Politics and Government

Some questions have come in about law here, and I have had some thoughts I wanted to share anyway, so here's my makeshift question:

Q: What is the political / governmental system like in Australia?

A: Now, keep in mind that I don't have a full understanding of things, but I do have a few things I would like to point out.

First, once you are 18, you gain the right to vote. With that right comes another obligation - you are REQUIRED to vote! Not voting in a public election is considered a crime! Now, that's a double-edged sword, since uninformed people are required to vote, but it is a very different concept than we are used to in America.

Second, Australia is a federation - a commonwealth, not a republic. There was a recent referendum on the subject, and the people decided they like the way things are. Among other things, that means they still have some token allegiance to the Crown (which is why the Queen appears on some of the money), and they still get to participate in the Commonwealth Games.

Third, my real topic of discussion: the exchange between the state and federal governments. I have loved following some of the recent political issues here, ranging from water rights to port authorities, where the federal government has tried to take over, coerce, or badger states to do its bidding. States fight back, and with a vengeance! Victoria (VIC, where I live) has been fighting against plans related to water systems along the river where it borders New South Wales (NSW). NSW has already blessed the plan, and what is funny is that NSW actually owns the river itself. VIC only has claim to the southern bank where the water touches. The Federal government (through John Howard, Prime Minister), has claimed rights to the water despite VIC's grumblings, and VIC is challenging that the constitution does not allow the Federal government that power.

In an unrelated matter, the Federal government (once again through John Howard) has expressed displeasure with certain states' abilities to manage their ports, due to increasing demand to/from China over the past couple years. In particular, Queensland has been picked out for some of its slowdowns (Queensland is the state that is most northeastern, and is where the Great Barrier Reef is). Queensland's executive has shot back a salvo of badgering comments against the federal government saying that this is an election year antic that threatens the federation.

Education systems are different among the states as well. I bring this up as a political / governmental matter because of the strong arm the federal government has through tax appropriations in the US, despite the fact that managing education is not reserved as a federal power.

So, my take on it is that I love the preservation of state sovereignty here. The interplay between the bodies of state and federal government shows me that both are strong and hold each other in check. Just as they should.