Roles of the Executive Government
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The Executive Government is a branch within the Separation of Powers that has the power to enforce the laws and put them into action. It contains the Governor General, Prime Minister and members of the Legislature that are appointed as ministers of Government and the Staff of the Government departments that include the police and army.
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The Attorney-General Of Australia is our nation's First Law Officer. The primary responsibility of this role is to protect the rule of law and the integrity of the Courts. In practice, the Attorney-General delegates many administrative functions Of their role to others.
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The Police are part of the executive with their roles and responsibilities outlined in legislation
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Governors of New South Wales.
This explainer outlines how the first five Governors of New South Wales—Arthur Phillip, John Hunter, Philip Gidley‑King, William Bligh, and Lachlan Macquarie—worked to build a functioning colony from a population of transported convicts. It highlights their efforts to apply fairness, justice, and emerging ideas about individual rights while managing a settlement that began as a prison. It also provides context on Britain’s overcrowded prisons, the shift to transporting convicts to Australia, and the role of the Charter of Justice in shaping early governance.
Who is in the Executive
The Executive Branch has the power to enforce the laws and put them into action
There are the main groups within the Executive:
The Governor-General who acts as the monarch’s representative
Prime Minister and members of the Legislature that are appointed as Ministers of Government departments.
Staff of the Government departments are called public servants and include the police and army.
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