57-697: The Council of Australian Governments ( COAG ) was the primary intergovernmental forum in Australia from 1992 to 2020. Comprising the federal government , the governments of the six states and two mainland territories and the Australian Local Government Association , it managed governmental relations within Australia's federal system within the scope of matters of national importance. On 29 May 2020, Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced that COAG would be replaced by
114-496: A cabinet reshuffle . Cabinet meetings are strictly private and occur once a week where vital issues are discussed and policy formulated. The cabinet is not a legal entity; it exists solely by convention. Its decisions do not in and of themselves have legal force. However, it serves as the practical expression of the Federal Executive Council , which is Australia's highest formal governmental body. In practice,
171-472: A book titled Well Hello published in September 2021. Self-proclaimed “chatters or chatterati” have formed a Chat 10 Looks 3 community on social media platforms built around the same tenets as the podcast – friendship, kindness, and an agreement to not discuss politics. Crabb has said “somehow, through word of mouth, this vast community has formed, bringing terrible humour and good book recommendations and
228-778: A cadetship at The Advertiser in 1997. She moved to The Advertiser's Canberra bureau two years later, having worked for The Advertiser in both state and federal politics, before departing in 2000 to move to The Age as a political columnist and correspondent. Three years later she travelled to the United Kingdom and spent several years there working as the London correspondent for the Sunday Age and Sun-Herald and acting as an occasional and largely non-political correspondent for The Sydney Morning Herald . During this time she wrote her first book, Losing It: The Inside Story of
285-701: A new structure based on the National Cabinet implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic . COAG grew out of the Premiers' Conferences, which had been held for many decades. These were limited to the premiers of the six states and the Prime Minister. A related organisation is the Loan Council , which coordinates borrowing by the federal and state and territorial governments of Australia. COAG
342-504: A very dangerous elevation, the heartbeat of a highly stressed and anxious person". She suggests that by changing both Australian laws and societal pressures, the disparity in hours spent on household work may be addressed, and that fathers may have more time and stronger relationships with their children. Crabb has reported on policy which has changed gendered aspects of parenting and work. She has reported on policy which has changed this. She said, "Employers are starting to recognise that
399-400: Is also one of the presenters of The Drum . In September 2014, Crabb's book The Wife Drought was published, contributing to the debate about work-life balance for women. In 2017, in a footnote to readers of her Sydney Morning Herald column, Crabb implied that she had resigned from her role at that newspaper. From mid-2012, Crabb and radio personality Merrick Watts appeared in
456-633: Is decided by the Federal Treasurer each year, on the basis of advice provided by the Commonwealth Grants Commission (CGC). Achieving HFE does not mean that the states and territories are directed how to raise revenue or how to spend their funds. GST revenue grants from the Commonwealth are unencumbered and available for any purpose. Accordingly, HFE equalises fiscal capacity, not fiscal policies which remain for
513-454: Is executive or legislative is determined on a case-by-case basis, and involves the weighing up of various factors, rather than the application of a strict test. As most executive power is granted by statute, the executive power of the government is similarly limited to those areas in which the Commonwealth is granted the power to legislate under the constitution (primarily under section 51 ). They also retain certain powers traditionally part of
570-560: Is independent of the work they do for other media outlets and is an opportunity for them to talk about books, movies, television, the media and culture. The podcast won two awards at the 2019 Australian Podcast Awards in the “Literature, Arts & Music” and “TV, Film & Pop Culture” categories. Described by Sales and Crabb as shambolic and peripatetic the podcast episodes are recorded every two to three weeks. The podcast has spawned livestream shows in Australian capital cities and
627-458: Is the head of the federal government and is a role which exists by constitutional convention, rather than by law. They are appointed to the role by the governor-general (the representative of the monarch of Australia ). The governor-general normally appoints the parliamentary leader who commands the confidence of a majority of the members of the House of Representatives. Also by convention,
