Essential Information
Responsible Government
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Definition:
Parliamentary responsible government refers to when the executive branch is drawn from and is held accountable to the legislative branch. This aspect is not codified, meaning that the government is not obligated to be accountable to the legislative branch.
Does Responsible Government Exist in Australia?
To a moderate extent, yes. In Australia, the executive branch is drawn from the legislative branch. This is evident in the 46th Parliament where Hon Scott Morrison is the representative of the 'Division of Cook' electorate in the Federal Parliament, through which he is able to become Party Leader and hence Prime Minister.
Regarding the aspect of accountability (to be explained further in Unit 4), the executive branch is moderately accountable to the legislative branch through aspects like Question Time and Parliamentary Committees. However, responsible government is undermined through the executive governments dominance in the House of Representatives.
