86-634: The Protectionist Party , also known as the Protectionist Liberal Party or Liberal Protectionist Party , was an Australian political party , formally organised from 1887 until 1909, with policies centred on protectionism . The party advocated protective tariffs , arguing it would allow Australian industry to grow and provide employment. It had its greatest strength in Victoria and in the rural areas of New South Wales . Its most prominent leaders were Sir Edmund Barton and Alfred Deakin , who were
172-498: A constitutional monarchy , governed via a parliamentary democracy in the Westminster tradition . Australia is also a federation , where power is divided between the federal government and the states . The monarch , currently King Charles III , is the head of state and is represented locally by the governor-general , while the head of government is the prime minister , currently Anthony Albanese . The country has maintained
258-529: A "Washminster mutation". Australia is a federation , with different powers and responsibilities for the three levels of government: the federal government, the states and territories and local government . The federal nature and the structure of the Parliament of Australia were the subject of protracted negotiations among the colonies during the drafting of the Constitution. The House of Representatives
344-562: A failure to vote attracting a $ 20 fine. All non-Indigenous women gained the right to vote in federal elections in 1902 and in all states by 1908. All seats in the House of Representatives are contested in each election. Members are elected using preferential voting , in which the winning candidate obtains over 50% of votes after distribution of preferences; therefore, preference flows from lower-polling candidates are frequently significant in electoral outcomes. Senate elections are contested by half
430-507: A large part of the 20th century. However, Labor could also take credit or be blamed (as the case may be) as many of the bills were passed during the Protectionist-Labour minority governments as part of Labour's agreement for supporting a Protectionist government. Politics of Australia [REDACTED] [REDACTED] The politics of Australia operates under the written Australian Constitution , which sets out Australia as
516-633: A merger. The party wound up splitting as a result. The main body, including Deakin and his supporters, merged with the Anti-Socialist Party in May 1909 to become the Commonwealth Liberal Party (CLP), popularly known as "the Fusion Party", with Deakin as leader and Cook as deputy leader. The more liberal Protectionists defected to Labour. Deakin and the new CLP now held a majority on the floor of
602-471: A specific policy area and reporting directly to a senior Cabinet minister. The Constitution of Australia does not explicitly mention Cabinet; it existing solely by convention, with its decisions not in and of themselves having legal force. However, it serves as the practical expression of the Federal Executive Council , which is Australia's highest formal executive governmental body. In practice,
688-477: A stable liberal democratic political system under its Constitution , the world's tenth oldest , since Federation in 1901. Australia is the world's sixth oldest continuous democracy and largely operates as a two-party system in which voting is compulsory . The Economist Intelligence Unit rated Australia a " full democracy " in 2022. Like other Westminster-style systems of government , Australia's federal system of government consists of three branches :
774-612: Is responsible to the Parliament , of which they must be (or shortly become) members. In the Senate, 12 senators are from each State and 2 senators from the ACT and the NT respectively are elected by an optional preferential single transferable vote system. State senators serve staggered fixed six year terms, with half up for election each three years. Territory senators serve a non fixed term equal to that of
860-602: Is a significant power due to high levels of vertical fiscal imbalance arising because of the limited revenue raising capabilities of the states. In addition, Australia has several territories, two of which are self-governing: the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory . As these territories' legislatures exercise powers devolved to them by the Commonwealth, the Parliament of Australia has
946-432: Is difficult to apply as many actions by executive agencies are wide ranging, binding and conducted independently of Parliament. Ultimately whether a power is executive or legislative is determined on a case by case basis, and involves the weighing up of various factors, rather than the application of a strict test. The Federal Executive Council is a formal body which exists and meets to give legal effect to decisions made by
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#17328375549351032-503: Is elected on a basis that reflects the differing populations of the states. Therefore, the most populous state, New South Wales , has 48 members, while the least populated, Tasmania , has only five. But the Senate is elected on a basis of equality among the states: all states elect 12 senators, regardless of population. This was intended to ensure that smaller states retained influence over legislation and that laws could not be passed with only