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#1732787174641684-412: Is the body that formally advises the governor-general in the exercise of executive power. Decisions of the body give legal effect to decisions already deliberated at cabinet. All current and formers ministers are members of the council, although only current ministers are summoned to meetings. The governor-general usually presides at council meetings, but in his or her absence another minister nominated as
741-407: Is to implement the laws passed by the parliament. However, laws are frequently drafted according to the interests of the executive branch as the government often also controls the legislative branch. Unlike the other two branches of government, however, membership of the executive is not clearly defined. One definition describes the executive as a pyramid, consisting of three layers. At the top stands
798-629: The Sunday Age and The Sun-Herald , and won a Walkley Award in 2009 for her Quarterly Essay , "Stop at Nothing: The Life and Adventures of Malcolm Turnbull". She has written two books covering events within the Australian Labor Party , as well as The Wife Drought , a book about women's work–life balance . She has hosted ABC television shows Kitchen Cabinet , The House , Back in Time for Dinner and Tomorrow Tonight . Crabb
855-520: The High Court . The name of the government in the Constitution of Australia is the "Government of the Commonwealth". This was the name used in many early federal government publications. However, in 1965 Robert Menzies indicated his preference for the name "Australian Government" in order to prevent confusion with the new Commonwealth of Nations . The Whitlam government legislated
912-815: The front bench . This practice has been continued by all governments except the Whitlam government . The prime minister's power to select the ministry differs depending on their party. When the Liberal Party and its predecessors (the Nationalist Party and the United Australia Party ) have been in coalition with the National Party or its predecessor the Country Party , the leader of the junior Coalition party has had
969-498: The prime minister and other cabinet ministers that currently have the support of a majority of the members of the House of Representatives (the lower house) and also includes the departments and other executive bodies that ministers oversee. The current executive government consists of Anthony Albanese and other ministers of the Australian Labor Party (ALP), in office since the 2022 federal election . The prime minister
1026-468: The royal prerogative , such as the power to declare war and enter into treaties. Finally, there exists certain "nationhood powers", implied from section 61 of the Constitution . These were defined by High Court Justice Anthony Mason , as powers "peculiarly adapted to the government of a nation and which cannot otherwise be carried on for the benefit of the nation". They have been found to include
1083-632: The vice-president of the Executive Council presides at the meeting of the council. Since 1 June 2022, the vice-president has been senator Katy Gallagher . As of 17 August 2024 , there are 16 departments of the Australian Government. Additionally, there are four departments which support the Parliament of Australia : The following corporations are prescribed by Acts of Parliament: As of March 2024 ,
1140-631: The ABC1 light-entertainment television program Randling , as part of a team called the West Coast Odd Sox. Crabb has been a regular panelist on the ABC Television political show Insiders , a guest on panel shows such as Network Ten 's Good News Week and the ABC's Q&A . She was a panelist on the 2010 ABC federal election series Gruen Nation . She returned to her role on
1197-677: The British context, it was defined by John Locke as all government power not legislative or judicial in nature. The key distinction is that while legislative power involves setting down rules of general application, executive power involves applying those rules to specific situations. In practice, however, this definition is difficult to apply as many actions by executive agencies are wide-ranging, binding and conducted independently of Parliament. The executive can also be delegated legislative power through provisions allowing for statutory instruments and Henry VIII clauses . Ultimately whether power
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#17327871746411254-577: The Commonwealth of Nations and the US federal government by those not familiar with Australia's system of government. This terminology remains preferred by the government. However, the terms Commonwealth Government and federal government are also common. In some contexts, the term "government" refers to all public agencies that exercise the power of the State , whether legislative, executive or judicial. The government's primary role, in its executive capacity,
1311-673: The Federal Executive Council meets solely to endorse and give legal force to decisions already made by the cabinet. All members of the cabinet are members of the Executive Council. A senior member of the cabinet holds the office of vice-president of the Executive Council and acts as presiding officer of the Executive Council in the absence of the governor-general. The cabinet meets not only in Canberra but also in state capitals, most frequently Sydney and Melbourne. Kevin Rudd
