Roles and Powers of the PM, Cabinet and Ministry

Roles and Powers of the PM, Cabinet and Opposition

Prime Minister

the leader of the party with a majority of seats in HoR

formal roles of the Prime Minister

1. Advices GG with ministerial appointments

2. Choosing Cabinet Members

3. Calling the election date

political roles of PM

1. Leader of governing political party

2. Cabinet Leadership

3. Forming Parliamentary Commitees

Explain the PM’s role of ministerial appointment

The PM helps the GG appoints ministers and allocates each minister a portfolio, deciding who becomes a part of Cabinet

Describe the PM’s role in leading the governing party

the governing part can determine the outcome of every vote on the floor using its majority. This lets PM determine the procedures of HOR and control legislation and debate. For example, in the NZYQ case, the Albanese govt passed the Migration Amendment Act 2023 quickly by suspending standing orders and make closer motions to limit debate.

Describe the PM’s role in leading the Cabinet

PM leads Cabinet meeting by deciding what issues of govt will be diccussed. Furthermore, if a decision cannot be reached, the PM can make one,.

Distinguish between formal constitutional authority and political convention in shaping PM power

Under Constitutional authority, the GG appoints and governs ministers, however by unwritten convention the GG must only appoint individuals under the advice of the PM

Limitations on PM’s power

1.Disunity in Cabinet
2.Federalism
3.The Opposition

Explain how disunity in Cabinet can limit the PM’s power

Having factions within Cabinet can promote rivalry as the blocs of party members can have different interpretations of the party’s core ideology. In 2013, because of constant caucus tensions and leadership instability in the Cabinet, the Labor MPs replaced Julia Guillard with Kevid Rudd.

Explain how federalism can limit the Prime Minister’s power

federalism can limit the PM’s power as the Const divides authority between the Cwth and states meaning the PM must cooperate with state governments. In 2026, the meeting of the National Cabinet required PM Anthony Albanese to cooperate with State Premiers and Chief Territory Ministers to address fuel insecurity. The Cwth had to use its s96 grants power to fund arrangements, while the states controlled infrastructure and logistics

Explain how the opposition can limit the PM’s power

The Opp has the role to hold govt accountable and present itself as a viable alternative government. Opp can use parliamentary procedures and media to check on the PM and his govt. E.g 2010, the Gillard Government, was scrutinised by the Opposition for introducing carbon tax, when PM Julia Guillard specifically outlined ‘no carbon tax’ during her election campaign.

Explain what Cabinet is

Cabinet is an executive committee comprising of the PM and senior ministers, functioning as the decision making group of the executive. It is formed from s64 with its members appointed by the GG under the advice of the PM

What are the Cabinet’s roles

1. Communicate ‘vision of govt

2. develop and implement policies

3. allocate resources

Explain the Cabinet’s role in communicating vision of govt.

Providing a vision helps the people understand their ideology and the policies that come from it.

Explain the Cabinet’s role in implementing policies

Cabinet can implement policies by passing legislation or through the executive using delegated power from statute. E.g In response to fuel insecurity in Australia, the parl passed the Treasure Laws Amendment (Fuel Excise Relief) Bill 2026, that halved fuel excise for 3 months

Explain Cabinet’s role in allocating resources

Government produces an annual budget stating the Cwth’s revenue and where they’d spend their money. Govt introduces money bills to HOR requiring them to be passed by both houses of parliament. In the the 2026 federal budget, the Cabinet allocated cost-of-living relief measures to address fuel insecurity

List the limitations of the Cabinet

1. PM’s personal qualities

2. Rivalry within Cabinet

3. Timing

Explain how rivalry can lead to disunity weakening the Cabinet

Rivalry from within the governing party can lead to the Cabinet becoming unstable. After Gillard replaced Rudd in 2010, division emerged within Labour creating leadership instability and policy tension.

Explain how Timing can limit the Cabinet

Government might struggle to make a decision because of its inexperience. When Labour returned to govt in 2022 almost a decade in opposition may ministers were inexperienced in governing federally, leading govt to face criticism of cost-of -living responses.