1118-693: Is no strict separation between the executive and legislative branches, with ministers required to also be members of the legislature. Only the High Court can deem if a law is constitutional or not. The Australian system of government combines elements derived from the political systems of the United Kingdom ( fused executive , constitutional monarchy ) and the United States ( federalism , written constitution , strong bicameralism ), along with distinctive local features, and has therefore been characterised as
1204-505: Is the supreme court in the Australian court hierarchy and the final court of appeal in Australia. It has both original and appellate jurisdiction, has the power of judicial review over laws passed by the Parliament of Australia and the parliaments of the states , and interprets the Constitution of Australia. The High Court is mandated by section 71 of the Constitution , which vests in it
1290-480: Is the council of senior ministers, responsible to the Parliament. The ministers are appointed by the governor-general, on the advice of the prime minister, who serve at the former's pleasure. Cabinet meetings are strictly private and occur once a week where vital issues are discussed and policy formulated. Outside the cabinet there is an outer ministry and also a number of junior ministers, called assistant ministers (formally parliamentary secretaries ), responsible for
1376-678: The Sydney Morning Herald has reported that ministerial positions are allocated to the Left and Right factions on a proportional basis according to their representation in Parliament. The Left selects their ministers nationally, whilst the Right assigns ministers according to state based quotas. The cabinet meets not only in Canberra but also in state capitals, most frequently Sydney and Melbourne. Kevin Rudd
1462-628: The 1887 New South Wales election . At the 1901 elections for the first Commonwealth Parliament , the Free Traders, who campaigned in some states as the Revenue Tariff Party, formed the second largest group in the Australian House of Representatives , with 25 seats. Reid became the Parliament's first Opposition Leader with William McMillan as his deputy, later becoming Prime Minister in 1904–05. Dugald Thomson became deputy leader of
1548-632: The 1906 federal election , held in December, it changed its name to the Anti-Socialist Party . At the election, the Protectionists, whose protectionist policies were by then redundant, won only 16 seats to Labour's 26, but Labour still led by Watson continued to support Deakin who formed the well known third Deakin Protectionist government . Labour now under Andrew Fisher withdrew its support of
1634-657: The 1914 election . The election had been called before the declaration of war in August 1914, and the campaign was conducted with the caretaker government going onto a war footing. At the election, the Liberals were soundly defeated with another Labor majority in both houses. While the party itself disappeared into history, many of its key legislative initiatives, such as the White Australia policy and tariff protection for industry, were maintained by successive Australian governments for
1720-441: The 1990 federal election The most recent Australian federal election, which took place on 21 May 2022 , saw the election of a historically large crossbench in the House of Representatives consisting of six minor party members and ten independents. Australia's six states and the two largest territories are structured within a political framework similar to that of the Commonwealth. Each state has its own bicameral parliament, with
1806-451: The Australian Capital Territory and Northern Territory . Separation of powers is the principle the power of state should be shared between multiple bodies, in order to avoid the concentration of power in one entity. The legislature proposes and debates laws that the executive then administers, and the judicial arbitrates cases arising from the administration of laws and common law . However, in accordance with Westminster system , there
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#17328375549351892-475: The Cocos (Keeling) Islands , have never been self-governing. The third level of governance is local government , in the form of shires , towns or cities. The councils of these areas are composed of elected representatives (known as either councillor or alderman , depending on the state). Their powers are devolved to them by the state or territory in which they are located. The Australian Constitution sets down
1978-583: The Country Party , the leader of the junior Coalition party has had the right to nominate their party's members of the Coalition ministry, and to be consulted by the Prime Minister on the allocation of their portfolios. When Labor first held office under Chris Watson , Watson assumed the right to choose members of his Cabinet. In 1907, however, the party decided that future Labor Cabinets would be elected by
2064-510: The High Court of Australia consisting of three judges was finally passed. Barton resigned his party leadership position on 24 September 1903 to be replaced by Deakin who then formed the first Deakin government . Then, on 5 October 1903, Deakin appointed Barton, as well as the party's Senate leader, Richard O'Connor , to be justices of the High Court, before calling the 1903 federal election for December and going into caretaker government mode. At
