Politics of Australia

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 Constitution. The House of Representatives is elected on a basis that reflects the differing populations of the states. Therefore, the most populous state, New South Wales, has 48 members, while the least populated, Tasmania, has only five. This is in contrast to the Senate which is elected on a basis of equality among the states: all states elect 12 senators, regardless of population. This was intended to ensure that smaller states retained influence over legislation and that laws could not be passed with only the support of the more populous states. The Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory, the only territories represented in Senate, each elect only two. The federal government may only legislate on certain matters, with any remaining areas falling within the responsibility of the states. For example, the federal government is responsible for defence, inter-state trade and bankruptcy while the states are responsible for hospitals and schools. The federal government can also significantly influence state legislation by making tied grants (money which comes with certain conditions). This is a significant power due to high levels of vertical fiscal imbalance arising because of the limited revenue raising capabilities of the states. In addition, Australia has several territories, two of which are self-governing: the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory. As these territories' legislatures exercise powers devolved to them by the Commonwealth, the Parliament of Australia has the authority to override their legislation and to alter their powers. Australian citizens in these territories are represented by members of both houses of the Parliament of Australia, albeit with less representation in the Senate. Norfolk Island was self-governing from 1979 until 2015, although it was never represented as such in the Parliament of Australia. The other inhabited territories: Jervis Bay, Christmas Island and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, have never been self-governing. The third level of governance is local government, in the form of shires, towns or cities. The councils of these areas are composed of elected representatives (known as either councillor or alderman, depending on the state). Their powers are devolved to them by the state or territory in which they are located. == Constitution ==

The Australian Constitution sets down the powers and responsibilities of many of the institutions of the Australian Commonwealth. However, the prime minister, the cabinet and the other principles of responsible government are not explicitly mentioned in the document, along with most of the realities of exercise of executive power. This reflected the British influence on the document with its unwritten constitution. The Parliament of Australia can propose changes to the Constitution. To become effective, the proposals must be put to a referendum of all Australians of voting age and must receive a double majority: a majority of all votes, and a majority of votes in a majority of states. Section 1 of the Australian Constitution creates a democratic legislature, the bicameral Parliament of Australia which consists of the monarch and two chambers of parliament, the Senate and the House of Representatives. Section 51 of the Constitution provides for the Australian government's legislative powers and allocates certain powers (known as heads of power) to the federal government. All remaining legislative power is retained by the six states (previously separate colonies). Further, each state has its own constitution, so that Australia has seven parliaments, with legislative power shared between them. The High Court of Australia rules on legal disputes which arise between the federal government and the states and territories, or among the states and territories themselves. == The Crown ==

The monarch is the symbolic head of Australia and is ceremonially involved in all branches of the government, as a constitutive part of Parliament, formal holder of executive power and the person in whose name most criminal offences are brought. In a broader sense, the Crown represents the authority of the polity itself. However, in all these functions they are represented by the governor-general, whose appointment is the only mandatory function of the monarch. The monarch of Australia, currently , is also the monarch of the other Commonwealth realms, and the sovereign of the United Kingdom. The monarch is the head of state, however in almost all matters the governor-general performs the functions of the head of state, leading some commentators to contend that the governor-general is the head of state. As a constitutional democracy, the role is limited to constitutional and ceremonial duties. The governor-general also represents Australia internationally, through making and receiving state visits. Since at least the passage and adoption of the Statute of Westminster, the Monarch of Australia (along with the monarchies of the other dominions) is a separate office from the Monarch of the United Kingdom, despite being held by the same person. As such, in Commonwealth matters, the monarch is only advised by Commonwealth ministers. By the Royal Style and Titles Act 1953, the Australian Parliament gave the Queen the title Queen of Australia, and in 1973 titles with any reference to her status as Queen of the United Kingdom and Defender of the Faith as well were removed. Under the conventions of the Westminster system the governor-general's powers are almost always exercised on the advice of the Prime Minister or other ministers. However, the governor-general retains some reserve powers, being powers not subject to the approval of another person or institution. These are rarely exercised, but during the Australian constitutional crisis of 1975 Governor-General Sir John Kerr used them to dismiss the prime minister during a parliamentary deadlock over supply. Australia has periodically experienced movements seeking to end the monarchy. In a 1999 referendum, the Australian people voted on a proposal to change the Constitution. The proposal would have removed references to the Queen from the Constitution and replaced the governor-general with a president nominated by the prime minister, but subject to the approval of a two-thirds majority of both houses of Parliament. The proposal was defeated. The Australian Republican Movement continues to campaign for an end to the monarchy in Australia, opposed by Australians for Constitutional Monarchy and Australian Monarchist League. ==The Parliament==

