Australian Government
Federal government of Australia / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Dear Wikiwand AI, let's keep it short by simply answering these key questions:
Can you list the top facts and stats about Government of Australia?
Summarize this article for a 10 years old
The Australian Government, also known as the Commonwealth Government, is the national government of Australia, a federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy. Like other Westminster-style systems of government, the Australian Government is made up of three branches: the executive (the prime minister, the ministers, and government departments), the legislative (the Parliament of Australia), and the judicial (the High Court of Australia).[1]
| Federal Government | |
 The monochrome logo and wordmark (top), the ceremonial coat of arms (bottom) | |
| Formation | 1 January 1901; 122 years ago (1901-01-01) |
|---|---|
| Founding document | Australian Constitution |
| Country |  Australia |
| Website | australia |
| Crown | |
| Head of state (sovereign) | Monarch: King Charles III |
| Vice-regal representative | Governor-General: David Hurley |
| Seat | Government House |
| Legislative branch | |
| Legislature | Parliament of Australia |
| Meeting place | Parliament House |
| Executive branch | |
| Head of government | Prime Minister: Anthony Albanese |
| Main body | Cabinet |
| Appointed by | Governor-General |
| Headquarters | Canberra |
| Main organ | |
| Departments | 16 federal departments |
| Judicial branch | |
| Court | High Court of Australia |
| Seat | High Court Building, Canberra |
| This article is part of a series on the |
| Politics of Australia |
|---|
|
| Constitution |
|
|
The federal legislature is bicameral (has two chambers): the House of Representatives (lower house) and Senate (upper house).[2] The House of Representatives has 151 members, each representing an individual electoral district of about 165,000 people.[3] The Senate has 76 members: twelve from each of the six states and two each from Australia's internal territories, the Australian Capital Territory and Northern Territory. The Australian monarch, currently King Charles III, is represented by the governor-general.[4] The Australian Government in its executive capacity is formed by the party or coalition with a majority in the House of Representatives, with the prime minister being the parliamentary leader who has the support of a majority of members in the House of Representatives.[5] The prime minister is formally appointed to the role by the governor-general.[6]
The government is based in the nation's capital, Canberra, in the Australian Capital Territory. The head offices of all sixteen federal departments lie in Canberra, along with Parliament House and the High Court.[7][8] The judicial branch of government, headed by the High Court of Australia, is independent of the legislative and executive branch,[9] and ensures that government acts according to the constitution and law.[10] As a founding member of the Commonwealth and a former British colony, Australia's Constitution is influenced heavily by the British Westminster system as well as the United States Constitution.[2]