Australia's Political System

Question 1

What is a federation?

Answer 1

the powers of government are divided between a single central government and two or more regional governments

Question 2

What are the three different models of federation?

Answer 2

• coercive federations - weak state governements
• dual/coordinate federations - centre and regions have relatively equal powers can pursue quite independent policies
• cooperative federation - central and regional governments work together to solve common problems

Question 3

What is a unitary system of government?

Answer 3

power is concentrated in the hands of the central government i.e. France where Departments (regional govt.) have an important regional role but no independent political authority

New Zealand and England are another two examples of this system

Question 4

What are confederations?

Answer 4

members of independent nations that accept common policies in some areas such as defence or economic matters i.e. EU, West Indies

Question 5

What does federation in Australia look like?

Answer 5

known as dual or coordinate federalism where the centre and the regions have relatively equal powers

• two independent levels of government - a single central government whose decisions cover all citizens, as well as 6 state governments, each of which has decision making powers for a defined geographical area
• both central and state governments have independent/autonomous power to maek laws over their own areas of responsibility
• disputes that occur between the levels of government are resolved by an independent authority - the High Court

Question 6

What are the pros of federalism?

Answer 6

!!! The greatest attraction of federalism is that it dvides power - seen as a way a nation can peacefully accommodate all kinds of differences between citizens

• regional govt. are seen as ‘closer to the people’ and more responsive to the community
• political freedom is claimed to be enhanced as it limits the power of govt. by dividing it
• competition between govts. is claimed to stimulate improvements in govt. services by allowing experimentation and choice (people can ‘vote with their feet’ and move to another region)

Question 7

What are the cons of federalism?

Answer 7

• leads to ‘overgovernment’ and confusion and creates too many politicians and piblic service departments, duplicates services, divides regulations and laws and leads to unclear lines of political responsibility
• exaggerates conflict in political life and creates excessive legalism (allowing High Court to make judgements on Consitution are seen as political)
• divides power which may reduce a nation’s abitlity to make decisions in policy areas like the environment

Question 8

Why did Australia adopt federalism?

Answer 8

• external threats - Australian colonies increasingly powerful navies of Germany and Russia and growth of Pacific colonies. Reliance on British military power was no longer enough, a united Australia military force was needed. Alsonon-white immigrants were viewed as a cultural and economic threat - many wanted a universal immigration policy to stop non-white immigration
• economic development -artificial barriers hindered economic development, created difficulties in interstate travel and trade, customs barriers increased costs and lead to inter-colonial tension. Colonies recognised benefits of free trade and commerce
• federation and nationalism - this system was preferred as colonies did not want to accept the dominance from any one centre (Melb/Syd) but felt a growing sende of AUstralian identity

Question 9

What were the main reasons against federation in Australia?

Answer 9

• strong independent identities in colonies
• great physical distance between the colonial capitals meant economic development and communications were regionally centred, links between colonies developing more slowly, great difference in colonial infrastructure, economic policies
• rivalries between colonies provided a barrier to federation - distrust of small colonies of the power of large colonie, feared they would have power taken and be dominated by Melb/Syd. This was solved by having equal representation in the Senate

Question 10

What is meant by the term, constitutional conventions?

Answer 10

unwritten practice concerning the powers, processes and procedures of a political system that are generally accpeted and in consciously followed in a society’s political activity, have no legally binding penalties for a breach of convention

Question 11

What are the main consitutional conventions in Australia?

Answer 11

• primarily the Westminster conventions of responsible government
  
  • PM member of lower house
  • ministers must be MPs
  • PM and ministry must have majority support
  • ministers are collectively and individually responsible to the parliament
  • Governor General is acts on advice of PM
• rights for Australian citizens are mostly assumed to be protected by the operation of the British system of common law that already existed in Australia

Question 12

What are exclusive powers?

Answer 12

areas about which only the Commonwealth govt. can make laws i.e. power to - raise armed forces, collect customs and excise duties

Question 13

What are concurrent powers?

