Question

Difficulty: HardHead of State and the Governor-General

The Australian Constitution defines the Federal Parliament as consisting of three distinct parts: the King, the Senate, and the House of Representatives. Given this structure, what is the formal procedure for the King's representative to be appointed to their position?

  1. The King appoints the Governor-General on the advice of the Australian Prime Minister.Answer
  2. B
    The Governor-General is elected by a two-thirds majority of the members of the Federal Parliament.
  3. C
    The King chooses the Governor-General independently to ensure they remain separate from the Australian Government.

Answer

The King appoints the Governor-General on the advice of the Australian Prime Minister.
The correct answer is correct because, although the King is the Head of State, the Governor-General is his representative in Australia. Under the Australian constitutional system, the King does not choose this representative independently; instead, the appointment is made on the formal advice of the Australian Prime Minister. This ensures that the representative of the Crown is acceptable to the elected government of Australia.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the components of the Federal Parliament.
The Parliament consists of the King (represented by the Governor-General), the Senate, and the House of Representatives.
Understanding the structure is essential to identifying the role of the Head of State's representative.
2
Analyze the method of selection for the Governor-General.
The Governor-General is an appointed official, not an elected one.
This distinguishes the role from members of the Senate or House of Representatives.
3
Determine the specific appointment authority and process.
The King makes the formal appointment, but constitutional convention requires this to be done on the advice of the Australian Prime Minister.
In a constitutional monarchy, the representative's appointment reflects the relationship between the Crown and the elected government.

Key Concept

Constitutional appointment of the Governor-General

Hints

1
Consider the difference between an 'elected' official and an 'appointed' representative in the Australian system.

Practice More

Review the specific constitutional roles of the Governor-General, such as giving Royal Assent to bills passed by Parliament.
Estimated Time:1m 30s
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