It is important to remember that we, the people, have a very important role in how our government is run. Under our system of representative and responsible government, it is ultimately the people that the government are accountable to in accordance with the Constitution and the law. That puts a civic responsibility on each and every one of us to understand the roles and powers of the institutions and people in them who make up the Commonwealth Government.
Our fact sheets coming up in module 2 may look challenging. They look at the three key institutions of government in depth: the Parliament, the Executive and the Courts. You might think our program looks more like a constitutional law degree. However, we are confident that if you journey with Kanga and Emmy in Episode 6 as they explore the Parliament, the Executive, and the Courts, you will probably end up just as excited as we are about becoming a lot more informed. And by taking Quiz 5 on the Parliament and Quiz 6 on the Executive we are confident you will gain some great new information that will help you in becoming an informed voter.
So here are some clues for what you are about to discover:
- Go inside Parliament and find out how and why they make laws
- What is the Executive Government and what can it actually do?
- What is Cabinet?
- Why have a Governor-General?
- What is the Public Service all about?
- Why is Australia’s system of government called a Constitutional Monarchy?
And yes, once you finish this civics adventure, we will release Blog 7 and some more fact sheets that take you inside the Courts, empowering you with an understanding of a world you may never have seen.
Knowledge is empowering and the civics education offered in our program will give you the tools to understanding our system of government. By educating yourself, you are helping ensure the Australian democracy offers stable, safe, fair and good governance for generations to come. Our discoveries of constitutional treasures are really starting to turn into gold!
