Federal elections
The Commonwealth of Australia is governed by the Parliament of Australia, also known as the federal Parliament, which makes laws and authorises spending on national issues including:
- defence
- taxation
- trade
- foreign affairs
- immigration
- communications.
Australia is divided into federal electoral divisions, and voters in each division elect one person to represent them in the House of Representatives (also known as the lower house). Voters in each state and territory also choose people to represent their state or territory in the Senate (also known as the upper house).
The federal Parliament is located in Canberra. Federal elections are run by the Australian Electoral Commission.