2150-706: The Hopetoun Blunder ), leader of the Protectionist Party, to head a caretaker government from 1 January 1901 until the election of a Parliament. At the first federal election in 1901 , the Protectionists won 31 of the 75 seats in the House of Representatives . Barton was able to form the Barton minority government with the support of the Labour Party led by Chris Watson , which held the balance of power with 14 seats, on
2236-495: The Queen from the Constitution and replaced the governor-general with a president nominated by the prime minister, but subject to the approval of a two-thirds majority of both houses of Parliament. The proposal was defeated. The Australian Republican Movement continues to campaign for an end to the monarchy in Australia , opposed by Australians for Constitutional Monarchy and Australian Monarchist League . The Parliament exercises
2322-583: The Senate and the House of Representatives . Section 51 of the Constitution provides for the Australian government's legislative powers and allocates certain powers (known as heads of power ) to the federal government. All remaining legislative power is retained by the six states (previously separate colonies). Further, each state has its own constitution, so that Australia has seven parliaments, with legislative power shared between them. The High Court of Australia rules on legal disputes which arise between
2408-700: The US there is only one common law of the nation, rather than a common law for each state. Additionally, unlike Canada and the US, there is no distinct federal common law. Federal judicial power is vested in the High Court of Australia and such other federal courts created by the Parliament, including the Federal Court of Australia , the Family Court of Australia , and the Federal Circuit Court of Australia . Additionally,
2494-697: The Whitlam government . When the non-Labor parties are in power, the prime minister makes all Cabinet and ministerial appointments at their own discretion, although in practice they consult with senior colleagues in making appointments. When the Liberal Party and its predecessors (the Nationalist Party and the United Australia Party ) have been in coalition with the National Party or its predecessor
2580-515: The judicial power of the Commonwealth of Australia. The High Court was constituted by the Judiciary Act 1903 (Cth) . The High Court is composed of seven Justices: the Chief Justice of Australia , presently Stephen Gageler , and six other Justices. The state supreme courts are also considered to be superior courts, those with unlimited jurisdiction to hear disputes and which are the pinnacle of
2666-459: The legislative power of the Commonwealth by enacting legislation. It also supervises the executive actions of the government, through activities such as question time and Senate estimates. The Australian Parliament is bicameral and consists of the King of Australia , the 76 member Senate (the upper house ) and the 151 member House of Representatives (the lower house ). The Australian government
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2752-724: The passage and adoption of the Statute of Westminster , the Monarch of Australia (along with the monarchies of the other dominions) is a separate office from the Monarch of the United Kingdom , despite being held by the same person. As such, in Commonwealth matters, the monarch is only advised by Commonwealth ministers. By the Royal Style and Titles Act 1953 , the Australian Parliament gave
2838-621: The British Parliament enacting laws to override the Australian Constitution was also removed. Federal elections are held at least once every three years. The prime minister can advise the governor-general to call an election for the House of Representatives at any time, but Senate elections can only be held within certain periods prescribed in the Australian Constitution . Although it is possible to hold elections for
2924-724: The Cabinet, and to carry out various other functions. All ministers are members of the council and are entitled to be styled The Honourable for life. The governor-general usually presides at council meetings, but in his or her absence another minister nominated as the Vice-President of the Executive Council presides at the meeting of the council. Since 1 June 2022, the vice-president of the Federal Executive Council has been Senator Katy Gallagher . The Cabinet of Australia
3010-413: The Constitution. To become effective, the proposals must be put to a referendum of all Australians of voting age and must receive a double majority : a majority of all votes, and a majority of votes in a majority of states. Section 1 of the Australian Constitution creates a democratic legislature, the bicameral Parliament of Australia which consists of the monarch and two chambers of parliament,
3096-452: The Deakin government on 13 November 1908 and formed a minority government. The Fisher government passed a large number of its legislation. A scandalised establishment, believing an anti- socialist alliance was necessary to counter Labor's growing electoral dominance, pressured Deakin and Anti-Socialist Party's new leader, Joseph Cook , to begin merger talks. The more liberal Protectionists opposed
3182-435: The Executive Council in the absence of the governor-general. Until 1956 all members of the ministry were members of the Cabinet. The growth of the ministry in the 1940s and 1950s made this increasingly impractical, and in 1956 Robert Menzies created a two-tier ministry, with only senior ministers holding Cabinet rank, also known within parliament as the front bench . This practice has been continued by all governments except
