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au_059
Government and the Law › Government Structure
What does separation of powers mean in Australian government?
- The separation of powers between the Prime Minister and the Governor-General
- Each state has separate powers from the federal government
- The division of government into executive, legislative and judicial branches that operate independently
Why this is the correct answer
Separation of powers means that government authority is divided among three distinct branches: the legislature (Parliament), which makes laws; the executive (government), which implements them; and the judiciary (courts), which interprets them. Each branch operates independently to prevent any single group from holding unchecked power. This is a cornerstone of Australian democracy.