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Question

Difficulty: MediumForming the Australian Government

After a federal election, which condition determines which political party or coalition of parties forms the Australian Government?

  1. Achieving a majority of members in the House of RepresentativesAnswer
  2. B
    Winning the majority of seats in the Senate
  3. C
    Receiving a direct appointment from the Governor-General regardless of seat numbers

Answer

The Australian Government is formed by the political party or coalition of parties that achieves a majority of members elected to the House of Representatives.
The correct answer is correct because the Australian Government is formed by the party or coalition that commands a majority in the House of Representatives. The leader of this party is then invited by the Governor-General to become the Prime Minister.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the two houses of the Australian Federal Parliament.
The Parliament consists of the House of Representatives (Lower House) and the Senate (Upper House).
Understanding the structure is the first step in knowing where the government is formed.
2
Apply the rule for forming the executive government.
In the Australian system, the government is formed in the House of Representatives.
This is a key constitutional convention where the Prime Minister is the leader of the majority party in the Lower House.
3
Define the specific threshold required for a party to take office.
A party or coalition must hold more than half of the 151 seats in the House of Representatives.
A majority is required to ensure the government has the support of the house to pass budgets and stay in power.

Key Concept

The Government is formed in the House of Representatives by the party or coalition with the majority of seats.

Hints

1
Think about which of the two houses of Parliament is often called the 'Lower House'.
2
The leader of the party that forms government becomes the Prime Minister. Recall where the Prime Minister usually sits.
3
The government must have the 'confidence' of the House of Representatives, which requires holding the majority of its seats.

Practice More

Review the roles of the Prime Minister and the Cabinet vs the Opposition to see how the government functions once formed.
Estimated Time:45s
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Topics

Forming the Australian Government

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