Federal government
The decision-making body of the federal government is Federal Parliament, which consists of two houses – the House of Representatives and the Senate.
The leader of the federal government is called the Prime Minister.
A federal election must be held every three years because Australia's Constitution limits the term of Members of the House of Representatives.
Representatives elected to the House of Representatives are called Members of the House of Representatives. There are 150 members and each member represents a separate division or electorate in Australia. (Find my electorate)
Representatives elected to the Senate are called senators. They represent a whole state or territory. There are 12 senators for every state and two senators for each territory. Senators representing states are elected for a term of six years, with senators representing territories elected for a term of three years.
Federal government responsibilities include: foreign affairs, social security, industrial relations, trade, immigration, currency, defence.
