The federal government has two major political decision-making institutions – the House of Representatives and the Senate. Together they are called the Australian Parliament which is based in Canberra.
Leadership
Key elements
- Members of the House of Representative and the Senate are voted for by the Australian public
- Ministers are appointed from the House of Representatives and the Senate
- The Prime Minister and senior Ministers are called the Cabinet
- Policy decisions are made in Cabinet meetings
- The Australian Constitution means that Australian national law overrides other laws passed by the state governments
Responsibilities
- Making laws that apply to all Australians
- Collecting and distributing taxes
- Employment
- Defence forces
- Immigration
Voting
- Voting occurs once every three years
- Each citizen has one vote each to elect Members of the House of Representatives and the Senate
- Voting is compulsory and to register to vote, you must be 18 years of age and an Australian citizen
- If you are eligible to vote, you can fill out a form from Australia Post offices to put your name on the electoral roll
- Once you have registered, you will have to pay a fine if you do not vote
Last updated 21 August 2008
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