Are you going on a language study program in Australia and want to better understand the country’s politics and the nature of its government? LEC provides an overview.
Australia is a member of the Commonwealth
The official and full name of Australia is the "Commonwealth of Australia." The country is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations, an intergovernmental organization comprising more than 50 member states, almost all of which are former territories of the British Empire.
Australia is a constitutional monarchy
From this British heritage, Australia has retained both its form of government and its head of state. The former is a constitutional monarchy; the latter is none other than Queen Elizabeth II. The Queen is represented by the Governor-General.
A bicameral federal parliament
In Australia, as in the United Kingdom, the head of government is the prime minister. The federal parliament, meanwhile, consists of two chambers:
- the House of Representatives, on the one hand: its 150 members are elected for a three-year term by direct universal suffrage using a ranked-choice voting system, also known as preferential voting. Each district elects one representative.
- the Senate, on the other hand: its members are elected through a system of proportional representation
Political parties in Australia
Although it consists of several parties, the Australian political landscape is dominated by three of them:
- the Liberal Party of Australia, a center-right party
- the National Party of Australia, a conservative party
- the Australian Labor Party (also known by the acronym ALP), a social democratic party
However, other political parties manage to stand out, such as the Australian Greens, a party dedicated to environmental protection.