Government & politics — Australia

Australia Day (commemorates the arrival of the First Fleet of Australian settlers), 26 January (1788); ANZAC Day (commemorates the anniversary of the landing of troops of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps during World War I at Gallipoli, Turkey), 25 April (1915)

• history: approved in a series of referenda from 1898 through 1900 and became law 9 July 1900,
• effective 1 January 1901 amendments: proposed by Parliament; passage requires approval of a referendum bill by absolute majority vote in both houses of Parliament, approval in a referendum by a majority of voters in at least four states and in the territories, and Royal Assent; proposals that would reduce a state’s representation in either house or change a state’s boundaries require that state’s approval prior to Royal Assent; amended several times, last in 1977

• chief of state: King CHARLES III (since 8 September 2022); represented by Governor General
• Prime Minister Anthony ALBANESE (since 23 May 2022) cabinet: Cabinet nominated by the prime minister from among members of Parliament and
• sworn in by the governor general election/appointment process: the monarchy is hereditary; governor general appointed by the monarch on the recommendation of the prime minister; following legislative elections, the leader of the majority party or majority coalition is sworn in as prime minister by the governor general

Description

bicameral Federal Parliament consists of: Senate (76 seats; 12 members from each of the 6 states and 2 each from the 2 mainland territories; members directly elected in multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote; members serve 6-year terms with one-half of state membership renewed every 3 years and territory membership renewed every 3 years) House of Representatives (151 seats; members directly elected in single-seat constituencies by majority preferential vote; members serve terms of up to 3 years)

Elections

• Senate - last held on 21 May 2022 (next to be held in May 2025) House of Representatives - last held on 21 May 2022 (next to be held in May 2025)

Election Results

• - Senate - percent of vote by party/coalition - Liberal/National Coalition 40.7%, ALP 34.2%, Greens 14.5%, Pauline Hansen's One Nation 2.6%, Jacqui Lambee Network 2.6%, United Australia Party 1.3%, independent 3.9%
• seats by party/coalition - Liberal/National Coalition 31, ALP 26, Australian Greens 11, Pauline Hansen's One Nation 2, Jacqui Lambee Network 2, United Australia Party 1, independent 3;

Composition

• 33 men, 43 women
• percentage of women 56.6% House of Representatives - percent of vote by party/coalition - ALP 50.9%, Coalition 36.4%, 7.9%, 2.6%, others less than 1%
• seats by party/coalition - ALP 77, Coalition 55, independent 12, Greens 4, Katter's 1, Center Alliance 1
• composition as of January 2024 - 93 men, 57 women
• percentage of women 38% (

Note

one seat will be filled after a by-election on 2 March 2024)

• highest court(s): High Court of Australia (consists of 7 justices, including the chief justice); note - each of the 6 states, 2 territories, and Norfolk Island has a Supreme Court; the High Court is the final appellate court beyond the state an
• d territory supreme courts judge selection and term of office: justices appointed by the governor-general in council fo
• at the federal level: Federal Court; Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia;
• at the state and territory level: Local Court - New South Wales; Magistrates' Courts – Victoria, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia, Tasmania, Northern Territory, Australian Capital Territory; District Courts – New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia; County Court – Victoria; Family Court – Western Australia; Court of Petty Sessions – Norfolk Island

Summary

6 states

Regions or States

• and 2 territories* Australian Capital Territory*
• New South Wales
• Northern Territory*
• Queensland
• South Australia
• Tasmania
• Victoria
• Western Australia

• Australian Greens Party or The Greens [Adam BANDT]
• Australian Labor Party or ALP [Anthony ALBANESE]
• Centre Alliance (formerly known as the Nick Xenophon Team or NXT) [none]
• Jacqui Lambie Network or JLN [Jacqui LAMBIE]
• Katter's Australian Party [Robbie KATTER]
• Liberal Party of Australia [Peter DUTTON]
• The Nationals [David LITTLEPROUD]
• One Nation or ONP [Pauline HANSON]
• United Australia Party [Clive PALMER]
• Note: the Labor Party is Australia’s oldest political party, established federally in 1901; the present Liberal Party was formed in 1944; the Country Party was formed in 1920, renamed the National Country Party in 1975, the National Party of Australia in 1982, and since 2003 has been known as the Nationals; since the general election of 1949, the Liberal Party and the Nationals (under various names) when forming government have done so as a coalition

• no citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen o
• yes residency requirement for naturalization: 4 years

ADB, ANZUS, APEC, ARF, ASEAN (dialogue partner), Australia Group, BIS, C, CD, CP, EAS, EBRD, EITI (implementing country), FAO, FATF, G-20, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NEA, NSG, OECD, OPCW, OSCE (partner), Pacific Alliance (observer), Paris Club, PCA, PIF, SAARC (observer), Quad, SICA (observer), Sparteca, SPC, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNMISS, UNMIT, UNRWA, UNTSO, UNWTO, UPU, Wassenaar Arrangement, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

chief of mission

Ambassador Caroline KENNEDY (since 25 July 2022) embassy: Moonah Place, Yarralumla, Australian Capital Territory 2600 mailing address: 7800 Canberra Place, Washington DC 20512-7800

telephone

[61] (02) 6214-5600

FAX

[61] (02) 9373-9184

Email address and website

• AskEmbassyCanberra@state.gov
• https://au.usembassy.gov/

consulate(s) general

Melbourne, Perth, Sydney

chief of mission

Ambassador Kevin Michael RUDD (since 19 April 2023)

chancery

1601 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036

telephone

[1] (202) 797-3000

FAX

[1] (202) 797-3168

Email address and website

• info.us@dfat.gov.au
• https://usa.embassy.gov.au/

consulate(s) general

Chicago, Honolulu, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco