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Difficulty: MediumThe Opposition and Shadow Ministers

In the Australian democratic system, the party or coalition with the second largest number of members in the House of Representatives becomes the Opposition. What is the primary function of the 'Shadow Ministers' within this group?

  1. A
    To assist government ministers in managing their departments and implementing new laws.
  2. To keep a close watch on the actions of government ministers and present different policy choices to the public.Answer
  3. C
    To provide the Governor-General with legal advice on whether to sign a bill into law.

Answer

The primary function of Shadow Ministers is to keep a close watch on the actions of government ministers and present different policy choices to the public.
The correct answer is that Shadow Ministers keep a close watch on government ministers and present alternative policies. In Australia's parliamentary system, each senior member of the Opposition is responsible for a specific area (like health or education) to ensure the Government is held accountable and that the public has different options to consider.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the role of the Opposition in the Australian Parliament.
The Opposition is the 'government in waiting' that scrutinizes the ruling party's actions.
Understanding the broad role of the Opposition is necessary to define the specific role of its members.
2
Analyze the term 'Shadow Minister' and its relationship to the Cabinet.
Each Shadow Minister 'shadows' a specific Government Minister (e.g., the Shadow Minister for Health follows the Minister for Health).
This shows that their focus is on monitoring specific government portfolios.
3
Determine the outcome of this monitoring process.
By monitoring, they can point out mistakes and suggest alternative policies to the Australian people.
This is the core democratic function of the Opposition in providing accountability and choice.

Key Concept

The Role of the Opposition and Shadow Ministers in Accountability

Hints

1
Think about whether the Opposition is meant to support the government's plans or challenge them.
2
The word 'Shadow' implies that these members follow the work of specific government officials very closely.

Practice More

Review how the Opposition is formed based on the number of members in the House of Representatives.
Estimated Time:1m 0s
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Topics

The Opposition and Shadow Ministers

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