3268-417: The Federal Executive Council meets solely to endorse and give legal force to decisions already made by the Cabinet. All members of the Cabinet are members of the Executive Council. While the governor-general is nominal presiding officer, they almost never attends Executive Council meetings. A senior member of the Cabinet holds the office of vice-president of the Executive Council and acts as presiding officer of
3354-513: The Free Trade Party to the Anti-Socialist Party. Reid envisaged a spectrum running from socialist to anti-socialist, with the Protectionist Party in the middle. This attempt struck a chord with politicians who were steeped in the Westminster tradition and regarded a two-party system as very much the norm. The Labor Party and the FTP/ASP continued to grow in electoral strength at the expense of
3440-473: The High Court to get them out of politics, but they were qualified for the judicial position, as they had been lawyers. Higgins was Attorney-General in the Labour government of 1904 (Labour did not have a lawyer to appoint), and Isaacs was Attorney-General in 1905 in the Deakin government. The Free Trade Party recognised that the issue of tariffs had been settled and that the main issue was the Labour resurgence. Before
3526-572: The House and Senate separately, it is the convention to hold simultaneous elections for both houses; every national election since 1974 has been for both the House and the Senate. Voting has been compulsory federally since 1924, except for Indigenous Australians. All restrictions on Indigenous people's right to vote were removed in 1962, but this right remained optional until both voting and enrolment became compulsory in 1984. Federal enrolment for non-Indigenous Australians has been compulsory since 1911. Compulsory voting laws are actively enforced, with
Protectionist Party - Misplaced Pages Continue
3612-405: The House in order to obtain a seat, minor parties have often focused their election efforts on the upper house. This is true also at state level (only the two territories and Queensland are unicameral ). Historically it has been comparatively rarer for minor parties and independents to win seats in the House of Representatives, although the size of the crossbench has been on an increasing trend since
3698-580: The House of Representatives and the Fisher government fell in a vote on 27 May 1909. Fisher failed to persuade the Governor-General Lord Dudley to dissolve Parliament. The Deakin CLP government was in power for less than a year until the 1910 election , where Labour under Fisher formed Australia's first elected federal majority government, and the first elected Senate majority, winning 42 of the 75 seats in
3784-508: The House of Representatives to the Liberal's 31. Deakin retired from Parliament in April 1913 and Cook took over the Liberal leadership before the calling of the 1913 election . The Liberals under Cook won government in 1913 by a single seat, however, Labor retained a Senate majority. Cook called a double dissolution , the first time one would be called. When the Senate rejected a bill twice, Cook called
3870-463: The House of Representatives, usually around three years. The most recent general election was on 21 May 2022 . In the House of Representatives, also known as the people's house, 151 members are elected using full preferential voting in single member electorates (also known as seats ). Elections are held once at least every three years, however the prime minister (historically the Cabinet) may request
3956-474: The House of Representatives. The Leader of the Opposition heads shadow cabinet, composed of shadow ministers who mirror, scrutinise and oppose government ministers and act as the government in waiting. Although the government, by virtue of commanding a majority of members in the lower house of the Parliament, can usually pass its legislation and control the workings of the House, the opposition can considerably delay
4042-510: The House) power. The federal Parliament (as defined in section 1 of the Constitution ) comprises the monarch and is bicameral (has two chambers): the House of Representatives (lower house) and Senate (upper house). The House of Representatives has 151 members , each representing an individual electoral district of about 165,000 people. The Senate has 76 members: twelve from each of the six states and two each from Australia's internal territories,
4128-451: The Parliament has the power to enact laws which vest federal authority in state courts. Since the Constitution requires a separation of powers at the federal level, only courts may exercise federal judicial power; and conversely, non-judicial functions cannot be vested in courts. State judicial power is exercised by each state's supreme court, and such other courts and tribunals created by the state parliaments. The High Court of Australia
4214-450: The Protectionist vote. Some Protectionists continued their exodus to Labor and the ASP. When Deakin proposed the Commonwealth Liberal Party , a "Fusion" of the two non-Labour parties, Reid announced his intention to resign as party leader on 16 November 1908. Joseph Cook was elected leader unopposed on 26 November, and he led the party until the merger with the Protectionists. No deputy leader
