• Local government – the care and maintenance of parks and sporting grounds in your area

• State government – the amount of funding hospitals receive

• Federal government – the amount of income tax people pay

Political parties in Australia play an important role in the community. They draw together people who have similar ideas and beliefs. They meet together to organise and campaign for certain policies or decision to be made. People will generally vote for political parties as opposed to individuals as there is an understanding of what the party stands for.

The party which wins the majority of seats in the House of Representatives, the Lower House, forms government. The party which wins the second largest number of seats becomes the opposition. Parties articulate philosophies and develop policies on issues such as health care and crime and punishment.

Community groups and individuals can influence the decision-making process by working closely or by communicating with political parties. Many pressure groups also have close links with political parties, such as trade unions with the Australian Labor Party¹, business groups with the Liberal Party², farming organisations with the National Party³ and conservation groups with The Australian Greens⁴. More⁵…

Source: from http://australianpolitics.com/parties/functions/

Differences

Use this sheet (.doc 30kB) to identify the major similarities and differences between political parties

Source: from http://australianpolitics.com/parties/functions/

Pressure groups are formed when people join together over a concern for a common issue in an attempt to try and influence government decisions. There are many types⁶ of pressure groups in society such as the Australian Conservation Foundation⁷ or the Business Council of Australia⁸. They utilise strategies such protests, rallies, lobbying campaigns and by holding publicity campaigns.

Research

Research the role of pressure groups in the Franklin Dam case (in the right-hand column), or a more current issue. Identify the pressure groups involved and the strategies they use to achieve their goal.