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GOVERNMENT
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Country
Name:
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conventional
long form: Commonwealth of Australia conventional short
form: Australia |
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Government
Type:
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democratic,
federal-state system recognizing the British monarch as sovereign
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Capital:
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Canberra
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Administrative
Divisions:
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6
states and 2 territories*; Australian Capital Territory*, New
South Wales, Northern Territory*, Queensland, South Australia,
Tasmania, Victoria, Western Australia |
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Independence:
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1 January 1901 (federation of UK colonies) |
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National
Holiday:
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Australia
Day, 26 January (1788) |
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Constitution:
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9
July 1900, effective 1 January 1901 |
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Legal
System :
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based
on English common law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with
reservations |
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Suffrage:
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18
years of age; universal and compulsory |
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Executive
Branch:
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chief
of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952), represented
by Governor General Sir William DEANE (since 16 February 1996)
head of government: Prime Minister John Winston HOWARD (since
11 March 1996); Deputy Prime Minister Timothy Andrew FISCHER (since
11 March 1996)
cabinet: Cabinet selected from among the members of Federal
Parliament by the governor general on the advice of the prime
minister
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor general
appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the
leader of the majority party or leader of a majority coalition
is usually appointed prime minister by the governor general for
a three-year term |
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Legislative
Branch:
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bicameral
Federal Parliament consists of the Senate (76 seats12 from each
of the six states and two from each of the two territories; one-half
of the members elected every three years by popular vote to serve
six-year terms) and the House of Representatives (148 seats; members
elected by popular vote on the basis of proportional representation
to serve three-year terms; no state can have fewer than five representatives)
elections: Senatelast held 3 October 1998 (next to be held by
October 2001); House of Representativeslast held 3 October 1998
(next to be held by October 2001)
election results: Senatepercent of vote by partyNA; seats by
partyLiberal-National 35, Labor 29, Australian Democrats 9, Greens
1, One Nation 1, independent 1; House of Representativespercent
of vote by partyNA; seats by partyLiberal-National 80, Labor
67, independent 1 |
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Judicial
Branch:
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High
Court, the Chief Justice and six other justices are appointed
by the governor general |
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Political
Parties and Leaders:
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government:
coalition of Liberal Party [John Winston HOWARD] and National
Party [Timothy Andrew FISCHER] opposition: Australian Labor
Party [Kim BEAZLEY]; Australian Democratic Party [Meg LEES]; Green
Party [Bob BROWN]; One Nation Party [Pauline HANSON] |
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International
Organization Participation:
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ANZUS,
APEC, AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, C, CCC, CP, EBRD, ESCAP, FAO,
IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS,
IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO,
ITU, MTCR, NAM (guest), NEA, NSG, OECD, OPCW, PCA, Sparteca, SPC,
SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNITAR, UNTSO, UNU, UPU,
WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO, ZC |
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Flag
Description:
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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;
the remaining half is a representation of the Southern Cross constellation
in white with one small five-pointed star and four, larger, seven-pointed
stars |
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