4300-532: The Queen the title Queen of Australia , and in 1973 titles with any reference to her status as Queen of the United Kingdom and Defender of the Faith as well were removed. Under the conventions of the Westminster system the governor-general's powers are almost always exercised on the advice of the Prime Minister or other ministers. However, the governor-general retains some reserve powers , being powers not subject to
4386-409: The Senate can still block supply (the annual bill authorising government expenditure), but this has only happened once, during the 1975 Australian constitutional crisis . Parliamentarians belong to either the government, the opposition or sit on the cross-bench (which includes independents and members of minor parties). The opposition consists of members of the second largest party or coalition in
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#17328375549354472-406: The Senate. With the exception of a three-year period from 2005 to 2008, no party or coalition has held a majority in the Senate since 1981; this has required governments to frequently seek the support of minor parties or independent senators holding the balance of power in order to secure their legislative agenda. Because the Senate's system of single transferable voting requires a lower quota than
4558-462: The approval of another person or institution. These are rarely exercised, but during the Australian constitutional crisis of 1975 Governor-General Sir John Kerr used them to dismiss the prime minister when he failed to secure supply. Australia has periodically experienced movements seeking to end the monarchy. In a 1999 referendum , the Australian people voted on a proposal to change the Constitution. The proposal would have removed references to
4644-435: The authority to override their legislation and to alter their powers. Australian citizens in these territories are represented by members of both houses of the Parliament of Australia, albeit with less representation in the Senate. Norfolk Island was self-governing from 1979 until 2015, although it was never represented as such in the Parliament of Australia. The other inhabited territories: Jervis Bay , Christmas Island and
4730-581: The bottom layer includes public servants, police, government departments and independent statutory bodies who directly implement policy and laws. Executive power is also difficult to clearly define. In the British context, it was defined by John Locke as all government power not legislative or judicial in nature. The key distinction is that while legislative power involves setting down rules of general application, executive power involves applying those rules to specific situations. In practice however, this definition
4816-543: The court hierarchy within their jurisdictions. They were created by means of the constitutions of their respective states or the self government Acts for the ACT and the Northern Territory . Appeals may be made from state supreme courts to the High Court of Australia . Inferior courts are secondary to superior courts. Their existence stems from legislation and they only have the power to decide on matters which Parliament has granted them. Decisions in inferior courts can be appealed to
4902-465: The election, the number of seats won by the Protectionists declined to 26 while Labour's increased to 22, but Labour continued its policy of supporting a minority Deakin Protectionist government. After a falling-out in April 1904 between Labour's Watson and Deakin, Deakin resigned office. Free Trade leader George Reid declined to take office, leaving Watson and Labour to form its first minority government, which lasted for four months. In August 1904, Reid
4988-543: The entirety of Mainland Australia at the federal and mainland state levels simultaneously (leaving Tasmania as the only state with a Liberal government), a feat that had last been achieved in 2007. This would last until 24 August 2024 when Labor lost government in the Northern Territory to the Country Liberal Party (CLP) opposition. The Liberal–National Coalition has never achieved this feat (control of
5074-569: The entirety of Mainland Australia at the federal and mainland state levels simultaneously) as of 2024. Queensland is regarded as comparatively conservative . Victoria and the Australian Capital Territory are regarded as comparatively left of centre . New South Wales, the largest state by population, as well as South Australia have often been regarded as politically moderate bellwether states. Western Australia, by contrast, tends to be more politically volatile; regarded as
5160-499: The exception of Queensland and the two territories, whose parliaments are unicameral. Each state has a governor , who undertakes a role equivalent to that of the governor-general at the federal level, and a premier , who is the head of government and is equivalent to the prime minister. Each state also has its own supreme court, from which appeals can be made to the High Court of Australia. State and territory elections occur every four years using fixed terms (except for Tasmania, where
5246-458: The federal government and the states and territories, or among the states and territories themselves. The monarch is the symbolic head of Australia and is ceremonially involved in all branches of the government, as a constitutive part of Parliament, formal holder of executive power and the person in whose name most criminal offences are brought. In a broader sense, the Crown represents the authority of
