Australia Political

Today's Political Structure | Australian Prime Ministers | Australian Governor Generals

Australia and its birth within Britain's Commonwealth has naturally brought an English system of Government. As noted previously, the early days of the colony tended towards a socialism born out of necessity. The class barrier of convict/overseer has made Australia a nation peculiar in its political development.

The employer/employee relationship that has always existed since convict days has made industrial relations and income taxation in Australia high on the agenda and it is a continuing issue that confronts all Australian Governments. The counter balanced views on the these central subjects plus issues like public education and publuc health are interwoven in the political fabric and provide insight into the issues that separate the "representatives of the people". This representation is symbolised by the two existing parties that are popular in Australia today. The Liberal Party of Australia is Australia's conservative party (basically represents employers, corporate management's and small business). While the Australian Labor Party, naturally, and this goes back to early convict days has been the favoured party for unionists, workers and social reformers. The first ever Labor Party elected federally anywhere in the world came to be on the 7th April 1904 when John Watson's Federal Labor Party took office after being elected in the March of that year.

The Australian Political System (Federation 1901) is a three-tier system of government that is structured as follows,

a Federal Government (National),
a State Governments (Provincial),
and a Local Government (shire and municipal Councils).

All based in the Westminster tradition and characterised by the separation or (triangulation) of powers which administer government and law at the national and provincial level and under the provisions laid down in the Constitution.

The "three" arms of the Westminster Sytem that provide the separation of powers are:

The Executive - the Governor General

The Legislature - (the House of Representatives and the Senate)

The Judiciary - The High Court of Australia

The Executive and Judiciary are responsible for matters specifically relevant to the States and Territories of Australia. The Legislature is required to be elected by compulsory vote by the Australian people (18+) every 4 year period. The elected party forms a Government to administer the affairs of the day. The elected members from the defeated party form an "Opposition" or "Shadow Government" to support or deny the passing of legislation through the Upper and Lower Houses of the Legislature.

The powers of the Federal Parliament are laid down in a written Constitution. State Parliaments are subject to the provisions of this as well as their own. The constitution can only be changed by referendum ( a "yes or no" vote by the people on an issue). Referendums can only be initiated by unanimous approval in both Upper and Lower Houses of federal Parliament.

State Governments are also made up of a Executive, *Legislature and Judiciary and are responsible for their own State Administrations only.*Queensland abolished Upper House in 1922

Close to 900 Local Government bodies administer locally at the city, town, municipal and shire level and are subject to the statutes and regulations of the Federal and State Authorities. Local governments are legislated by State Governments.

Try these links

Federal Sources

State Legislatures

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AUSTRALIAN PRIME MINISTERS

Sir Edmund Barton (Protectionist Party) 1 January 1901 - 24 September 1903
Alfred Deakin (Protectionist Party) 24 September 1903 - 27 April 1904
John Christian Watson (Australian Labor Party) 7 April 1904 - 17 August 1904
George Houstoun Reid (Free Trade) 18 August 1904 - 5 July 1905
Alfred Deakin (Protectionist Party) 5 July 1905 - 13 November 1908
Andrew Fisher (ALP) 13 November 1908 - 2 June 1909
Alfred Deakin (Protectionist Party) 2 June 1909 - 29 April 1910
Andrew Fisher (ALP) 29 April 1910 - 24 June 1913
Joseph Cook (Liberal Party of Australia) 24 June 1913 - 17 September 1914
Andrew Fisher (ALP) 17 September 1914 - 27 October 1915
William Morris Hughes (ALP/Nationalist Party from 1917) 27 October 1915 - 9 February 1923
Stanley Melbourne Bruce (Nationalist Party ) 9 February 1923 - 22 October 1929
James Henry Scullin (ALP) 22 October 1929 - 6 January 1932
Joseph Aloysius Lyons (United Australia Party) 5 January 1932 - 7 April 1939
Sir Earle Christmas Grafton Page (Australian Country Party) 7 April 1939 - 26 April 1939
Robert Gordon Menzies (United Australia Party) 26 April 1939 - 29 August 1941
Arthur William Fadden (Australian Country Party) 29 August 1941 - 7 October 1941
John Curtin (ALP) 7 October 1941 - 5 July 1945
Francis Michael Forde (ALP) 6 July 1945 - 13 July 1945
Joseph Benedict Chifley (ALP) 13 July 1945 - 19 December 1949
Robert Gordon Menzies (Liberal Party of Australia) 19 December 1949 - 26 January 1966
Harold Edward Holt (LP) 26 January 1966 - 19 December 1967
John McEwen (Australian Country Party) 19 December 1967 - 10 January 1968
John Grey Gorton (LP) 10 January 1968 - 10 March 1971
William McMahon (LP) 10 March 1971 - 5 December 1972
Edward Gough Whitlam (ALP) 5 December 1972 - 11 November 1975
John Malcolm Fraser (LP) 11 November 1975 - 11 March 1983
Robert James Lee Hawke (ALP) 11 March 1983 - 20 December 1991
Paul John Keating (ALP) 20 December 1991 - 11 March 1996
John Winston Howard (LP) 11 March 1996 -

