Duties and Responsibitlies of the Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia

The government of Australia is officially described as a Constitutional Monarchy. While the written constitution of the island nation established a federal system of government and allows for the democratic election of political leaders, the reigning Monarch of the United Kingdom remains the official head of state. Queen Elizabeth II, as the current reigning monarch of the United Kingdom, also holds the official title of The Queen of Australia, and is in fact referred to as such when visiting the area.

In order to better and more efficiently serve the people of Australia from Europe, the reigning monarch appoints a Governor General of Australia to serve as the official representative of the Monarchy in the region and is empowered to act on the Monarch's behalf for any matters which the Monarch assigns.

As a constitutional monarchy, Australia is not controlled by the Monarch of the United Kingdom, and therefore is not controlled by the Governor General. The purpose of the reigning Monarch and the Governor General of Australia is to ensure that the government operates as the people want, per the Constitution and according to the will of the people as represented through democratic elections for political leaders.

Whomever the Monarch appoints as the Governor General in Australia serves at the Monarch's pleasure, which means that there are no term limits for the office of Governor General, but tradition dictates that terms should last for approximately five years, subject to the occasional extension.

As the representative of the reigning Monarch, the Governor General of the Commonwealth of Australia has several ceremonial and constitutional duties that include the appointment of individuals to certain offices within the government, the commissioning of Australian military officers and the entertaining of foreign Heads of State and other distinguished visitors to Australia. Although the Governor General acts on the advice of the Minister of Defense, the person who holds the office of the Governor General also serves Australia as the Commander-in-Chief of the nation's armed forces.

Interestingly, the Constitution of Australia does not specifically describe the powers of the Governor General, only that he or she may act on behalf of the Monarch to exercise the will and duties of the monarchy as the constitution allows. Although not specifically listed in the Constitution, the Governor General is granted certain "reserve powers", which include the power to appoint a Prime Minister when elections end in a "hung parliament" and the power to dismiss a Prime Minister when he or she loses the confidence of Parliament or acts unlawfully.

Whoever is appointed as Governor General becomes a major public figure in Australia. The Governor General travels extensively throughout Australia visiting with local leaders, attending charitable events, hosting/participating in conferences of national importance, and attending official ceremonies.

Sources:

Governor-General's Role. Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia

Overview of the Roles and Responsibilities of the Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia. Governor-General of the Commonwealth of Australia.

The Queen's Role in Australia. The British Monarchy.

Our Government. About Australia.