Government and Politics
Australia operates under three levels of Government - Commonwealth (also known as 'Australian Government' or 'Federal Goverment'), State Goverment, and Local Government.
Both the Commonwealth and State systems of government derive from the British Westminster system, although the Australian Constitution was influenced by the United States and Swiss Constitutions.
Under the Australian Constitution, the legislative power of the Commonwealth of Australia is vested in the Parliament of the Commonwealth, which consists of the monarch (currently Queen Elizabeth II), the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Commonwealth of Australia is a democratic federal state within the Commonwealth of Nations and executive power is vested in the governor-general, who represents Queen Elizabeth II.
Elections are held at maximum intervals of 3 years, when one-half of the senators (who serve six-year terms) and all the representatives are elected by compulsory ballot. A cabinet, presided over by the prime minister, is appointed by the governor-general on the basis of party strength in the House of Representatives.
Each state/territory in Australia also has their own government.
Main political parties
There are 4 main political parties operating in Australia. These are the Labor Party, the Liberal Party, the National Party and the Australian Democrats.
The Liberal Party has held power since winning government in 1996 and Australia's current prime minister is John Howard.