National holiday: Australia Day, 26 January (1788)
Constitution: 9 July 1900, effective 1 January 1901
Legal system: based on English common law; accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction, with reservations
Suffrage: 18 years of age; universal and compulsory
Executive branch:
chief of state: Queen ELIZABETH II (since 6 February 1952),
represented by Governor General William George HAYDEN (since 16
February 1989)
head of government: Prime Minister Paul John KEATING (since 20
December 1991); Deputy Prime Minister Brian HOWE (since 4 June 1991)
cabinet: Cabinet; prime minister selects his cabinet from members of
the House and Senate
Legislative branch: bicameral Federal Parliament
Senate: elections last held 13 March 1993 (next to be held by NA
1996); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats - (76 total)
Liberal-National 36, Labor 30, Australian Democrats 7, Greens 2,
independents 1
House of Representatives: elections last held 13 March 1993 (next to
be held by NA 1996); results - percent of vote by party NA; seats -
(147 total) Labor 80, Liberal-National 65, independent 2
Judicial branch: High Court
Political parties and leaders: government: Australian Labor Party, Paul John KEATING opposition: Liberal Party, John HOWARD; National Party, Timothy FISCHER; Australian Democratic Party, Cheryl KERNOT; Green Party, leader NA
Other political or pressure groups: Australian Democratic Labor Party
(anti-Communist Labor Party splinter group); Peace and Nuclear
Disarmament Action (Nuclear Disarmament Party splinter group)
Member of: AfDB, AG (observer), ANZUS, APEC, AsDB, Australia Group,
BIS, C, CCC, CP, EBRD, ESCAP, FAO, G- 8, GATT, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC,
ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, IMO, INMARSAT,
INTELSAT, INTERPOL, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINURSO, MTCR, NAM (guest),
NEA, NSG, OECD, PCA, SPARTECA, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP,
UNHCR, UNIDO, UNOSOM, UNTSO, UNU, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO, WMO, ZC