VCE Global Politics 2025 Unit 1 AOS 2: 'Australian Government & Election'

What is Australia’s system of governance?

Australia is a constitutional monarchy.

What are the three levels of parliament in Australia?

The King’s Representative (Governor General), the Upper House (the Senate), and the Lower House (House of Representatives).

What is a Liberal Democracy?

A democratic system of government in which individual rights and freedoms are officially recognised and protected, and the exercise of political power is limited by the rule of law.

What is a Representative Democracy?

A type of democracy founded on the principle of elected officials representing a group of people. It is the opposite of direct democracy.

What is a Constitutional Monarchy?

A form of government in which a non-elected monarch functions as the head of state within the limits of a constitution. Political power is shared between the monarch and an organized government.

What is a constitution?

The fundamental law binding everybody, including commonwealth and state parliaments.

How does the House of Representatives operate?

Members are elected for 150 seats using a system of preferential voting. One party needs at least 76 seats in the House of Representatives to form government, or there will be a hung parliament and the formation of a coalition government.

How does the Senate operate?

Twelve senators are elected for 6 years for each state, and two senators are elected for 3 years for each territory. Senate elections use proportional above-the-line or below-the-line voting. There are 76 seats in total, and controlling both the Senate and the House gets a double majority.

How does Preferential Voting work?

Voters rank candidates by preference, numbering candidates on a ballot paper. All candidates must be numbered or the vote is counted as informal. If no candidate receives an absolute majority, the candidate with the least votes is excluded and their votes redistributed by voter second preference.

What is above-the-line proportional voting?

When a voter ranks parties.

What is below-the-line proportional voting?

When voters rank candidates. Candidates must reach a quota of votes to be elected. If no candidate reaches the quota, the lowest scoring candidate is eliminated and the excess votes redistributed until a candidate reaches the quota.

What were some important policy issues for the 3rd May election?

The climate crisis, housing security and the rising cost of living.

What is some evidence about the importance of the climate and the environment?

It was mentioned by 5 out of 6 of my interviewees. Some supported the Liberal Party’s plan to construct nuclear power plants to produce clean energy, and others believed the plan was too costly, and the government should invest in renewables instead.

How does universal suffrage operate in Australia?

All Australian citizens aged 18 and older who are validly registered on the electoral role and not disqualified must vote in both federal and state elections, or pay the $20 administrative penalty, resulting in election participation by over 90% of eligible voters.

Describe Labor’s victory in 2025?

In 2025, the Australian Labor Party won the federal election by claiming 94 seats in the House of Representatives, the most ever won in the party’s history and a tie for the most seats ever won by a party, far surpassing most predictions. However, they do not have a double majority as they are tied with the Liberal-National Coalition in the Senate.

What were the key policy issues in the 2022 election?

According to a post-election survey of 1,000 voters, climate and environment were the biggest influence in voting decisions, followed by economic issues.

What was Albanese’s response to Cyclone Alfred?

Workers losing income became eligible for up to 13 weeks of income support, up to $1,007 per fortnight. Albanese and Dutton both cancelled fundraising events.

What was Morrison’s response to Black Summer?

Went holidaying in Hawaii, ‘I don’t hold a hose, mate, and I don’t sit in a control room.’ No Federal response until January.