealth of Nations. [18]
The Constitution of Australia (also known as the Commonwealth Constitution) is the fundamental law that governs the political structure of Australia.It is a written constitution, that establishes the country as a federation under a constitutional monarchy governed with a parliamentary system.
Each portfolio is led by one or more government ministers who are members of the federal parliament, appointed by the governor-general on the advice of the prime minister. [1] As of December 2023, there are 1,334 government entities reportable to the Australian Government Organisations Register. This includes: [2] [3]
The current federal government structure was established in 1901 by the Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act, 1901. The first three national elections resulted in minority governments. The world’s first ever Labor Party Prime Minister took office in Australia in 1904, though Labor governed in minority.
The Parliament of Australia (officially the Parliament of the Commonwealth [4] and 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). [4]
Section 28 of the Constitution of Australia provides that the term of a House expires three years from the first sitting of the House, unless it is dissolved earlier. The previous federal election was held on 7 September 2013. The 44th Parliament of Australia opened on 12 November 2013 [19] and its term would have expired on 11 November 2016. [20]
The Australian Government did not invoke the provisions of the statute until 1942. The High Court also followed the decisions of the Privy Council during the first half of the twentieth century. Complete legislative independence was finally established by the Australia Act 1986 , passed by the United Kingdom Parliament.