Module One: How does our Australian System of Government Work?
TOPIC 1.1: What is the Role and Function of Parliament?
About Parliament
At a then cost of 1.1.billion dollars, Australia’s new Parliament House in Canberra was inaugurated 9 May 1988. The building is visited by over 1 million people annually and sits atop the Canberra skyline symbolically representing its pre-eminent role in Australian society. It has 4700 rooms and during sitting time over 5000 individuals work there. The Department of Parliamentary Services has 800 staff to provide support to the operations such as Hansard, broadcasting services, ICT, library and research services. This investment and activity demonstrate the importance placed upon the requirement to resolve the nation’s issues professionally and civilly.
Whilst Parliament House is a grand building loaded with noble symbols, the reality is that parliament is not bricks and mortar but, rather, an institution, or cluster of institutions, and protocols and processes set up to enable us to determine our collective future.
The Australian Parliamentary Education Office introduces us to the different elements of our Australian Parliamentary System.
The political party or group of parties with the most elected members forms the government and the senior members make up the cabinet which, along with the Governor-General (or Governor in the states), is the executive of government and works through the public service to provide policy, goods and services.
Parliament makes the laws and authorises the funds to instigate government policy through the budget. It appoints the judges who review the laws.
It is important for public servants to be aware of influence on the system and recognise the traditional liberal values of freedom, individualism, rule of law, representation with taxation, reason, separation of state and church when making policy and offering services.
At the state and territory level a similar system of institutions, occur with different names for the Houses of Parliament, courts, review bodies, and associated institutions. You need to become familiar with those in your jurisdiction through research and practice.