The Australian Constitution

Question 1

How many arms in the Australian Government? What are they?

Answer 1

3 arms, the Legislative, Executive and Judicial

Question 2

When did the constitution begin?

Answer 2

The Australian Constitution began in the era of the gold rush in the 1850s. More and more people were born in the country and saw the unification of all colonies becoming one whole country, by the time it was around the 1890s. No one wanted to have all the power, and all colonies wanted to share it.

Question 3

What is it called when a group of states join together and share the powers amongst each other in a centralised Government?

Answer 3

A federation

Question 4

What happened after the constitution was decided….

Answer 4

Each of the colonies had a referendum (a vote) to whether people want to follow this decision. It was a success and the commonwealth of Australia came to be on January 1st 1901.

Question 5

What are the 3 levels of Australian Government and what are their responsibilities?

Answer 5

1. Federal( specific powers), trade with other countries, telephone services, defence forces and navy, quarantine regulations, immigration issues, banking and currency
2. State(residual powers), hospitals, police, primary and secondary educations, public transport
3. Local, parks and recreational facilities, rubbish removal, local street maintenance, libraries and kindergartens

Question 6

The legislative arm

Answer 6

The legislative arm is split into seperate, houses. The House of Representatives and the senate. A law will become a bill. It will be passed on to the Governor-General to be approved. The arm is responsible for making, changing and repealing laws

Question 7

The executive arm

Answer 7

This arm of Government is responsible for putting those laws into action. The arm is led by multiple Government ministers.

Question 8

The judicial arm

Answer 8

The judicial arm is responsible for making sure the laws are fair and equal to everyone, and legal within the constitution.

Question 9

What is a double majority?

Answer 9

It is when in a vote, four out of the six states must be in favour of the change in the constitution. Or 50% at least

Question 10

What are specific powers?

Answer 10

Lists of all areas of the federal parliaments responsibilities

Question 11

What are residual powers?

Answer 11

They are powers that remain with the state parliaments

Question 12

Why is it not easy to change the constitution?

Answer 12

Because you need to achieve a double majority in the referendum