.The Parliament exercises the legislative power of the Commonwealth by enacting legislation. It also supervises the executive actions of the government, through activities such as question time and Senate estimates. The Australian Parliament is bicameral and consists of the King of Australia, the 76 member Senate (the upper house) and the 151 member House of Representatives (the lower house). The Australian government is responsible to the Parliament, of which they must be (or shortly become) members. In the Senate, 12 senators are from each State and 2 senators from the ACT and the NT respectively are elected by an optional preferential single transferable vote system. State senators serve staggered fixed six year terms, with half up for election each three years. Territory senators serve a non fixed term equal to that of the House of Representatives, usually around three years. The most recent general election was on 3 May, 2025. chamberIn the House of Representatives, also known as the ''people's house, 151 members are elected using full preferential voting in single member electorates (also known as seats''). Elections are held once at least every three years, however the prime minister (historically the Cabinet) may request the governor-general call a new election at any time (however, they retain the discretion to refuse if inadequate reasons for the election are given). However, as Senate elections must occur only during certain periods and as it is generally politically advantageous (while not legally required) to hold House elections at the same time, elections are generally restricted to a ten month window between August and May every three years, with the last split election in 1970 and 1972. Unlike in the Senate, in which each state is represented equally, each state has a number of seats roughly proportional to its population. The prime minister is selected from the House, needing the support of the majority of members in order to be invited to form a government. Each chamber of Parliament has equal powers, with the exception that the Senate may not introduce "money bills" (new taxes or laws authorising expenditure). However, the Senate can still block supply (the annual bill authorising government expenditure), but this has only happened once, during the 1975 Australian constitutional crisis. Parliamentarians belong to either the government, the opposition or sit on the cross-bench (which includes independents and members of minor parties). The opposition consists of members of the second largest party or coalition in the House of Representatives. The Leader of the Opposition heads shadow cabinet, composed of shadow ministers who mirror, scrutinise and oppose government ministers and act as the government in waiting. Although the government, by virtue of commanding a majority of members in the lower house of the Parliament, can usually pass its legislation and control the workings of the House, the opposition can considerably delay the passage of legislation and obstruct government business if it chooses. The day-to-day business of the House of Representatives is usually negotiated between the Leader of the House, appointed by the prime minister, and the Manager of Opposition Business in the House, appointed by the Leader of the Opposition. ==The Executive Government==