Explain how the PM’s personal qualities can limit Cabinet

PM’s inexperience or personality can affect Cabinet performance. For example, in 2022, in Albanese’s first term in govt, the Cabinet received criticism for its cost of living responses

Cabinet Secrecy

Cabinet reaches decision through secret debate in a secure room. this allows ministers to speak their minds in Cabinet

Cabinet Solidarity

requires all members to publicly agree with a Cabinet decision, those who can’t are forced to resign

outer ministry

comprised of junior minister who hold portfolio in less important areas

role of outer ministry

junior ministers administer smaller departments and may be called into Cabinet meetings as co-opted members to discuss portfolios

shadow ministry

consists Opposition leader and appointed shadow ministers who scrutinise ministers. Shadow ministers do this by monitoring their opposite minister’s performance, govt department and policies by asking questions

Opposition

the largest non-government party in the lower house. Consists of the Opp leader and Shadow Cabinet

Roles of the Opposition

1. Hold govt into account using parl procedures

2. Being a viable alternative government

Explain the Opposition’s role in holding the govt into acc

1. Question time - allows private members to ask questions to ministers. If a minister cant respond to a simple question immediately it can be embarrassing for govt.

2. Censure motions or motions of no confidence - Holding a censure motion allows Parl to express disapproval of a specific action by a exec member (individual ministeral responsibility) . Holding a motion of no confidence allows parl to express disaproval in the whole ministry (collective ministerial responsibility)

Explain the Opp’s role in being a viable alternative govt

Opp must be ready to assume govt anytime if govt loses confidence of HoR , GG dissolves Parl and initiates an election won by Opp , or opp just wins a general election

What are ways Opp can be a viable alternative govt

1. Opp must inspire public confidence by appearing as competent as existing govt.
   in 2026, Opp leader Angus Taylor advocated for the halving of the fuel excise and claimed credit for the policy

2. Opp should have alternative policies to present to electors
   In 2026, in response to the fuel insecurity in Australia, the Opp released an alternative fuel plan

List the Opposition’s limitations

1. Lack of resources

2. Government Control of HoR

3. Impartiality of Speaker

Explain how the Opp’s lack of resources can be a limitation

compared to the governing party, the Opp’s lack of expert advice, knowledge of govt workings can make it hard to hold govt into account and easier to make errors

Explain how executive dominance of HoR can limit the opposition

With majority govts, the governing party usually wins votes and motions in Hor giving the Opp little control of legislative process. The govt can also elect its speaker of choice and control the resources of govt

Explain how the impartiality of the Speaker can limit Opp

The speaker of HorR is elected by other members of parl under standing order 11. It upholds Standing orders and ensure proper conduct of the MPs.

Individual ministerial responsibility

responsibility

a westminister convention of responsible parliamentary government by which a minister may be held to account by the HoR

collective ministerial responsibiltiy

a westminister convention of responsible parliamentary government by which an entire executive government may be held to account by the HoR

Shadow minister

an individual assigned to cover a specific govt portfolio, scrutinising the respective minister of that portfolio

describe a contemporary political issue

In February, internal divisions within the Liberal Party led to a leadership spill in which Angus Taylor defeated Sussan Ley 34-17 to become Opposition Leader. The spill demonstrated how party disunity and loss of caucus support can limit leadership stability.

Explain how the Liberal Party leadership spill affects the Opp’s role in holding the government into account

the leadership change prevents the Opp from holding govt acc as the internal factionalism between Sussan Ley’s moderate and Taylor’s conservative view creates a rivalry within the Opp
-internal conflict reduces cooperation of Opp members during parliamentary procedures such as Question Time, reducing the effectiveness of the Opp’s scrutiny towards govt
-the lack of scrutiny undermines Aus’s political and legal system of responsible parl govt.

Explain how the Liberal Party leadership spill affects the Opp’s role in presenting a viable alternative govt

the leadership spill can prevent the Cabinet from being a viable alternative government as factional conflict portrays disunity. Factionalism and rivalry within the Coalition can undermine the public’s confidence of the Coalition being a stable potential government,

Explain how the Liberal Party leadership spill positively affects the Opp’s role in presenting a viable alternative govt

however, if Taylor is able to unify the Liberal party and develop more detailed policies, then Opp can appear more capable than it previously did. For example, in 2026, taylor claimed credit for proposing the halving of fuel excise that the Albanese govt proposed to address fuel insecurity.