Government of Australia
Long Conventional Name
Commonwealth of Australia
Short Conventional Name
Australia
Long Local Name
Commonwealth of Australia
Short Local Name
Australia
Government Type
Federal Parliamentary Democracy
Capital City
Canberra
Administrative Divisions
6 states and 2 territories*; Australian Capital Territory*, New South Wales, Northern Territory*, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia.
Independence Day
Tuesday, 1st January 1901
Constitutional History
9 July 1900, effective 1 January 1901
Legal System
Based on English common law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations.
Suffrage
18 years of age; universal and compulsory
Executive Branch
Chief of State
Queen of Australia ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952); represented by Governor General Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Michael JEFFERY (since 11 August 2003)
Head of Government
Prime Minister John Winston HOWARD (since 11 March 1996); Deputy Prime Minister Mark VAILE (since 6 July 2005)
Cabinet
Prime minister nominates, from among members of Parliament, candidates who are subsequently sworn in by the governor general to serve as government ministers.
Elections
None; the monarch is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch on the recommendation of the prime minister; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or leader of a majority coalition is sworn in as prime minister by the governor general.
Legislative Branch
Bicameral Federal Parliament consists of the Senate (76 seats - 12 from each of the six states and 2 from each of the two mainland territories; one-half of state members are elected every three years by popular vote to serve six-year terms while all territory members are elected every three years) and the House of Representatives (150 seats; members elected by popular preferential voting to serve terms of up to three-years; no state can have fewer than 5 representatives).
Judical Branch
High Court (the chief justice and six other justices are appointed by the governor general)
Flag Description
Blue with the flag of the UK in the upper hoist-side quadrant and a large seven-pointed star in the lower hoist-side quadrant known as the Commonwealth or Federation Star, representing the federation of the colonies of Australia in 1901; the star depicts one point for each of the six original states and one representing all of Australia's internal and external territories; on the fly half is a representation of the Southern Cross constellation in white with one small five-pointed star and four larger, seven-pointed stars.