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#17328375549355332-491: The first and second prime ministers of Australia . The party was initially centred on New South Wales , where its leaders were George Dibbs and William Lyne . It dominated New South Wales colonial politics before federation . It first contested the 1887 New South Wales election . On the commencement of the Commonwealth of Australia , Governor-General-designate , The 7th Earl of Hopetoun , appointed Edmund Barton (after
5418-521: The functions of the head of state, leading some commentators to contend that the governor-general is the head of state . As a constitutional democracy , the role is limited to constitutional and ceremonial duties. Although the governor-general is the King's representative, and exercises various constitutional powers in his name, other powers they independently exercise in their own right. The governor-general also represents Australia internationally, through making and receiving state visits. Since at least
5504-444: The governor-general call a new election at any time (however, they retain the discretion to refuse if inadequate reasons for the election are given). However, as Senate elections must occur only during certain periods and as it is generally politically advantageous (while not legally required) to hold House elections at the same time, elections are generally restricted to a ten month window between August and May every three years, with
5590-494: The last split election in 1970 and 1972 . Unlike in the Senate, in which each state is represented equally, each state has a number of seats roughly proportional to its population. The prime minister is selected from the House, needing the support of the majority of members in order to be invited to form a government. Each chamber of Parliament has equal powers, with the exception that the Senate may not introduce "money bills" (new taxes or laws authorising expenditure). However,
5676-400: The legislative ( Parliament ), the executive (the prime minister , the cabinet , other ministers , and government departments), and the judicature (the High Court of Australia and other federal courts ). The Australian government consists of the party or coalition that had majority support in the lower house and exercises both executive (as ministers) and legislative (through control of
5762-411: The members of the parliamentary Labor Party, (the Caucus ) and the prime minister would retain the right to allocate portfolios. This practice was followed until 2007. Between 1907 and 2007, Labor Prime Ministers exercised a predominant influence over who was elected to Labor ministries, although the leaders of the party factions also exercised considerable influence. Prior to the 2007 general election ,
5848-503: The most conservative state during the 2000–10s, it has lately swung to rank amongst the most left-leaning states in the country. It is also known for historical secessionist sentiments. Local government in Australia is the lowest tier of government. Local governments are subject to the relevant states and territories . There is only one level of local government in Australia; with none of the distinctive local government types seen in other anglophone nations. Most local governments within
5934-404: The other two branches of government however, membership of the executive is not clearly defined. One definition describes the executive as a pyramid, consisting of three layers. At the top stands The King, as the symbolic apex and formal repository of executive power. Below him lies a second layer made up of the prime-minister, cabinet and other ministers who in practice lead the executive. Finally,
6020-402: The party in early 1904 following McMillan's retirement. Thomson would himself hand over the Deputy position to Joseph Cook on 28 July 1905 following the fall of the Reid government . A separate Tasmanian Revenue Tariff Party contested the 1903 federal election in Tasmania and won two seats. However, the Tasmanian party sat and merged with the Free Trade Party in federal Parliament. After
6106-446: The party won. It advocated the abolition of protectionism , especially protective tariffs and other restrictions on trade, arguing that this would create greater prosperity for all. However, many members also advocated use of minimal tariffs for government revenue purposes only. Its most prominent leader was George Reid , who led the Reid government as the fourth Prime Minister of Australia (1904–1905). In New South Wales, it
6192-510: The passage of legislation and obstruct government business if it chooses. The day-to-day business of the House of Representatives is usually negotiated between the Leader of the House , appointed by the prime minister, and the Manager of Opposition Business in the House , appointed by the Leader of the Opposition . The executive's primary role is to implement the laws passed by the Parliament. Unlike
6278-409: The polity itself. However, in all these functions they are represented by the governor-general, whose appointment is the only mandatory function of the monarch. The monarch of Australia , currently Charles III , is also the monarch of the other Commonwealth realms , and the sovereign of the United Kingdom. The monarch is the head of state , however in almost all matters the governor-general performs
