Australian Government facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Commonwealth Government |
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| Overview | |
| Leader | Prime Minister (Anthony Albanese) |
| Appointed by | Governor-General (Sam Mostyn) |
| Main organ | |
| Ministries | 16 government departments (2024) |
| Responsible to | Commonwealth Parliament |
| Annual budget |  $668.1 billion (2023–24) |
| Headquarters | Executive wing, Parliament House, Canberra |
The Australian Government is also known as the Commonwealth Government or the Federal Government. It is the national government of Australia. Australia is a country with a federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy. This means it has a King or Queen as head of state, but elected representatives make the laws.
The government includes the Prime Minister and other ministers. These ministers have the support of most members in the House of Representatives. The government also includes the departments and other groups that ministers look after. The current government is led by Anthony Albanese and other Australian Labor Party ministers. They have been in power since the 2022 federal election.
The Prime Minister is the main leader of the government. The Governor-General appoints the Prime Minister. The Governor-General is the King's representative in Australia. Usually, the Governor-General chooses the leader of the political party that has the most members in the House of Representatives. The Prime Minister is usually a member of the House of Representatives.
The Prime Minister and senior ministers form the Cabinet. This group makes the most important decisions for the government. They decide on new policies and what the government will focus on. Members of the government can make laws and carry out decisions. However, their actions are checked by the Parliament.
The government's main offices are in Parliament House. This building is in Australia's capital city, Canberra. All sixteen federal government departments also have their main offices in Canberra.
Contents
What is the Australian Government called?
The official name for the government in the Constitution of Australia is the "Government of the Commonwealth". This name was used a lot in early government documents.
However, over time, "Australian Government" became the preferred name. This was to avoid confusion with the Commonwealth of Nations. It also helps people from other countries understand Australia's system better. The terms "Commonwealth Government" and "federal government" are also still commonly used.
What does the government do?
The government's main job is to put into action the laws passed by the Parliament. The government often helps write these laws. This is because the government usually has control over the Parliament.
The government is like a pyramid with different levels.
- At the top is the King. The King is a symbol and the formal holder of power.
- Below the King are the Prime Minister, the Cabinet, and other ministers. These people actually lead the government.
- At the bottom are public servants, police, and government departments. These people directly carry out the policies and laws.
It can be tricky to define exactly what "executive power" means. It generally means all government power that is not about making laws or judging laws. Making laws involves setting general rules. Executive power means applying those rules to specific situations.
The government's power is limited to areas where the Australian Parliament can make laws. These areas are mainly listed in Section 51 of the Constitution. The government also has some traditional powers of the King. These include declaring war and signing international agreements. There are also "nationhood powers" which are implied from Section 61 of the Constitution. These are powers needed for the good of the nation. For example, they include giving financial help during a crisis.
Sometimes, the government acts in a "caretaker" role. This happens mainly before and after a general election.
The King and the Governor-General
The King is not involved in the daily running of the government. The King is a symbol of the nation. The Constitution says that the Governor-General can use the King's powers. The Governor-General is appointed by the King. However, the Australian Prime Minister advises the King on who to appoint.
Government ministers do not use power on their own. The Governor-General appoints them as ministers. These ministers are formally called the "King's Ministers of State". Ministers make most big decisions in Cabinet. But these decisions only become legal after the Federal Executive Council approves them. The Governor-General leads this Council.
Also, laws passed by Parliament need the King's approval before they become official. This is called royal assent.
However, in almost all cases, the King and the Governor-General must follow the advice of the Prime Minister or other ministers. There are a few rare "reserve powers" that the Governor-General can use without advice. A famous example was in the Dismissal of 1975. The Governor-General, Sir John Kerr, dismissed the Prime Minister and the government. This was because the government could not get enough money approved by Parliament. Whether this use of power was right is still debated.
Federal Executive Council
The Federal Executive Council formally advises the Governor-General. Its decisions make the Cabinet's decisions legal. All current and former ministers are members of this Council. However, only current ministers attend meetings. The Governor-General usually leads these meetings. If the Governor-General is not there, another minister called the Vice-President of the Executive Council leads the meeting. Since June 1, 2022, Senator Katy Gallagher has been the Vice-President.
Cabinet
The Cabinet of Australia is the most important decision-making group in the government. It includes the Prime Minister and senior ministers. They make most of the government's important policy decisions. The Prime Minister chooses the members of the Cabinet. They can be added or removed at any time. This often happens during a cabinet reshuffle.
Cabinet meetings are private and happen once a week. Important issues are discussed, and policies are created. Ministers who are not part of the Cabinet belong to the "outer ministry". There are also "assistant ministers" (or parliamentary secretaries). They focus on specific policy areas and report to a Cabinet minister.
The Australian Constitution does not officially recognise the Cabinet. It exists because of tradition. Its decisions do not have legal power on their own. However, it is the practical part of the Federal Executive Council. The Federal Executive Council is Australia's highest formal government body. In practice, the Federal Executive Council meets only to approve decisions already made by the Cabinet. All Cabinet members are also members of the Executive Council. A senior Cabinet member holds the role of Vice-President of the Executive Council. This person leads the Executive Council meetings when the Governor-General is not there.
Until 1956, all ministers were part of the Cabinet. But the number of ministers grew. So, in 1956, Robert Menzies created two levels of ministers. Only senior ministers were in the Cabinet. This practice has continued ever since.
The Prime Minister chooses all Cabinet and ministerial appointments. However, they usually talk with senior colleagues before making choices. When the Liberal Party works with the National Party, the leader of the National Party can suggest their party's ministers. They are also consulted on which jobs those ministers get.
When the Labor first held power, the Prime Minister, Chris Watson, chose his own Cabinet. But in 1907, the party decided that future Labor Cabinets would be chosen by the members of the Parliamentary Labor Party. The Prime Minister would still choose their specific jobs. This continued until 2007. Before the 2007 election, Kevin Rudd, who was then the Opposition Leader, said he would choose his own ministers if he became Prime Minister. He won the election and did just that.
Cabinet meetings happen in Canberra and also in state capitals like Sydney and Melbourne. Kevin Rudd also liked the Cabinet to meet in other places, including major regional cities. There are Commonwealth Parliament Offices in each state capital.
Government Departments
As of 2024, there are 16 departments in the Australian Government. These departments help carry out the government's work.
- Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry
- Attorney-General's Department
- Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water
- Department of Defence
- Department of Education
- Department of Employment and Workplace Relations
- Department of Finance
- Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
- Department of Health and Aged Care
- Department of Home Affairs
- Department of Industry, Science and Resources
- Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Communications and the Arts
- Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet
- Department of Social Services
- Department of the Treasury
- Department of Veterans' Affairs
There are also four departments that support the Parliament of Australia:
- Department of Parliamentary Services
- Department of the House of Representatives
- Department of the Senate
- Parliamentary Budget Office
Publicly Owned Entities
Some organisations are owned by the government.
Corporations set up by laws
These corporations are created by special laws passed by Parliament:
- Australian Broadcasting Corporation
- Clean Energy Finance Corporation
- Special Broadcasting Service
Other public corporations
- Airservices Australia
See also
In Spanish: Gobierno de Australia para niños