1368-758: The Labor Party in Opposition . Crabb returned to Australia in 2007 and started work as a senior writer and political columnist for The Sydney Morning Herald and her opinion pieces featured in a regular column in the publication. During this time, Crabb served as a commentator for the ABC's coverage of the 2007 Australian federal election . Crabb took up a position with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation in November 2009, working as its chief online political writer. She
1425-616: The United States' National Governors Association or Canada's Council of the Federation , because these bodies only include state/provincial representatives, whereas COAG also included federal and local representatives. At a COAG meeting on 13 March 2020, it was announced that a new National Cabinet was being formed of the Prime Minister and the premiers and chief ministers of the states and territories to coordinate
1482-465: The capacity to provide services and the associated infrastructure at the same standard, if each state or territory made the same effort to raise revenue from its own sources and operated at the same level of efficiency. Currently the funds distributed to achieve HFE are the revenues raised from the Goods and Services Tax (GST), currently about AUD50bn a year. The distribution of GST required to achieve HFE
1539-419: The carbon and mining taxes, stopping the boats." In a May 2016 study of Abbott's successor, Malcolm Turnbull , she wrote that he "struggled as Opposition leader", his major flaw being that "he overleapt his colleagues in an attempt to build something". Of his prime ministership she wrote: "Turnbull is more upbeat, more expansive ('waffly', his critics would say), less disciplined and less aggressive". Following
1596-674: The caucus regained this power in 2013. According to reporting by the Sydney Morning Herald , ministerial positions are allocated by the Left and Right factions proportionally according to their representation in the Parliament. The King is not involved with the day-to-day operations of the government, belonging (according to the Bagehot formulation) to the "dignified" rather than the "efficient" part of government. While
1653-598: The confidence of the lower house, are uncontroversial, others are subject to much greater debate. The most notable example of their use occurring in the Dismissal of 1975. In that case, the Governor-General Sir John Kerr dismissed the prime minister and government due to his conclusion that the government had failed to secure supply. The propriety of the use of the powers during that event remain highly contested. The Federal Executive Council
1710-633: The controversial Section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act 1975 limitations on free speech. She describes former immigration minister and current Leader of the Opposition , Peter Dutton , as having a commitment to free speech which "fully covers the right of everyday Australians to make racist remarks". Crabb supported proposals to legislate for same-sex marriage, proposals that were ultimately successful. She has described businesses and service providers who refuse to cater to same-sex weddings as "homophobes". Crabb has reported on
1767-497: The differential impact of parenting on workforce productivity and that following the birth of a child, fathers spend, on average, half the number of hours on household work that mothers do. Crabb shared demographic analysis by Jennifer Baxter of the Australian Institute of Family Studies showing that women spend on average 30 hours per week on household work, whereas men spend 15. In the 7am podcast, Crabb described
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1824-565: The election of Donald Trump as US president in 2016, Crabb asked "Where will Angry White Man strike next?" and wrote: "A kind of madness has come over the world. The elevation of Donald Trump from talented freelance bottom-pincher to Leader of the Free World, substantially powered by angry white dudes in Michigan, has created, internationally, a mood of fear and uncertainty among the existing political class." Crabb does not support reform of
1881-536: The establishment of the COAG Business Advisory Forum and wanted wider representation on the Forum. The groups also opposed the weakening of environmental regulations. After the forum's abolition in early 2020, journalist Annabel Crabb wrote that, after initial utility in the 1990s, COAG had become a "sclerotic nightmare" producing "communiques of impenetrable bureaucratese". She suggested that
1938-464: The executive power of the Commonwealth is formally vested in the monarch, the Constitution requires those powers to be exercisable by a governor-general, appointed by the monarch as their representative (but since the appointing of Sir Isaac Isaacs in 1931, always appointed according to the advice of federal ministers, rather than British ministers). Members of the government do not exercise executive power of their own accord but are instead appointed by