, also known as "Yarralumla", is the official residence of the Governor-General.The executive's primary role is to implement the laws passed by the Parliament. Unlike the other two branches of government however, membership of the executive is not clearly defined. One definition describes the executive as a pyramid, consisting of three layers. At the top stands The King, as the symbolic apex and formal repository of executive power. Below him lies a second layer made up of the prime-minister, cabinet and other ministers who in practice lead the executive. Finally, the bottom layer includes public servants, police, government departments and independent statutory bodies who directly implement policy and laws. Executive power is also difficult to clearly define. In the British context, it was defined by John Locke as all government power not legislative or judicial in nature. The key distinction is that while legislative power involves setting down rules of general application, executive power involves applying those rules to specific situations. In practice however, this definition is difficult to apply as many actions by executive agencies are wide ranging, binding and conducted independently of Parliament. Ultimately whether a power is executive or legislative is determined on a case by case basis, and involves the weighing up of various factors, rather than the application of a strict test. Executive council The Federal Executive Council is a formal body which exists and meets to give legal effect to decisions made by the Cabinet, and to carry out various other functions. All ministers are members of the council and are entitled to be styled The Honourable for life. The governor-general usually presides at council meetings, but in his or her absence another minister nominated as the Vice-President of the Executive Council presides at the meeting of the council. Since 1 June 2022, the vice-president of the Federal Executive Council has been Senator Katy Gallagher. Cabinet The Cabinet of Australia is the council of senior ministers, responsible to the Parliament. The ministers are appointed by the governor-general, on the advice of the prime minister, who serve at the former's pleasure. Cabinet meetings are strictly private and occur once a week where vital issues are discussed and policy formulated. Outside the cabinet there is an outer ministry and also a number of junior ministers, called assistant ministers (formally parliamentary secretaries), responsible for a specific policy area and reporting directly to a senior Cabinet minister. The Constitution of Australia does not explicitly mention Cabinet; it existing solely by convention, with its decisions not in and of themselves having legal force. However, it serves as the practical expression of the Federal Executive Council, which is Australia's highest formal executive governmental body. In practice, the Federal Executive Council meets solely to endorse and give legal force to decisions already made by the Cabinet. All members of the Cabinet are members of the Executive Council. While the governor-general is nominal presiding officer, they almost never attend Executive Council meetings. A senior member of the Cabinet holds the office of vice-president of the Executive Council and acts as presiding officer of the Executive Council in the absence of the governor-general. Until 1956 all members of the ministry were members of the Cabinet. The growth of the ministry in the 1940s and 1950s made this increasingly impractical, and in 1956 Robert Menzies created a two-tier ministry, with only senior ministers holding Cabinet rank, also known within parliament as the front bench. This practice has been continued by all governments except the Whitlam government. Prior to the 2007 general election, the then Leader of the Opposition, Kevin Rudd, said that he and he alone would choose the ministry should he become prime minister. His party won the election and he chose the ministry, as he said he would. However, in return for changes restricting the ability of Caucus to select the prime minister, in 2013 the right of Caucus to choose the ministry was restored. While Caucus rules are not public, the Sydney Morning Herald has reported that ministerial positions are allocated to the Left and Right factions on a proportional basis according to their representation in Parliament. The Left selects their ministers nationally, whilst the Right assigns ministers according to state based quotas. There are Commonwealth Parliament Offices in each state capital, with those in Sydney located in 1 Bligh Street. == The Judicature ==

As a federation, in Australia judicial power is exercised by both federal and state courts. However, unlike the UK's multiple legal systems there is only one legal system and like Canada and unlike the US there is only one common law of the nation, rather than a common law for each state. Additionally, unlike Canada and the US, there is no distinct federal common law. Federal judicial power is vested in the High Court of Australia and such other federal courts created by the Parliament, including the Federal Court of Australia, the Family Court of Australia, and the Federal Circuit Court of Australia. Additionally, the Parliament has the power to enact laws which vest federal authority in state courts. Since the Constitution requires a separation of powers at the federal level, only courts may exercise federal judicial power; and conversely, non-judicial functions cannot be vested in courts. State judicial power is exercised by each state's supreme court, and such other courts and tribunals created by the state parliaments. The High Court of Australia is the supreme court in the Australian court hierarchy and the final court of appeal in Australia. It has both original and appellate jurisdiction, has the power of judicial review over laws passed by the Parliament of Australia and the parliaments of the states, and interprets the Constitution of Australia. The High Court is mandated by section 71 of the Constitution, which vests in it the judicial power of the Commonwealth of Australia. The High Court was constituted by the Judiciary Act 1903 (Cth). The High Court is composed of seven Justices: the Chief Justice of Australia, presently Stephen Gageler, and six other Justices. The state supreme courts are also considered to be superior courts, those with unlimited jurisdiction to hear disputes and which are the pinnacle of the court hierarchy within their jurisdictions. They were created by means of the constitutions of their respective states or the self government Acts for the ACT and the Northern Territory. Appeals may be made from state supreme courts to the High Court of Australia. Inferior courts are secondary to superior courts. Their existence stems from legislation and they only have the power to decide on matters which Parliament has granted them. Decisions in inferior courts can be appealed to the superior court in that area, and then to the High Court of Australia. Until the passage of the Australia Act 1986, by the Australian and UK parliaments, some Australian cases could be referred to the British Judicial Committee of the Privy Council for final appeal. With this act, Australian law was made fully independent, and the High Court of Australia was confirmed as the highest court of appeal. The theoretical possibility of the British Parliament enacting laws to override the Australian Constitution was also removed. ==Elections==

