Australia is an independent country within the Commonwealth. It is a monarchy and a parliamentary democracy.
The Government consists of
It is made up of two houses: The Senate with 76 senators The House of Representatives with 148 members
Voting is compulsory. Citizens can vote by mail. Those who abstain from voting are fined.
The main political parties are the Liberal Party and the National Party. They act in coalition. The Australian Labour Party and the Australian Democrats also play a great role in politics.
It is Australia’s oldest political party. Founded in the 1880s, the Labour Party was formed in the midst of depression & high unemployment. Traditionally the Labour Party has taken a role in voicing the needs of the common workers, & has taken the side in upholding social justice.
The National Party The National Party, formerly the Country Party founded in 1920, was established to better represent the interests of the industries & residents of rural Australia. It represents a unique aspect of Australia, from which we see not only their heritage as a nation as a whole, but also in that rural Australia represents a large & important part in Australia’s economy. It shows the considerable influence rural Australia exerts on the government.
The Liberal Party The original Liberal Party, known as Fusion, emerged in 1909 as an alliance of various groups opposed to the Australian Labour Party. The modern Liberal Party, founded in 1944 at a conference held by Robert Menzies, is by far the youngest of the three major political parties. It has been one of the most important of all formative political influences on contemporary Australia.