Answer 13

areas in which both the Commonwealth and the states can legislate i.e. foreign trade and commerce, taxation, forms of communication, marriage, external affairs

Question 14

What is the referral of powers?

Answer 14

the transfer of an area of authority of a state parliament to the Commonwealth (not reversible)

Question 15

What is a general overview of the Australian Constitution?

Answer 15

The Commonwealth of Australia Act, passed by the UK House of Commons, includes a preamble and covering clauses as well as 8 chapters

• Ch 1: creates a federal parliament
• Ch 2: creates a federal executive based on the powers pf the Governor General (whom it was assumed by convention would act on the advice of the PM + Cabinet)
• Ch 3: creates a federal judiciary
• Ch 4-7: made up of provisions the Constitution writers saw as vital if federation was to work i.e. economic unity, conditions on taxation powers, creation of new states, also guarantees a number of rights
• Ch 8: one section - s128 sets out the process by which the words of the Constitution can be altered

Question 17

What are the main influences on Australia’s system of governance (constitution)?

Answer 17

• UK- adopted constitutional monarchy (including same Head of State), Westminster Parliamentary Democracy
• US and Canada- model for division of powers between a central govt. and state govt. for effect central govt. and to ensure states had significant powers. Also Canada had first ‘Washminster’ System- combining federalism and responsible parliamentary govt.
• Switzerland- referendums for formal amendments to the Constitution

Question 19

Features of Westminster Parliamentary Democracy:

Answer 19

• independent judiciary but political executive drawn (by convention) from legislative body adversarial law
• constitutional monarchy- Head of State is hereditary monarch acting on advice of parliament parliamentary govt- ultimate law making authority held by parliament
• bicameral parliament- two house/chambers
• responsible cabinet govt- party w majority support in lower house forms govt,. PM is leader of party w majority + must be member of lower house, PM selects a group of members from either house to carry out executive function, ministers are responsible to House of Commons for actions

Question 21

What is the influence of the British Westminster model of parliamentary democracy on the Australian constitution?

Answer 21

Question 23

Features of US/Canadian Federalism:

Answer 23

• large countries that had several colonies federate into one large nation
• states gave limited power to the federal govt, whilst retaining the rest of that power- called coordinate/dual federalism
• federal powers specified in Constitution- residual powers remained with states
• State’s house- the Senate, upper house of Congress, designed to represent the interest of states, equal number of senators are elected from each state, regardless of population

Question 25

What is the influence of the Federal model of America and Canada on the Constitution writers?

Answer 25

Question 27

What is the influence of the Canadian system of government on the Consitution writers?

Answer 27

Canada was also a large nation which had several colonies federate into a single nation, a Westminster parliamentary system and a federal system like the US. Canada’s ‘Washminster mutation’ model of government was an influence on the authors of the Constitution

Question 29

What is the influence of the Swiss system of referendums on the Australian constitution?

Answer 29

The Swiss Constitution is based on autonomous local government and direct democracy. The Constitution can only be formally amended through a successful referendum that is approved by a majority of citizens and states. The Australian Constitution writers adopted this method when they set the conditions for formal amendments to the new Australian Constitution. These provisions were made in Chapter 8 which only has one section, s128. In Switzerland, referendums can be initiated by either the central parliament or by citizens. Citizens can also initiate referendums to reject laws previously passed by the government. These extra ideas were not adopted in Australia.

Question 31

Why is the federal balance changing?

Answer 31

the Founding Fathers envisioned a strong coordinate federalism where states retained significant powers, however since Federation the Commonwealth Govt has increasing power at expense of the states

• this is mainly due to the increasing financial power of the Commonwealth Govt, through High Court decisions that have increased its taxing capacity (at expense of states) and through s96- “special purpose payments” aka “bed grants” which allows conditions to be set on grant money given to states
• also policies on education and health

Question 33

Who is Sir Henry Parkes?

Answer 33

Known as the “father of federation”, gave “Tenterfield Oration” in 1889 calling for a colonial conference to write a constitution for a united Australia. His vision was for a “Washminster compromise”