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Question

Difficulty: MediumForming the Government

Following a federal election, what is the official procedure for determining which individual will lead the new Australian Government as Prime Minister?

  1. The Governor-General invites the leader of the political party or coalition that has won a majority of seats in the House of Representatives.Answer
  2. B
    The members of the Senate conduct a private ballot to elect a Prime Minister from the political party that holds the most seats in the Upper House.
  3. C
    The Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) automatically grants the role to the leader of the party that received the highest number of individual votes nationwide.

Answer

The Governor-General invites the leader of the political party or coalition that has won a majority of seats in the House of Representatives.
The correct answer is correct because it accurately describes the constitutional convention where the Governor-General, acting on behalf of the Crown, invites the leader of the party (or coalition of parties) with a majority in the House of Representatives to form the government and serve as Prime Minister.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the relevant house of Parliament.
The House of Representatives (the Lower House).
In the Australian system, the government is formed in the House of Representatives, which consists of 151151 members representing different electorates.
2
Determine the requirement for forming a majority.
A party or coalition must win at least 7676 of the 151151 seats.
A majority (more than half) is required to ensure the government can pass laws and maintain the confidence of the house.
3
Identify the formal appointment authority.
The Governor-General.
As the King's representative, the Governor-General performs the formal duty of inviting the majority leader to become Prime Minister.

Key Concept

Forming the Government

Hints

1
Think about which of the two houses of Parliament is responsible for forming the executive government.
2
Recall that the Governor-General acts as the representative of the King in formal government transitions.

Practice More

Review the 'Separation of Powers' to understand how the Executive (Prime Minister and Cabinet) relates to the Legislature (Parliament).
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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Topics

Forming the Government

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