Executive Government Conventions

A convention is an unwritten rule, an accepted practice. The Westminster parliamentary system is built around these kinds of unwritten rules.

For example, the Australian Constitution makes no mention of the position of Prime Minister, or of the Cabinet. There is no rule that says the Prime Minister must be a member of the House of Representatives. A literal reading of the Constitution suggests that the Governor-General runs the government.

• Overview of the Conventions of Executive Government in Australia

• Caretaker Government Conventions
  • 2001 Federal Guidelines - the guidelines issued to government departments about the procedures to be following during election campaigns when the government is officially in "caretaker" mode. Also available in PDF and RTF format.

• 2001 Australian Capital Territory Guidelines - also available in Word format.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------