	PRIME MINISTERS OF AUSTRALIA
	Edmund Barton (First Prime Minister)
John Watson	Alfred Deakin (Three time Prime Minister)	Andrew Fisher
William Hughes (Nationalist)	Robert Menzies (Statesman)	John Curtin (Wartime Woes)
Bob Hawke (Popularist Leader)	Gough Whitlam (Reformer)	Paul Keating (Economy and Asia)

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AUSTRALIAN GOVERNOR-GENERALS

Rt Hon. John Adrian Louis Hope, 7th Earl of Hopetoun, 1 Jan 1901 - 9 Jan 1903
Rt Hon. Hallam Tennyson, 2nd Baron Tennyson, (Acting Governor-General),17 Jul 1902 - 9 Jan 1903
Rt Hon. Hallam Tennyson, 2nd Baron Tennyson, 9 Jan 1903 - 21 Jan 1904
Rt Hon. Henry Stafford Northcote, 1st Baron Northcote, 21 Jan 1904 - 9 Sep 1908
Rt Hon. William Humble Ward, 2nd Earl of Dudley, 9 Sep 1908 - 31 Jul 1911
Rt Hon. Thomas Denman, 3rd Baron Denman, 31 Jul 1911 - 18 May 1914
Rt Hon. Sir Ronald Craufurd Munro-Ferguson, 18 May 1914 - 6 Oct 1920
Rt Hon. Henry William Forster, 1st Baron Forster, 6 Oct 1920 - 8 Oct 1925
Rt Hon. John Lawrence Baird, 1st Baron Stonehaven, 8 Oct 1925 - 22 Jan 1931
Rt Hon. Sir Isaac Alfred Isaacs, 22 Jan 1931 - 22 Jan 1936
HRH Prince Henry William Frederick Albert, Duke of Gloucester, Earl of Ulster, 30 Jan 1945 - 11 Mar 1947
Rt Hon. Sir William John McKell, 11 March 1947 - 8 May 1953
Field Marshal Sir William Joseph Slim, 8 May 1953 - 2 February 1960
Rt Hon. William Shepherd Morrison, 1st Viscount Dunrossil, 2 Feb 1960 - 3 Feb 1961
Rt Hon. William Philip Sidney, 1st Viscount De L'Isle, 3 Aug 1961 - 22 Sep 1965
Rt Hon. Richard Gardiner Casey, Baron Casey, 22 Sep 1965 - 30 Ap 1969
Rt Hon. Sir Paul Meernaa Caedwalla Hasluck, 30 Apr 1969 - 11 Jul 1974
Rt Hon Sir John Robert Kerr, 11 Jul 1974 - 8 Dec 1977
Rt Hon. Sir Zelman Cowen, 8 December 1977 - 29 July 1982
Rt Hon. Sir Ninian Martin Stephen, 29 July 1982 - 16 February 1989
Hon. William George Hayden, 16 February 1989 - 16 February 1996
Hon. Sir William Patrick Deane, 16 February 1996- Present

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