Revision

Separations of Powers
• The power to make and manage Australian law is distributed between these 3

groups. This principle is called the 'separation of powers’

• These are the Legislature, the Executive and the Judiciary. The legislature is

better known as the Parliament, which debates and makes laws.

• The Executive government, which we usually refer to as ‘the government’,

recommends new laws and puts them to the Parliament.

• The Judiciary applies and interprets the law

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 The Australian
Constitution

Legislature Executive Judiciary

Power to make Power to Power to apply
law administer law the law

House of
Govern-General High Court
Representatives

Prime Minister
Senate Federal Courts
and Cabinet

Governor Government
General Departments

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Division of Power
• Division of powers refers to the vesting of powers within different

levels of government.

• Australia has three levels of law-making—often referred to as the three

levels of government— that work together to provide us with the

services we need.
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House of Representatives
• Australia’s parliament is bicameral, which means that there are two houses. They are the

House of Representatives (also known as the lower house) and the Senate (also known as

the upper house).

• The House of Representatives is also known as the Lower House, or the People’s House.

This House represents the Australian people as a whole because it would be impossible for

every Australian to vote on every decision that needs to be made.

• Australia is divided into 150 areas called electorates. There are 150 members elected to the

House of Representatives

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House of Representatives
• The prime minister must come from this House.

• After a general election in which the Australian people have voted, the political

party or group of parties that have won a majority of seats in the House of

Representatives form the government

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Senate
• The Senate is also known as the Upper House, the States’ House and the Red
Chamber.

• This House is made up of elected men and women who represent the people of
Australia’s six states and territories.

• These people are known as senators. Currently there are 76 senators—12 from
each state and two from each territory.

• The Senate also acts as a House of review’ for any proposed laws, giving a
second opinion and making changes after the law has passed through the
House of Representatives