6364-502: The powers and responsibilities of many of the institutions of the Australian Commonwealth. However, the prime minister, the cabinet and the other principles of responsible government are not explicitly mentioned in the document, along with most of the realities of exercise of executive power. This reflected the British influence on the document with its unwritten constitution . The Parliament of Australia can propose changes to
6450-562: The premier decides the date of the election). Thomas Playford served as Premier of South Australia and leader of the Liberal and Country League (LCL) from 5 November 1938 to 10 March 1965 (26 years). it was the longest term of any elected government leader in Australian history . Labor winning government in New South Wales on 25 March 2023 marked the second time in history that the Australian Labor Party gained control of
6536-553: The question of tariffs had largely been settled, Reid cast around for another cause to justify his party's existence. He settled on opposition to socialism, criticising both the Australian Labour Party and the support offered by it to the Protectionist Party , led by Alfred Deakin . Reid adopted a strategy of trying to reorient the party system along Labour vs non-Labour lines – prior to the 1906 election , he renamed
6622-534: The responsibility of the states. For example, the federal government has the responsibility for defence, inter-state trade and bankruptcy while the states have responsibility for healthcare and education. Additionally, the states can agree to refer any of their powers to the Commonwealth government via legislation, as has been done to allow the Commonwealth to regulate corporations. The federal government can also significantly influence state legislation by making tied grants (money which comes with certain conditions). This
6708-434: The senators from each state, except in the case of a double dissolution where all senators contest the election; senators representing the territories are elected and sworn into office simultaneously with the House of Representatives rather than the rest of the Senate. All senators are elected using the single transferable voting system of proportional representation, which has resulted in a greater presence of minor parties in
6794-558: The states have equivalent powers to each other; styles such as shire or city have only historical meaning. Anti-Socialist Party The Free Trade Party , officially known as the Free Trade and Liberal Association , and also referred to as the Revenue Tariff Party in some states, was an Australian political party , formally organised in 1887 in New South Wales, in time for the 1887 New South Wales colonial election , which
6880-625: The superior court in that area, and then to the High Court of Australia. Until the passage of the Australia Act 1986 , by the Australian and UK parliaments, some Australian cases could be referred to the British Judicial Committee of the Privy Council for final appeal. With this act, Australian law was made fully independent, and the High Court of Australia was confirmed as the highest court of appeal. The theoretical possibility of
6966-400: The support of the more popular states. However due to the emergence of strong parties with senators that very rarely cross the floor , this role is much less visible. The Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory, the only territories represented in Senate, each elect only two. The federal government may only legislate on certain matters, with any remaining areas falling within
7052-405: The then Leader of the Opposition, Kevin Rudd , said that he and he alone would choose the ministry should he become prime minister. His party won the election and he chose the ministry, as he said he would. However, in return for changes restricting the ability of Caucus to select the prime minister, in 2013 the right of Caucus to choose the ministry was restored. While Caucus rules are not public,
7138-464: The understanding that the Protectionists would implement a number of social reforms desired by Labour. Labour's program, however, was frequently too radical for many Protectionists, creating internal conflict between those who, like H. B. Higgins , were sympathetic to Labour, while conservatives like Allan McLean preferred to support the Free Trade Party . On 25 August 1903, legislation to set up
7224-411: Was able to form a Free Trade government with Protectionist support. Reid's government lasted until 5 July 1905, when the Protectionists and Labour reconciled, and the previous arrangement was restored, with the formation of the second Deakin government . On 12 October 1906, the size of the High Court was increased to five justices, and Deakin appointed prominent Protectionists Higgins and Isaac Isaacs to
7310-500: Was in favour of the Cabinet meeting in other places, such as major regional cities. There are Commonwealth Parliament Offices in each state capital, with those in Sydney located in 1 Bligh Street . As a federation, in Australia judicial power is exercised by both federal and state courts. However, unlike the UK's multiple legal systems there is only one legal system and like Canada and unlike
7396-412: Was succeeded by the Liberal and Reform Association in 1902, and federally by the Anti-Socialist Party in 1906. In 1909, the Anti-Socialist Party merged with the Protectionist Party to form the Liberal Party . The party was centred on New South Wales , where its leaders were Sir Henry Parkes and Sir George Reid . It dominated New South Wales colonial politics before federation . It first contested
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