Our Common Bond
The King, the Governor-General and the Prime Minister
Ten questions on Australia's leaders. Under the summary, pick any title in the tool to see what that office does and at which level.
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Practice questions adapted by Radif Partners from Our Common Bond. Not the official test questions.
Questions adapted from Australian Citizenship: Our Common Bond, © Commonwealth of Australia, CC BY 4.0, by Radif Partners.
Our Common Bond describes Australia as a constitutional monarchy: the King of Australia is Head of State but must act according to the Constitution, has no day-to-day role in government, and, because he does not live in Australia, his powers are delegated to the Governor-General. The King appoints the Governor-General as his representative on the advice of the Prime Minister. The Governor-General is not part of the government and must stay neutral; the role includes giving Royal Assent to Bills, ceremonial duties, approving the appointment of the government, ministers and federal judges, starting the process for a federal election, and acting as Commander-in-Chief of the Australian Defence Force, plus reserve powers for specific circumstances. Each state has a Governor, and the Northern Territory an Administrator. The government itself is led by the Prime Minister, leader of the party or coalition with a majority in the House of Representatives, who recommends ministers; the ministers with the most important portfolios form Cabinet. Our bank has 12 questions on this topic.
Who is who in Australian government
Governor-General
represents the King in Australia
| Level | national |
| How the post is held | appointed by the King on the Prime Minister's advice; neutral |
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The chain from Crown to government
The executive is the part of government that puts laws into practice. The booklet places in it the Prime Minister, the ministers and the Governor-General, and it explains how they connect to the monarch. Learn the chain in order and most questions answer themselves:
- The King of Australia is Head of State, within the limits of the Constitution, with no day-to-day role.
- The Governor-General is appointed by the King on the Prime Minister's advice and exercises the King's powers in Australia, neutrally.
- The Prime Minister leads the government, as leader of the party or coalition with a majority in the House of Representatives.
- Ministers, recommended by the Prime Minister and approved by the Governor-General, run portfolios and government departments.
- Cabinet, the ministers with the most important portfolios, takes the key decisions.
The Governor-General's five duties
| Duty | What it means |
|---|---|
| Royal Assent | signs every Bill passed by Parliament so it becomes law |
| Ceremonial duties | carries out the formal ceremonies of the office |
| Appointments | approves the government, ministers, federal judges and other officials |
| Elections | starts the process for a federal election |
| Commander-in-Chief | of the Australian Defence Force |
Note the word neutral. The Governor-General is not part of the government, does not lead a party and must remain above politics, even though many of the duties above touch on government business.
Every leader title in the booklet
| Title | Who it is |
|---|---|
| Head of State | the King of Australia |
| Governor-General | the Head of State's representative in Australia |
| Governor | the Head of State's representative in a state |
| Prime Minister | leader of the Australian Government |
| Premier | leader of a state government |
| Chief Minister | leader of a territory government |
| Government minister | an MP chosen by a government leader to run an area of government |
| Member of Parliament | elected representative in the Australian or a state parliament |
| Senator | elected representative of a state or territory in the Australian Parliament |
| Mayor or Shire President | leader of a local government |
| Councillor | elected member of a local council |
Traditions behind the system
The booklet notes that Australian parliamentary democracy blends British and North American traditions in a way that is uniquely Australian, and that within it the leader of the Australian Government is the Prime Minister. You will not be asked to analyse those traditions, but the idea helps explain why Australia has both a monarch as Head of State and a Prime Minister who leads the government from Parliament.
Classic confusions
Governor-General against Governor: the first is national, the second is in a state. Premier against Prime Minister: state leader against national leader. Chief Minister against Premier: territory against state. Administrator: the Northern Territory's equivalent of a Governor, appointed by the Governor-General. And the Prime Minister recommends ministers, but it is the Governor-General who approves their appointment and that of the Prime Minister. The tool below returns the role and level of each title, which is a quick way to test yourself.
Revising
The material is on pages 26 to 27 and 30 of the testable section. Our questions describe offices, not the people who hold them, because those names change; the booklet itself names the King at the time it was printed. Pair this page with the Parliament page, since forming a government depends on the House of Representatives, and with the Constitution page for the separation of powers.