careernav.

By Madeline Williams

Time to vote? If you are over 18, it’s compulsory to vote in federal and state elections.  But if you’ve never really thought about the Australian political system it’s hard to cast a vote that you’ll feel happy with. For a good start towards making an informed political decision, have a read below for the basic lowdown on the political system and parties in Australia.

Democracy

Australia’s political system is a liberal democracy. A democracy means that the governments are elected by a majority of citizens, and in Australia this is regarded as important enough to make voting compulsory for all. Liberal implies that the Government is given limited power, and so is unable to suppress the rights of citizens, overrule the interest of minorities, or prevent individuals from having the freedom to determine their own lives. In terms of government, Australia has a federal system.  Federalism combines our separate States to form a national (or Federal) government, while still enabling the States to retain their identity and power, instead of being directly overruled by the national power. A document called the Australian Constitution sets out the different areas in which Federal or State governments are empowered to make laws.

The Federal Parliament (the branch of government empowered to make laws) consists of two houses; the Senate and the House of Representatives.

The Senate is sometimes referred to as “the upper house” and the House of Representatives as “the lower house”. But what do they do? Well, in a federal government system, these houses (also called chambers)  are intended to keep the balance of power between the national government and the State governments. In the Senate, each State is represented by the same number of elected members (Senators), regardless of a State’s population in relation to another’s.

On the other hand, each member of the House of Representatives represents the same notional number of people, and therefore the representation in the House of Representatives is proportional to the population in each State. The legislative power of each house is virtually equal in that for any law to be made valid in Australia, it must be approved by both houses of Parliament. When it comes to forming a government, however, because the House of Representatives more truly reflects the voting wishes of the whole population, the Government of the day consists of the members of the party (or sometimes the parties) that form the majority in that chamber.

For most people who are interested in playing a part in governing Australia, then, the first step is to join a political party and seek the party’s nomination as a candidate for election to one or other house of Parliament. Political parties exist on the basis of common views and values between their members and the voters who support them. That said, it is unlikely that when you vote, you will feel that all your views will precisely match all those expressed by whichever party you vote for. The best most people can say of their relationship with the party they vote for might be something like “the things that unite us outweigh the things that divide us”.

How do I Vote?

However you cast your vote, there are only two possible outcomes as to which party will govern after an election.. The two major political parties -the Australian Labor Party (ALP),and  the Liberal Party (with or without the support of the National Party) are the only groups that have sufficient voter support to have  members elected to the House of Representatives. If you choose to vote for a minor party or an independent candidate in the house, you can expect your candidate will not be elected, but your vote will be allocated to whichever major party you prefer above the other. Whichever party has the most candidates elected on this “two-party preferred” basis will be the next government. Currently we have a Labor Government headed by Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.

Will my vote count?

Do minor parties (such as the Greens, the Democrats, or Family First) or independents have any role in government? The answer is yes.but through the Senate. Senate elections use a different voting system which has the effect of  making it possible for  minor parties or independent candidates to be elected. While the Senate still consists mainly of major party representatives, it is quite often the case that neither major party will have control of  more than half the Senate, which means that some government legislation will not become law because the Senate as a whole has not passed it. Senators from minor parties can reject legislation on which the major parties are divided; they can bargain with the Government to change the legislation to address their objections to it, or they can even make their passing of it conditional on other concessions related to special interests they may have. So it might make sense for you to vote differently in the Senate and the House of Representatives.

Australia’s best-known political parties?

	Australian Labor Party The ALP is Australia’s oldest political party. It was originally trade union-based, and most trade unions are still affiliated to it. Where a liberal approach respects the aspirations of individuals, Labor was formed to follow the concepts of democratic socialism and social democracy, which respects the role of communities. Socialism is the idea that control and ownership of economic resources lies with communities as a whole, rather than individuals. This role has continued to evolve with society, Labor believes that capitalism exploits workers and is responsible for the concentration of wealth, and endeavors to improve or protect industrial working conditions (sick pay, job security), supply workers with decent pay, and overall support equal opportunity.
	Liberal Party The Liberal Party follows the political thought that individuals should be as free as possible to make their own choices, away from the control or direction of state. They strive for the empowerment of each Australian to make their own economic decisions, opening the way for a co-operative society which can be responsible for all its members’ wellbeing.  Their views tend to encourage free-market enterprise, globalization, and social growth in all of its forms, including personal, commercial and industrial.
	National Party  The National Party, previously called the Country Party, originally represented the interests of rural producer groups, and rural and regional dwellers. In recent times, however, demographic changes have decreased their support base in rural and regional electorates, to the detriment of the National Party. This party has a large interest in agriculture and country living, and is the most conservative of the major parties. The National Party has strong traditional family values, and is still  influenced by the Christian beliefs of many of its members. They have opposed things like legalising homosexuality or drugs, opposed taking affirmative action for women, and have taken conservative stances on immigration policies, multiculturalism, and abortion.
	Democrats  The Australian Democrats are a well-known, often empowered minor party. Their policies tend to focus on fairness, honesty and integrity, concern for environmental and economic sustainability, peace, human rights, and social justice. They have been a preferred minor group by major parties, due to their pragmatic approach to issues such as small-business assistance. The Democrats were founded during the second wave of feminism, as so were the first women-friendly political party. They were the first to appoint a woman as leader, and six of the party’s nine national leaders have been women. This party does have a reputation of representing middle-class, middle-age, primarily female voters, without being seen as representing the interests of blue-collar workers. Their following has declined in recent years, and they are not now represented in the Federal Parliamant.
	Greens  The Greens are commonly known as environmental activists, who have a focus on human rights, preserving environments and promoting sustainability. They are a part of a world-wide green movement, but have difficulty deciding on how best to compromise in order to operate in the formal political system. The Greens share core principles with the Democrats, and the two parties have occasionally toyed with the idea of merging. However, they remain opposed to a merger, and so are unlikely to have the support or means of climbing beyond being a minor political party.

Other minor parties of recent interest include One Nation and Family First. One Nation was formed by Pauline Hanson, and upheld negative views of Asian immigration, multiculturalism, and Aboriginal welfare, which gained the party a racist reputation. Family First is a newer political party, formed by a former religious leader, and is built on countering lobbies for gay and drug rights, and other groups who may be interpreted as undermining family values. This party strives to ensure that all legislation is assessed in terms of how it will impact families before it goes to Parliament.

Occasionally independents can be found in Parliament. They obviously do not belong to a political party, but stand alone in their political views and standpoint. Occasionally, an Independent may win a parliamentary seat, join a larger political party, or even originally come from a larger party with whom they have disagreed, and left to make a political point.

The opinions and views of the Australian political parties often overlap, but can also vary greatly. Consider your personal views and influences, be they moral, economical, environmental, and so on, and use these to determine which party will best represent your interests in Parliament.

Related Links

If any of the parties have interested you, or if you would like to further your understanding, visit the websites to learn the details of each party.

• Australian Labor Party: www.alp.org.au/
• Liberal Party: www.liberal.org.au/
• National Party: www.nationals.org.au/
• The Democrats: www.democrats.org.au
• The Greens: http://greens.org.au/
• One Nation: www.onenation.com.au/
• Family First: www.familyfirst.org.au/