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Australia is a Constitutional Monarchy with the Queen of the United Kingdom the official Head of State. The Governor General, usually an Australian, represents the Queen in Australia; in effect, the Head of State of Australia. The Prime Minister of Australia nominates the Governor General of Australia, and the Queen ratifies the nomination.
Australia, following european settlement and prior to federation, was made up of six British colonies, New south Wales, Victoria, Queensland, Tasmania, South Australia and Western Australia. In 1901, the British Parliament enacted legislation allowing these six states to federate under the Australian Constitution, to become the Commonwealth of Australia. This constitution outlines the structure of Australian governance.
In effect, Australia has three levels of government, Federal, State and Local.
Federal Government
The Australian Federal Parliament is bicameral in that it has two houses, The House of Representatives (Lower House), and The Senate (Upper House). The Lower House is made up of 148 representatives from around the country, with each representing the same number of people. The Senate is the States House with the people from each state electing 12 Senators and the two territories, Australian Capital Territory and Northern Territory, each electing two. the number in the Lower House must be twice that elected in the Senate. The discrepency in the numbers comes from the two territories each electing two Lower House and Two Upper House representatives only. The Lower House is elected every one and a half to three years. The Senate has half their members elected every three years.
Australia's Head of Government is the Prime Minister. The Prime Minister is not directly elected by the people but is chosen by the Lower House from amongst its elected members. The Prime Minister selects The Ministers, from which The Cabinet is chosen; The Cabinet forms the executive arm of government. The Prime Minister and Ministers are sworn into office by the Governor General. The Governor General, under advice of the Prime Minister, calls for federal elections. The Governor General can also dismiss the Prime Minister and Ministers.
The Federal Parliament is responsible for enacting laws in the areas of customs, defence, taxation, telecommunications, money, copyrights and patents, international trade, social security, immigration, external affairs, the territories and industrial relations that cover more than one state.
State Government
Each of the six states have a Governor (Queen's representative in that state), parliaments and elected representatives. The two territories also have elected representatives except that they come under the control of the Federal Parliament, much like the relationship between Local and State Governments (see below). The Federal Government has the power to override legislation passed by a territorial Government but cannot override state legislation.
The parliaments of each state government is different and each have their own constitution. Most states are bicameral, except Queensland and Tasmania which have only one House. The methods of electing representatives to each house is also different in each state. The relationship between each state and their Governor is like that between the Governor General and Federal Parliament, the Governor can dissolve a state parliament. The Head of Government in each state is called Premier. Like federally, the Premier is not directly elected but selected from the elected representatives, selects the Ministers, and sworn into office by the Governor.
State govenments are responsible for education, transport, family services, housing, water, corporations law, industrial relations, urban planning, wills, local government and all other areas the Australian Constitution does list as Federal responsibilities.
Local Government
Local government is not recognised in the Australian Constitution, and as such is controlled, practically and theoretically by their respective state parliaments. Many local governments have been dissolved, amalgamated and split by the Minister for Local Government and the State Parliament.
The people of each Local Government Area (LGA) elect the members of their Local Council, usually 12, but it can be more or less. The head of the Local Council is called the Mayor. The Mayor is directly elected in some LGAs and selected by the council in others.
Local councils do not enact legislation, they only implement relevent State legislation, fitting it to local circumstances, and oversee funds collected from land taxes (called rates).
Local governments are mostly responsible for approving development applications, garbage collection, local parks and reserves, roads and pathways, and most areas to do with local amenities.
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