Australia, formally known as the Commonwealth of Australia, was formed in 1901. This was the result of six independent British colonies coming together to form a new nation. The foundation of this federation, as they call themselves, is known as the Australian Constitution. This written document serves as the basis for how the government can operate and what it can do. Under the Constitution, the Australian government is a federal system of government. Using this system, powers are divided between the Australian central government and the nation's six state governments. For the Australian government, the central power, the laws written and passed by this government that govern half of the entire system affect all Australians. It is essentially the law of the land and should be followed by everyone. The Australian government is divided into three branches. The first is known as the legislative arm, or parliament, and is responsible for debating and voting on new laws to be introduced. These laws, if passed, are introduced under the power of section 51 of the Australian Constitution. Section 51 of the Australian Constitution defines in principle what the Government can decide about. The second of the three branches of the Australian government is the executive arm. This third party is responsible for authorizing and upholding laws established by the legislative arm. Some members of the legislature, called ministers, are members of both the legislative and executive arms of the Australian government. These specific members are given special responsibilities for certain areas of the law. Finally, the third of the three branches of the Australian government is the judiciary. This is the legitimate arm of the Australian government and, halfway through the document, CCA. As for states and territories, their laws govern consumer protection. These are usually in the form of the Fair Trading Act.Works Citedaustralia.gov.au. (n.d.). House. Retrieved April 11, 2014, from the home page of http://australia.gov.au/Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. (n.d.). Home page of the Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Retrieved April 11, 2014, from https://www.dfat.gov.au/Homepage – National Archives of Australia. (n.d.). Homepage – National Archives of Australia. Retrieved April 11, 2014, from http://www.naa.gov.au/Sharman, C., & Moon, J. (2003). Australian politics: the Commonwealth, the states and territories. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Welcome to business.gov.au. (nd).business.gov.au. Retrieved April 11, 2014, from http://www.business.gov.au/Pages/default.aspx