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Correcting prime Ministers: Kevin Rudd is currently Prime Minister-Elect, not prime minister.
|[[Michael Jeffery]]
|[[Michael Jeffery]]
|-
|-
|Prime Minister
|Prime Minister-Elect
|[[Kevin Rudd]]
|[[Kevin Rudd]]
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|-
Australia is a [[democracy]] which has allowed men of [[European]] descent to vote since federation, with non-Aboriginal women gaining the vote in 1902 and Aboriginal men and women gaining suffrage in 1962. Voting is compulsory for all citizens who are 18 years old and over (with a few exceptions.)
Australia is a [[democracy]] which has allowed men of [[European]] descent to vote since federation, with non-Aboriginal women gaining the vote in 1902 and Aboriginal men and women gaining suffrage in 1962. Voting is compulsory for all citizens who are 18 years old and over (with a few exceptions.)
Australia's Head of Government is the [[Prime Minister of Australia]]. The current Prime Minister-in-waiting is [[Kevin Rudd]], the leader of the [[Liberal Party of Australia]]. The Deputy Prime Minister-in-waiting is [[Julia Gillard]], the first woman to hold the position.
Australia's Head of Government is the [[Prime Minister of Australia]]. The current Prime Minister is [[John Howard]], the leader of the [[Liberal Party of Australia]]. He lost the 2007 Federal Election on November 24 to (now Prime Minister-Elect) [[Kevin Rudd]], the head of the [[Labour Party of Australia]]. The Deputy Prime Minister-Elect is [[Julia Gillard]], the first woman to hold the position.
The Head of State is [[Queen Elizabeth II]], the Queen of Australia (who is the same person, but a different title, as the Queen of Great Britain.) Under the Constitution, and in practice, the authority of the Head of State is vested in the [[Governor-General of Australia]], currently the retired Major-General Philip Michael Jeffery, AC, CVO, MC, GCL, who assents to acts of parliament, is the Commander in Chief of the military forces, and appoints all Ministers of the Government; all these various powers are normally exercised on advice from the Prime Minister.
The Head of State is [[Queen Elizabeth II]], the Queen of Australia (who is the same person, but a different title, as the Queen of Great Britain.) Under the Constitution, and in practice, the authority of the Head of State is vested in the [[Governor-General of Australia]], currently the retired Major-General Philip Michael Jeffery, AC, CVO, MC, GCL, who assents to acts of parliament, is the Commander in Chief of the military forces, and appoints all Ministers of the Government; all these various powers are normally exercised on advice from the Prime Minister.