BR#12 “Government in Australia”

A government is a group of people who make decisions about the way people live. Governments are elected by the people they represent. People vote for the person they want to represent them in parliament. Parliament is the body that is made up of all the representatives who are successful at an election. Australia’s system of government is known as a federal system. Australia’s first federal government was formed in Melbourne in 1901. Australia’s federal system of government has three levels. The first level is the Australian, or federal parliament. It makes decisions for the whole of Australia. At the second level are the state and territory parliaments. Three parliaments make decisions for their own state or territory. The third level is local government. Local governments make decisions for local communities. Australia’s federal parliament has two houses, a lower house and an upper house. The lower house is called the House of Representatives. The role of the House of Representatives is to introduce laws. The upper house is called the Senate. The role of the Senate is to review the laws introduced in the House of Representatives.
I’m not interested in government, but I think government is very important organ for living. So, I’m trying read newspaper and watch TV news. Recently, the program which a caster explains about news lucidly was broadcasted. I can understand about recent news, so I sometimes watch the program, and study about Japanese and worldwide problem. To know about government is also important for job hunting. I need to know it more.

(258 words)
(Nicolas Brasch/Government in Australia/2007/FAST FORWARD)