Politics and Government

The Australian government is sometimes termed the "Washminister System," a combination of Washington and Westminster political structures. Compared with the American political system, the Australian system is similar enough to be understood, but different enough to be interesting.

In Australia, it is mandatory for all citizens over 18 to vote--hence their 98% voting electorate (the US has somewhere between 40 and 50%, and that's only registered voters!). They are fined an initial $20 which goes up if they fail to comply.

Accustomed to the separation of powers in the US political system, I was unfamiliar with the parliamentary system of government. In the Australian parliamentary system, there are two representative branches, the House of Representatives and the Senate. The representatives are based by population and New South Wales, the most populous state has 49 of the 150 representatives. Bondi, an area in Sydney only a few square km large has one representative, as does a part of Western Australia with area with three times the size of Texas. On the Senate side, there are 76 senators, 12 from each of the 6 states, and 2 from the two territories (Northern Territories and ACT -- Canberra).

The Prime Minister (PM) is selected by the majority party in the House. And because the PM is chosen from among the House of Representatives, the House is more "powerful" than the Senate, which is contrary to that in the US. There is no term limit for the PM and he can remain in office as long as his party and the people wish him or her to be. Furthermore, there are no birth restrictions in Australian, anyone can be PM. (Theoretically, I could even be PM!)

The current PM is Kevin Rudd of the Labour Party (like the US Democrats). He follows John Howard, a Liberal (like the US Republicans)PM who served for over a decade. Rudd has ushered in many new policies and is very popular with the younger generation.