eneral Sir William DEANE (since 16 February
1996)
head of government: Prime Minister John Winston HOWARD (since 11
March 1996); Deputy Prime Minister Timothy Andrew FISCHER (since 11
March 1996)
cabinet: Cabinet selected from among the members of Federal
Parliament by the governor general on the advice of the prime
minister
elections: none; the monarch is hereditary; governor general
appointed by the monarch; following legislative elections, the
leader of the majority party or leader of a majority coalition is
usually appointed prime minister by the governor general for a
three-year term

Legislative branch: bicameral Federal Parliament consists of the
Senate (76 seats--12 from each of the six states and two from each of
the two territories; one-half of the members elected every three
years by popular vote to serve six-year terms) and the House of
Representatives (148 seats; members elected by popular vote on the
basis of proportional representation to serve three-year terms; no
state can have fewer than five representatives)
elections: Senate--last held 3 October 1998 (next to be held by
October 2001); House of Representatives--last held 3 October 1998
(next to be held by October 2001)
election results: Senate--percent of vote by party--NA; seats by
party--Liberal-National 35, Labor 29, Australian Democrats 9, Greens
1, One Nation 1, independent 1; House of Representatives--percent of
vote by party--NA; seats by party--Liberal-National 80, Labor 67,
independent 1

Judicial branch: High Court, the Chief Justice and six other
justices are appointed by the governor general

Political parties and leaders:

Political pressure groups and leaders: Australian Democratic
Labor Party (anti-Communist Labor Party splinter group); Peace and
Nuclear Disarmament Action (Nuclear Disarmament Party splinter group)

International organization participation: ANZUS, APEC, AsDB,
Australia Group, BIS, C, CCC, CP, EBRD, ESCAP, FAO, IAEA, IBRD,
ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF,
IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MTCR, NAM
(guest), NEA, NSG, OECD, OPCW, PCA, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UN, UNCTAD,
UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNITAR, UNTSO, UNU, UPU, WFTU, WHO, WIPO,
WMO, WTrO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Andrew Sharp PEACOCK
chancery: 1601 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC