Separation of Powers

Separation of Powers

The way Australia is governed was first outlined in our Constitution (read more - http://www.a-pac.tv/classroom/worksheets/teacher/TheConstitution.pdf ). Power in Australia is separated in several ways. Read the documents on the link  from Australia’s Public Affairs Channel and the Parliamentary Education Office

http://www.a-pac.tv/classroom/worksheets/teacher/ParliamentaryProcess.pdf    and http://www.peo.gov.au/students/fss/fss35.html then answer the questions in the worksheet below.

Separation of Powers (state and local)

Read the information below and conduct internet searches to answer the questions in the worksheet below.

In NSW the two Houses of Parliament are called The Legislative Assembly (Lower House) and The Legislative Council (Upper House). The State of New South Wales is divided into 93 Legislative Assembly electoral districts. Each State electoral district is represented in Parliament by a Member of the Legislative Assembly.  The Legislative Council does not have separate electoral boundaries, Members being elected on a proportional basis across the whole state, as though the state were a single electoral district.

The people of each Local Government Area elect the members of their Local Council, the head of which is called the Mayor. The Mayor is directly elected in some areas but selected by council in others. Local government is not recognised in the Australian Constitution, and as such is controlled by their state parliaments. Many local governments have been dissolved, amalgamated and split by the Minister for Local Government and the State Parliament.

Local councils do not enact legislation, they only implement relevant State laws, adjusting it to local situations, and oversee funds collected from land taxes (called rates).

Separation of Powers and Who Represents You? – 2 (State and Local Government) worksheet