Who is the Australian head of state?
Queen Elizabeth II is the Australian head of state. But the Governor-General represents her. However, the Prime Minister holds the real power.
Australia’s political system might seem a bit strange to outsiders. It is both a representative parliamentary democracy, and a constitutional monarchy. Adding to the confusion, Australia is a federal country. This means state parliament take some decisions while others happen on a national level.
There are three prongs to the national parliament. There are two elected houses (the House of Representatives and the Senate), plus the Queen. The Queen, and head of state, in question is Elizabeth II. She’s Queen of the United Kingdom as well as a handful of other countries such as New Zealand and Canada. The Queen is the head of state in Australia. She will be for life unless Australia opts to become a republic in a referendum. Her successor will be the next in line to the British throne, currently Prince Charles.
Australia is one of the Commonwealth Realms, which are a hangover from the British Empire. Essentially, the Commonwealth Realms are former colonies that never got round to changing their head of state.
Australian head of state: Queen, Governor General or PM?
The Queen, however, is essentially just a figurehead. She is represented in Australia by the Governor-General, who is appointed on the advice of Australia’s Prime Minister. The Governor-General at time of writing is David Hurley, and the Prime Minister is currently Scott Morrison. Take that with a pinch of salt, though, as Australia changes Prime Ministers more often than it changes its bedsheets.
The Prime Minister has to be a member of parliament, chosen by the government. The government forms when a party or coalition of parties has majority support in the House of Representatives. In practice, the Prime Minister is a member of House of Representatives and leader of the House’s largest party. Elections take place every three years.
To become law, a bill must pass through both the Representatives and Senate, then get approval from the Governor-General.
The Queen of Australia
Theoretically, the Queen is the most powerful person in Australia. In practice, the Prime Minister is, and the Governor-General has a rubberstamping role. If the Government secures a trade deal, passed by parliament, it’s highly unlikely that the Governor-General will veto it.
The Parliament of Australia website explains how the Australian political system works in more detail. The Parliament building is open to visitors in Canberra.
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