Government is about making rules, laws and decisions on behalf
of the citizens of a country. In Australia we have a federal
government in Canberra and a state government in each of the
state and territory capital cities.
When we elect people to represent us they meet in Parliament
House. The political party (such as the Liberal Party, National
Party, Australian Labor Party, The Greens, Australian Democrats)
that has the most Members of Parliament forms the Government.
They decide what policies the country and its citizens will
follow until the next election in 3 or 4 years and what rules,
laws and decisions to make for the benefit of Australia, or
their state or territory.
Governments are responsible for many things, These include:
- providing services such as public transport, defence, water,
electricity, health and education
- managing the nation's money and the economy
- making laws and providing the courts and police to make
sure the laws are obeyed
- acting as the umpire when people have different needs and
wants
- planning the best way to develop cities, towns and the countryside
so that we can have a good quality of life without destroying
our resources and the environment.
If you want to find out more about government:
- Australian Readers: Middle Primary Collection,
Discovering Democracy Project, 2002, see especially texts
in the section, 'Good Rulers, Bad Rulers' (pp. 2-10)
- John Nicholson, Who's Running This Country?, Allen
& Unwin, 1998
