Governor-General of Australia

The Governor-General of Australia is the representative of the British monarch - currently Elizabeth II - in Australia. The Governor General is proposed since 1929 by the Australian Prime Minister and appointed by the monarch. Current incumbent 's Governor General Quentin Bryce, the first woman in that position.

The Governor General is the highest power of the executive. The Governor-General is President of the Federal Executive Council and supreme commander of the Australian forces. The duties of the Governor-General include inter alia the appointment of ministers, judges and ambassadors. The rights and responsibilities are detailed in the Australian Constitution. Although the constitution endows the Governor-General with extensive power of the Governor-General is (with few exceptions) only at the direction of the Prime Minister and his ministers. Usually appointed by the Governor-General the leader of the largest party or coalition in the House of Representatives as Prime Minister.

Contrary to this principle acted the Governor-General John Kerr at the Australian constitutional crisis of 1975: He dismissed the then Prime Minister Gough Whitlam and appointed Malcolm Fraser as Acting Prime Minister instead. At the direction Malcom Fraser Kerr disbanded the Senate and House of Representatives to write out new elections.