(学生版)2.Chapter 15 Section 2 Politics.pdf

Understanding Australia and New Zealand Understanding Australia Chapter 15 History, Politics and Economy Section 2 Politics Model of Australian System of Government The Commonwealth of Australia is a constitutional monarchy with a federal parliamentary system of government— ‘Constitutional’ because the powers and procedures of the Commonwealth Government are defined by a written constitution, and ‘Monarchy’ because Australia’s Head of State is the monarch of the United Kingdom. 1. Constitution The Constitution of Australia, which came into force on 1 January 1901, is based on British parliamentary traditions and includes elements of the United States system. It establishes the Commonwealth government, defining its structure, powers, procedures and the rights and obligations of the states in relation to the Commonwealth. Other pieces of legislation that have constitutional significance for Australia are the Statute of Westminster 1931 and the Australia Act 1986 Together, these Acts had the effect of severing all constitutional links between Australia and the United Kingdom.. Therefore, even though the Constitution was originally given legal force by an Act of the United Kingdom parliament, the Australian Constitution can be amended only by Australian people through a national referendum in which all adults on the electoral roll must participate. Any constitutional changes must be approved by a double majority— a national majority of electors as well as a majority of electors in a majority of the states and territories (at least four of the six). The double majority provision makes alterations to the Constitution difficult, and since Federation in 1901 only eight out of 44 proposals to amend the Constitution have been approved. 2. Separation of Powers Separation of powers refers to a model in which political powers and responsibilities are distributed among several, often three, branches: the legislature