1995-474: The following Corporate Commonwealth entities are prescribed as Government Business Enterprises (GBEs): The following Commonwealth companies are prescribed as GBEs: Annabel Crabb Annabel Crabb is an Australian political journalist, commentator and television host who is the ABC's chief online political writer. She has worked for Adelaide 's The Advertiser , The Sydney Morning Herald , The Age ,
2052-490: The format of UK show Back in Time for... . A family's home is transformed each week into a replica of a standard house from a different decade, with the family cooking and eating meals from that era. In May 2018, the ABC flew Crabb and Jeremy Fernandez to London to host coverage of the Wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle . In November 2014, Crabb started a podcast with Leigh Sales called Chat 10 Looks 3. It
2109-495: The governor-general as ministers, formally as the "Queen's [or King's] Ministers of State". As such, while government ministers make most major decisions in cabinet, if those decisions require the formal endorsement of the governor-general in council, those decisions do not have legal force until approved by the Federal Executive Council , which is presided over by the governor-general. Similarly, laws passed by both houses of parliament require royal assent before being enacted, as
2166-553: The inequalities in the fiscal capacities of sub-national governments arising from the differences in their geography, demography, natural endowments and economies. However the level of equalisation sought varies. In Australia, the objective is full equalisation. Full equalisation means that, after HFE, each of the six states, the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern Territory would have
2223-419: The king, as the symbolic apex and formal repository of executive power. Below him lies a second layer made up of the prime minister, cabinet and other ministers who in practice lead the executive. Finally, the bottom layer includes public servants , police, government departments and independent statutory bodies who directly implement policy and laws. Executive power is also difficult to clearly define. In
2280-595: The meetings in Canberra had produced a performative element in which state premiers sought to boost their profile at the expense of actual reforms. Government of Australia [REDACTED] [REDACTED] The Australian Government , also known as the Commonwealth Government or simply as the Federal government , is the national executive government of Australia, a federal parliamentary constitutional monarchy . The executive consists of
2337-485: The monarch is a constituent part of the Parliament. However, in all these cases, except for certain reserve powers, the King and the governor-general must follow the advice of the prime minister or other ministers in the exercise of his powers. Powers subject to the governor-general’s discretion are known as reserve powers. While certain reserve powers, such as the ability to choose the prime minister most likely to command
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2394-555: The monarch). However, in accordance with responsible government , and to ensure accountability, actions of the government in its executive capacity are subject to scrutiny from parliament. The Australian Government is headquartered in the executive wing of Parliament House , located in the nation's capital, Canberra , in the Australian Capital Territory . The head offices of all the federal departments are located in Canberra, along with Parliament House and
2451-408: The next 12 to 18 months. The reforms led to a removal of the distinction between standing and select councils. At its dissolution, there were twelve COAG councils: The COAG Reform Council was established in 2010 as an independent body to advise on reforms of national significance. It was disestablished in 2014. In 2012 a group of 20 environmental organisations released a joint communiqué denouncing
2508-444: The outer ministry. Additionally, there are also assistant ministers (formally parliamentary secretaries ), responsible for a specific policy area, reporting directly to a cabinet minister. The cabinet consists of the prime minister and senior ministers and makes most of the important policy decisions of the government. Members of the cabinet are selected by the prime minister and may be added or removed at any time, usually through
2565-447: The panel for the 2013 series. In 2012, Crabb began hosting her own TV program, Kitchen Cabinet , on ABC2 (later ABC1), an informal interview program with Australian politicians over a meal prepared by both Crabb and her guest. In 2017, Crabb hosted a six episode documentary series about the inner workings of Parliament House called The House . In 2018, she hosted a seven part series called Back in Time for Dinner , based on
2622-465: The pattern, saying the graph "just leapt off the page", and that men's average work hours follow a flat line "like a cruiser, just cruising along". Crabb reported "Whenever she (Baxter) shows the graph at conferences, people just go... (intake of breath)". The analysis looks at paid working hours, child care and unpaid domestic work in heterosexual couples. "The work is so evocative, like in ER when someone has
