Victoria Government Structure

The Victorian Government is part of a federal/state system of government in Australia. The Commonwealth Government operates nationally and has a presence in every Australian State and Territory. The government of each State and Territory is responsible for a range of matters, including public schools, health (public hospitals with Commonwealth Government), policing, roads and traffic, public housing and business regulation etc. Municipal affairs are handled by Local Government.

The Victorian Government, like other governments, operates on the Westminster System, inherited from the United Kingdom.

The Victorian Parliament has two levels, or ‘houses', the Legislative Assembly (the Lower House) and the Legislative Council (the Upper House). Parliament is made up of Members elected by the people of Victoria. Voting is compulsory for all citizens, and is based on a 'preferential party system' to determine the government of the day. The winning Party Leader becomes the Premier and losing party is in Opposition and forms a shadow ministry. Laws are developed and apply in each State.

To find out more click on these links to the Parliament of Victoria website or the Victorian Electoral Commission website.

Government in Victoria is made up of:

• Governor, who is the Queen's representative and has a ceremonial and an official role in the State;
• Parliament of Victoria that determines our laws and regulations and has independent Officers, such as the Auditor General and Ombudsman reporting directly to it;
• Judiciary that delivers the justice system, through courts and tribunals;
• Victorian Public Service that delivers centrally on legislation and Government initiatives, through departments and agencies;
• Public sector which is made up of agencies that deliver statutory functions and business enterprises across the State; and
• Local Government that operates autonomously to deliver municipal services to Victorian communities. Visit the Municipal Association of Victoria website for jobs in local government.

State Cabinet is headed by the Premier and comprises Ministers appointed from Members of Parliament of the government of the day. Ministers are assigned Cabinet portfolios to manage. The Government's initiatives and priorites are delivered through 10 Victorian Public Service Departments and 16 Agencies, and more than 230 public entities that make up the broader Victorian public sector.