Queensland Government

The Queensland State Government, using both Federal money and money raised from its own taxes and activities, provides services like hospitals, schools and policing. Because of State Government reliance on Federal Government money, the State Premiers meets annually with the Prime Minister and the Federal Treasurer to discuss funding issues.

Local governments throughout the state are responsible for making decisions on local, town or city matters. Grass roots issues like street signs and traffic control, libraries and rubbish collection are the province of local government. While local governments collect taxes in the form of rates, fees and fines to pay for the services they provide, they also receive money from both the State and Federal Government. Once again, Queensland local governments coordinate their activities consulting with both State and Federal colleagues to get the best service outcome for their constituents.

At the State level, Queensland has a parliamentary system of government, based on a representative democracy. The people, exercising their democratic right to vote, elect Members to represent them in the Legislative Assembly, the only chamber of the Queensland Parliament. (Other Parliaments, such as the Australian Parliament, may have two chambers.)

Queensland is divided into 89 electorates (or seats) each represented by a Member of the Legislative Assembly (MP). Typically, candidates offering themselves for election to Parliament belong to a political party. However, candidates need not belong to a political party - any citizen may nominate for election. If elected, they are referred to as 'independent' Members.

The political party or coalition of parties with the majority of seats in the Parliament forms the Government. The Government's political opponents in Parliament are the Opposition.

On 21 March 2009 a general election for all 89 electorates was held in Queensland. The Australian Labor Party won a substantial majority of seats, and as a result formed Government. For more information on the results of the 2009 general election please refer to the Electoral Commission Queensland.

The Government is responsible to the Parliament, which means the Government must resign if Parliament expresses a lack of confidence in it. The Government is also accountable to the people through regular elections. The Government is led by the Premier, who also heads the Cabinet, or Ministry. Cabinet Ministers are allocated 'portfolios' - areas of government administration for which they are responsible.

Our system of government is sometimes referred to as the 'Westminster system', after the British Parliament in the Palace of Westminster, London.

Under this system, there are three separate arms of government or State power: the Parliament (or legislature); the executive, which includes the Governor, the Cabinet, and the public service; and the courts (or judiciary).

The judiciary is entirely independent of the executive; for example, the Premier cannot direct any court on how to carry out its work. Similarly, the Parliament is independent (although Ministers are also Members of Parliament) because it exercises its powers by free votes of Members. For example, the executive must seek the permission of Parliament to make laws or to levy taxes.

This system of three separate arms of government is called the 'doctrine of the separation of powers'.

The Parliament

The Queensland Parliament consists of the Queen of Australia (the Sovereign) and the Legislative Assembly. Queensland is the only Australian State to have a unicameral (or single chamber) Parliament. Other States, along with the Federal Parliament, have two chambers of Parliament, commonly referred to as the Upper and Lower Houses. Queensland did have an Upper House - the Legislative Council - until 1922 when it was abolished. 

The Governor

The Governor is the Sovereign's personal representative and is an integral part of the parliamentary system of government.

The Governor summons and dissolves Parliament, grants Royal Assent to Bills (proposed laws) passed by the Legislative Assembly and issues 'writs' for State elections.

Under the Westminster system, most Royal powers are only exercised on the advice of Ministers. The Executive Council, which comprises members of the Ministry, is the formal means for Ministers to give this advice to the Governor. When the Governor acts on the advice of Executive Council, the Governor acts as the 'Governor in Council'. The Governor in Council gives effect to the decisions of the Ministry.

Following each State election, the Governor calls on the leader of the political party which has the support of a majority of Members of the Legislative Assembly (that is, the party with the most seats in Parliament) to form a 'Government' to take responsibility for governing the State.

The Legislative Assembly

The Legislative Assembly - also known as 'the House' - has 89 elected members one for each electorate throughout the State. Members are referred to as MPs (Members of the Legislative Assembly).

The Legislative Assembly must meet in session at least once a year and a general election must be held at least every three years.

The Speaker

The Speaker is the MP elected by the House to preside over sittings of the House and to maintain orderly proceedings. During a sitting, the Speaker may order Members to sit down, direct Members to withdraw remarks, or 'name' disorderly Members. When a Member is 'named', a vote must be taken on whether the Member should be suspended (sent out of the chamber). Together with the Clerk of the Parliament, the Speaker is also responsible for the general supervision of Parliament House, its staff and facilities.

The Cabinet or Ministry

The term cabinet comes from the French and means a small room or closet. Originally, the monarch's most trusted advisors often met in a small room off the monarch's court - hence the name.

Queensland has 18 Cabinet Ministers. Each Minister has a portfolio through which the various State Government departments and statutory authorities are administered.

Cabinet meets to determine government policy. All Ministers must take collective responsibility for, and must publicly support decisions made by Cabinet, regardless of their own opinions. Cabinet decisions requiring executive action must be approved by the Governor in Council to give them effect.

Queensland Government Ministers and portfolios

For a full list of the current Queensland Government Ministers and their portfolios please refer to The Queensland Cabinet and Ministerial Directory.

Parliamentary Secretaries

For a full list of the current Parliamentary Secretaries for the Queensland Government please refer to the Queensland Parliament website.

Government Departments

The Queensland Government is made up of departments and a number of government bodies.

Following the 2009 Queensland general election, The Premier announced the creation of 13 new departments to help streamline Queensland Government information and services.

These new departments are:

• Communities
• Community Safety
• Education and Training
• Employment, Economic Development and Innovation
• Environment and Resource Management
• Queensland Health
• Infrastructure and Planning
• Justice and Attorney General
• Queensland Police
• Premier and Cabinet
• Public Works
• Transport and Main Roads
• Queensland Treasury

A full listing of departments and their subsites is available on the departments page and will be updated on a regular basis as these Machinery of Government (MOG) changes take place.

For detailed information on the changes to Queensland Government departments please refer to the Administrative Arrangement Order No 1 - 2009 approved by the Governor in Council.

Executive contact details are available in the Queensland Government Executive Directory.

Statutory Bodies

As well as the core government departments, there is an array of statutory bodies which come within the wider portfolio responsibilities of Ministers.

These statutory bodies have been established under their own separate legislation, and are responsible for specific aspects of government administration. They include authorities, boards, commissions, committees, councils, corporations, trusts and tribunals. Most statutory bodies are administered by boards or committees, and all must report through the responsible Minister on their operations.

Summary information on each of these statutory bodies is contained in the Register of Appointees to Queensland Government Bodies, published by Constitutional & Administrative Law Services of the Premier's Department. For further information telephone: 07-3224 4819.

Sources of Information

There are a number of primary sources of information about the activities of departments which are publicly available:

• Annual Reports
• Corporate (or Strategic) Plans
• Statements of Affairs (as required under Freedom of Information legislation)
• Portfolio Program Statements (issued annually as part of the Queensland Budget Papers)

All statutory bodies produce annual reports, and many compile Statements of Affairs.

For further information:

The Queensland Government Contact Centre:

• 13 13 04
• Outside Australia +61 7 3405 0970 (+10 hours UTC)

The Queensland Government Executive Directory

• Goprint switchboard 07 3246 3500
• Outside Brisbane - free call 1800 679 778 (The Government Bookshop)

The Brisbane Telephone Directory

• White Pages - see 'State Government' under Index (page 37)

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