2679-404: The power to provide financial stimulus payments to households during a financial crisis and the power to prevent "unlawful non-citizens" from entering the country . Ministers drawn from the Australian parliament form the core of the Australian Government. A subset of these ministers form the cabinet, the de facto highest executive body of the government. Ministers not part of cabinet belong to
2736-405: The prime minister is a member of the lower house. The prime minister and their sworn ministers form the cabinet , the key decision-making organ of the government that makes policy and decides the agenda of the government. Members of the government can exercise both legislative power (through their control of the parliament) and executive power (as ministers on behalf of the governor-general and
2793-410: The prime minister would retain the right to allocate portfolios. This practice was followed until 2007. Between 1907 and 2007, Labor prime ministers exercised a predominant influence over who was elected to Labor ministries, although the leaders of the party factions also exercised considerable influence. However, in 2007 Prime Minister Kevin Rudd , assumed the power to choose the ministry alone. Later,
2850-470: The response to the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia . On 29 May 2020, Prime Minister Scott Morrison announced that COAG would be replaced by a new structure based on the National Cabinet . Australia is believed to be the first federation to have introduced a formal system of horizontal fiscal equalisation (HFE) which was introduced in 1933 to compensate States which have a lower capacity to raise revenue. Many federations use fiscal equalisation to reduce
2907-601: The right to nominate their party's members of the Coalition ministry, and to be consulted by the prime minister on the allocation of their portfolios. When Labor first held office under Chris Watson , Watson assumed the right to choose members of his cabinet. In 1907, however, the party decided that future Labor cabinets would be elected by the members of the Parliamentary Labor Party, the Caucus , and
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#17327871746412964-484: The salve of human kindness to what turns out to be quite a big audience for that kind of stuff”. Crabb is a regular political commentator with the ABC and Fairfax. She has written of former Australian prime minister Tony Abbott that as an opposition leader he was "potent, focused, absolutely deadly, and ultimately he succeeded", but of his period as prime minister she writes that Abbott's "most significant achievements ... were acts of dismantlement or shutting down: ending
3021-557: The states and territories to decide for themselves. It does not result in the same level of services or taxes in all states and territories, direct that the states and territories must achieve any specified level of service in any area, nor impose actual budget outcomes in accordance with the Commission's calculations. At its meeting on 13 December 2013, COAG agreed to streamline the COAG council system and refocus on COAG's priorities over
3078-444: The use of "Government of Australia" in 1973 in line with its policy of promoting national goals and aspirations. However, academic Anne Twomey argues that the government was also motivated by a desire to blur the differences between the Commonwealth and the states in an attempt to increase federal power. The Parliament of Australia website also notes that the name "Australian Government" is preferable in order to avoid confusion with
3135-680: Was born in Adelaide to Christobel and Mac Crabb and grew up on a small farm near Two Wells, South Australia . She completed high school at the Wilderness School in Medindie, South Australia , then studied at the University of Adelaide , graduating in 1997 with arts and law degrees. She was briefly involved in student politics, holding the position of women's officer at the university's student association . Crabb undertook
3192-538: Was established in May 1992 after agreement by the then Prime Minister ( Paul Keating ), premiers and chief ministers, and it first met in December 1992. It was chaired by the Prime Minister. It met to debate and co-ordinate government activities between the federal and state or territorial governments and between the state and territorial governments themselves as well as issues affecting local government. COAG differed from
3249-551: Was in favour of the cabinet meeting in other places, such as major regional cities. There are Commonwealth Parliament Offices in each state capital, with those in Sydney located in 1 Bligh Street . Until 1956 all members of the ministry were members of the cabinet. The growth of the ministry in the 1940s and 1950s made this increasingly impractical, and in 1956 Robert Menzies created a two-tier ministry, with only senior ministers holding cabinet rank, also known within parliament as
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