My A to Z of politics!

As another election, The South Australian State Election is creeping onto the political radar, I thought it would be a good time to create an A to Z of all things political to get us back into the voting mood!

A - Accountability Because all of our elected representatives need to be held accountable.

B- Backbencher Vital to any party winning Government.

C- Cabinet Without which, a Government would cease to exist.

D – Democracy The worst kind of political system, except for all the rest!

E – Election, Electorate Without either, politicians would not be elected, nor would they have anyone to vote for them!

F- Federalism The unification of a nation, so that powers are codified and distributed between levels of government.

G- Government The humble vessel in which the voting public place their trust and hopes in, to make the place we live in better.

H- Hansard All the recorded data including speeches and debates from with the chambers of Parliament.

I – Ideologies A way of organising different people who believe and accept the same lines of thought, and beliefs.

J- Judiciary The branch of Government that interprets the law, while remaining completely separate from parliament and the Executive.

K- Kitchen Cabinet A real term, used for the collective group of close advisors to the Prime Minister.

L- Law Pieces of legislation that have been passed by both chambers of parliament and have received the royal assent from either the Governor General, Governor or the King or Queen.

M- Member of Parliament A person elected to the House of Representatives, House of Assembly or Lower House.

N- NGO Non Governmental Organisation advocating for a particular cause.

O- Opposition A major party not in Government.

P- Party A collective group of Individuals registered with the Electoral Commission.

Q- Qualified Majority Rule Is the correct term for a vote that has received 50 + 1% of the total number of votes.

R- Republic A type of political system in which the leader of the Executive branch of Government is elected and not just appointed. Think America not Australia.

S- Standing Orders are the rules which must be adhered to inside both chambers at all times. The Speaker in the lower house is responsible for making sure politicians follow them as well as oversees all important business including the running of Question Time.

T- Treaties Agreements between countries, which can me bilateral (between two countries) or multilateral (between more than two counties).

U- Union An organisation set up to represent workers and workers’ rights also heavily involved in the left side of Australian Politics.

V- Voluntary Voting The act of choosing to vote rather than being forced to. Australia is one of only a few places worldwide that force voters to vote (except at local elections.)

W- Welfare A social policy designed to cater for people’s needs.

X- Xenophon, Nick A minor party Senator for South Australia, who has just been re-elected for a second time to the Federal Senate.

Y- Yawn The action most people associate with politics!

Z- Zoning The ability of Government’s to section land into different categories aimed at controlling lands purpose IE: Residential, Farming and Industrial.