nor general
appointed by the queen; following legislative elections, the leader of
the majority party or leader of a majority coalition is usually
appointed prime minister by the governor general for a three-year term

Legislative branch: bicameral Federal Parliament consists of the
Senate (76 seats-12 from each of the six states and two from each of
the two territories; one-half of the members elected every three years
by popular vote to serve six-year terms) and the House of
Representatives (148 seats; members elected by popular vote on the
basis of proportional representation to serve three-year terms; no
state can have fewer than five representatives)
elections: Senate-last held 2 March 1996 (next to be held by March
1999); House of Representatives-last held 2 March 1996 (next to be
held by March 1999)
election results: Senate-percent of vote by party-NA; seats by
party-Liberal-National 37, Labor 29, Australian Democrats 8, Greens 1,
independent 1; note-subsequent to the election, there has been a
change in the distribution of seats; the new distribution is as
follows-Liberal-National 37, Labor 28, Australian Democrats 7, Greens
2, independents 2; House of Representatives-percent of vote by
party-NA; seats by party-Liberal-National 94, Labor 49, independent 5
note: it is widely anticipated that the prime minister will call
elections in late 1998

Judicial branch: High Court, the Chief Justice and six other justices
are appointed by the governor general

Political parties and leaders:
government: coalition of Liberal Party, John Winston HOWARD, and
National Party, Timothy Andrew FISCHER
opposition: Australian Labor Party, Kim BEAZLEY; Australian Democratic
Party, Meg LEES; Green Party, Bob BROWN

Political pressure groups and leaders: Australian Democratic Labor
Party (anti-Communist Labor Party splinter group); Peace and Nuclear
Disarmament Action (Nuclear Disarmament Party splinter group)

International organization participation: AG (observer), ANZUS, APEC,
AsDB, Australia Group, BIS, C, CCC, CP, EBRD, ESCAP, FAO, G- 8, IAEA,
IBRD, ICAO, ICC, ICFTU, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO,
IMF, IMO, Inmarsat, Intelsat, Interpol, IOC, IOM, ISO, ITU, MINUGUA,
MTCR, NAM (guest), NEA, NSG, OECD, PCA, Sparteca, SPC, SPF, UN,
UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNFICYP, UNHCR, UNIDO, UNITAR, UNTSO, UNU, UPU, WFTU,
WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTrO, ZC

Diplomatic representation in the US:
chief of mission: Ambassador Andrew Sharp PEACOCK