The government plays an important role in shaping our society and making sure Australians have the services they need.
Australian democracy
Australia is a democratic country. This means the people have the power to choose who should represent them in parliament by voting at elections.
Australia’s democracy is supported by 4 key ideas:
Citizens have a voice and can make changes in society.
We work towards a society where everyone is respected and free.
We get to stand for election and choose who makes decisions on our behalf.
Everyone is equal before the law and must follow the law.
You can learn more about Australian democracy on the Parliamentary Education Office (PEO) website.
Australia's system of government
A system of government is how a country is organised and how it makes decisions.
Australia has a mixed system of government. Australia is a:
As Australians we vote for members of parliament to make laws on our behalf.
The King is Australia’s head of state but does not have absolute power and is required to follow the Australian Constitution. In Australia, the powers of the King have been given to his representative, the Governor-General.
Australian ConstitutionA Federation is a group of states who have given some of their law-making powers to a national government and kept some law-making powers for local matters.
Levels of government in Australia
There are three levels of government in Australia. These are:
- federal parliament
- state and territory parliaments
- local councils.
Here is more information on the different roles and responsibilities of each level of government.
The Parliamentary Education Office
The Parliamentary Education Office (PEO) helps Australians to understand our parliamentary democracy.
The PEO has a lot of great information that is current and trustworthy.
This includes information about:
- parliament and its people
- how parliament works
- having your say
- history of parliament
- Parliament House.
You can find information, videos and resources on the PEO website.
What is the budget?
Just like you might plan how you spend your money, the Australian Government has a plan for collecting and spending money called the Budget.
The Budget is made up of money the government collects from a few sources:
- taxes from people’s incomes
- business profits and GST from selling products
- excise and duties, like fees on the sales of some items
- other charges and levies.
The Budget is important because it tells us what the government’s main priorities for the year ahead are. It also gives us an idea of how our national economy is going.
You can learn more about the Budget on the PEO website.