, Prime Minister of Australia from 2010 to 2013 and the first female Prime Minister of the country. Federal elections are held at least once every three years. The prime minister can advise the governor-general to call an election for the House of Representatives at any time, but Senate elections can only be held within certain periods prescribed in the Australian Constitution. Although it is possible to hold elections for the House and Senate separately, it is the convention to hold simultaneous elections for both houses; every national election since 1974 has been for both the House and the Senate. Voting has been compulsory federally since 1924, except for Indigenous Australians. All restrictions on Indigenous people's right to vote were removed in 1962, but this right remained optional until both voting and enrolment became compulsory in 1984. Federal enrolment for non-Indigenous Australians has been compulsory since 1911. Compulsory voting laws are actively enforced, with a failure to vote attracting a $20 fine. All non-Indigenous women gained the right to vote in federal elections in 1902 and in all states by 1908. All seats in the House of Representatives are contested in each election. Members are elected using preferential voting, in which the winning candidate obtains over 50% of votes after distribution of preferences; therefore, preference flows from lower-polling candidates are frequently significant in electoral outcomes. Senate elections are contested by half the senators from each state, except in the case of a double dissolution where all senators contest the election; senators representing the territories are elected and sworn into office simultaneously with the House of Representatives rather than the rest of the Senate. All senators are elected using the single transferable voting system of proportional representation, which has resulted in a greater presence of minor parties in the Senate. With the exception of a three-year period from 2005 to 2008, no party or coalition has held a majority in the Senate since 1981; this has required governments to frequently seek the support of minor parties or independent senators holding the balance of power in order to secure their legislative agenda. Because the Senate's system of single transferable voting requires a lower quota than the House in order to obtain a seat, minor parties have often focused their election efforts on the upper house. This is true also at state level (only the two territories and Queensland are unicameral). Historically it has been comparatively rarer for minor parties and independents to win seats in the House of Representatives, although the size of the crossbench has been on an increasing trend since the 1990 federal election The 2022 Australian federal election saw the election of a historically large crossbench in the House of Representatives consisting of six minor party members and ten independents. ==State and local government==

Australia's six states and the two largest territories are structured within a political framework similar to that of the Commonwealth. Each state has its own bicameral parliament, with the exception of Queensland and the two territories, whose parliaments are unicameral. Each state has a governor, who undertakes a role equivalent to that of the governor-general at the federal level, and a premier, who is the head of government and is equivalent to the prime minister. Each state also has its own supreme court, from which appeals can be made to the High Court of Australia. State and territory elections occur every four years using fixed terms (except for Tasmania, where the premier decides the date of the election). Thomas Playford served as Premier of South Australia and leader of the Liberal and Country League (LCL) from 5 November 1938 to 10 March 1965 (26 years). it was the longest term of any elected government leader in Australian history. Labor winning government in New South Wales on 25 March 2023 marked the second time in history that the Australian Labor Party gained control of the entirety of Mainland Australia at the federal and mainland state levels simultaneously (leaving Tasmania as the only state with a Liberal government), a feat that had last been achieved in 2007. This would last until 24 August 2024 when Labor lost government in the Northern Territory to the Country Liberal Party (CLP) opposition. The Liberal–National Coalition has never achieved this feat (control of the entirety of Mainland Australia at the federal and mainland state levels simultaneously) as of 2024. Queensland is regarded as comparatively conservative. Victoria and the Australian Capital Territory are regarded as comparatively left of centre. New South Wales, the largest state by population, as well as South Australia have often been regarded as politically moderate bellwether states. it has lately swung to rank amongst the most left-leaning states in the country. It is also known for historical secessionist sentiments. Local government in Australia is the lowest tier of government. Local governments are subject to the relevant states and territories. There is only one level of local government in Australia; with none of the distinctive local government types seen in other anglophone nations. Most local governments within the states have equivalent powers to each other; styles such as shire or city have only historical meaning. ==Ideology in Australian politics==

, the longest-serving parliamentary leader of the Australian Labor Party , founder of the Liberal Party of Australia, and Australia's longest-serving Prime Minister|234x234px The Australian party system has been described by political scientists as more ideologically driven than other similar anglophone countries such as the United States and Canada. In early Australian political history, class interests played a significant role in the division between the democratic socialist Australian Labor Party and a series of anti-Labor parties drawing on the liberal and conservative traditions (the predecessors of the modern Coalition of the Liberals and Nationals). In contemporary Australian political culture, the Liberal and National parties are considered centre-right and the Australian Labor Party is considered centre-left. Australian conservatism is largely represented by the Liberal Party, along with Australian liberalism. The Australian Labor Party defines itself as a "democratic socialist party" with the objective of the "democratic socialisation [of the economy] ... to the extent necessary to eliminate exploitation and other anti-social features". This objective is regarded by some within the modern party as an ideological anachronism, but supported by others critical of market based policies. In practice the party today reflects policy traditions of labourism (also characterised as neo-liberalism or Third Way policies, these principles being more prominent since the prime ministership of Gough Whitlam), democratic socialism and social democracy. In recent decades there has been a marked shift amongst the Australian electorate in providing their first preference votes to candidates not belonging to either of the two major parties. At the 2022 federal election 31% gave their preference to a non-major party candidate. ==Political parties==

Organised, national political parties have dominated Australia's political landscape since federation. The late 19th century saw the rise of the Australian Labor Party, which represented organised workers. Opposing interests coalesced into two main parties: a centre-right party with a base in business and the middle classes that has been predominantly conservative and moderate, now the Liberal Party of Australia; and a rural or agrarian conservative party, now the National Party of Australia. Australian politics has mostly been a de facto two-party system, as a result of the long-standing coalition between the Liberal Party and National Party. The Greens are major 4th party with a high presence in the senate. Additionally there are also other groups like Teal Independents and other minor parties in Parliament. The coalition also exists at state level in all states except WA. The two parties are official merged as the LNP in Queensland and the separate CLP competes in the Northern Territory, which is affiliated with both coalition parties. Internal party discipline has historically been tight, unlike the situation in other countries such as the United States. Australia's political system has not always been a two-party system. In the early years of Federation, the emerging Australian Parliament was a "substantial arena" of various fragmented political parties, and it was not until 1909, as parliamentary politics became increasingly bipolar, that the merger occurred and the party system coalesced into the Labor Party and a non-Labor bloc. The Australian Labor Party (ALP) is a social democratic party. It is a left leaning party with tendency towards social welfare and government assistance programs. It was founded by the Australian labour movement and broadly represents the urban working and middle classes. The Liberal Party of Australia is a party of the centre-right which broadly represents businesses, the middle classes and many rural people. Its coalition partner at national level is the National Party of Australia, formerly known as the Country Party, a conservative party which represents rural interests. These two parties are collectively known as the federal Coalition. In Queensland, the two parties have officially merged to form the Liberal National Party, and in the Northern Territory, the Country Liberal Party has associate status with both the Liberals and the Nationals. Minor/Third parties While there are a small number of other minor political parties that have achieved parliamentary representation, the Labor Party and the Coalition dominate organised politics throughout Australia. Historically, they have positioned themselves as opponents or ‘watchdogs’ of the major parties, although since the 1980s, their political representation has been increasing: in the 1980 federal election, the combined primary votes of minor parties and independents accounted for just 8%; by 2025, this figure had risen to 34%, the highest ever recorded. ==Timeline==

Since federation, there have been 31 prime ministers of Australia. The longest-serving prime minister was Sir Robert Menzies of the Liberal Party, who served for 19 years from 1939 to 1941, and again from 1949 to 1966. The only other prime minister to serve for longer than a decade was John Howard, also of the Liberal Party, who led for more than 11 years from 1996 to 2007. The Coalition and its direct predecessors have governed at the federal level for a large majority of Australia's history since federation: 30,791 days as compared to Labor's days. Prime ministers' parties by time in office • Liberal Party of Australia – days • Australian Labor Party – days as of • Nationalist Party – days (Party Deregistered) • United Australia Party – days (Party Deregistered) • Protectionist Party – days (Party Deregistered) • Commonwealth Liberal Party – days (Party Deregistered) • Free Trade Party – days (Party Deregistered) • Country Party – days (Party Renamed) ==House of Representatives primary, two-party and seat results==

==Historical party composition of the Senate==