Country Trading Profiles Australia

Political outline

Executive Power: Australia an independent nation, belonging to the Commonwealth, and recognizes the British Monarch as its sovereign. Queen Elizabeth II is the Head of State. She is represented in Australia by a Governor General who has a symbolic function (he is appointed by her on the recommendation of the Prime Minister). The Prime Minister is the head of the government. He runs State business. It is the Prime Minister who appoints the Cabinet. The Prime Minister is the leader of the party that wins the majority of seats in the House of Representatives at the General Election.
Legislative Power: The parliament is composed of the Senate and the House of Representatives. Senators are elected for a 6 year term, and the members of the House of Representatives for a 3 year term minimum. The Prime Minister and the Cabinet are responsible to parliament, of which they must be elected members.
Main political parties: A bipartisan system with:
- The Liberal Party (conservative, centre-right, neoliberal);
- The Australian Labor Party (social democrat, centre-left).
Also : The Greens, and the National Party (conservative) in coalition with the Liberal Party.
Current political leaders: Prime Minister: Kevin RUDD (elected in December 2007) – Labor Party
Governor General: Quentin Alice Louise BRYCE (since 5 September 2008)
Next election dates: Senate : June 2011
Representatives : December 2013

Health precautions: There is no compulsory vaccination. A certificate of vaccination against yellow fever is required for travelers over one year old arriving in Australia within the 6 days following a stay of at least one day and one night in a contaminated country. Asthmatics may also meet difficulties because of the dust and should always have an inhaler to hand.
International hospitals: Sydney Children’s Hospital, Royal Prince Alfred (Sydney), Australian Private Hospitals Association
For further information on sanitary conditions: Government information website
For further information on safety conditions: Emergency Management Australia website
Contact your Embassy: Embassy of Greece in Australia
9, Turrana Street Yarralumla
2600 CANBERRA , AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY , AUSTRALIA
Phone: +61 2 62733011, 62733158, 62733275
Fax: +61 2 62732620
greekemb@bigpond.net.au

Emergencies

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Time and time difference: It is %T:%M %A in Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney (GMT+10 in winter, GMT+11 in summer)
It is %T:%M %A in Adelaide (GMT+9h30 in winter, GMT+10h30 in summer)
It is %T:%M %A in Perth (GMT+8)
Summer time period: Summer time from October to April.

Type of climate: Most of the country does not have wide variations of climate. Only Tasmania, in the far south, and the Australian Alps south of Canberra sometimes have extreme cold. The further north you go, the smaller temperature differences are, until you reach the tropical zone. Darwin, for example, only has two seasons: the dry one and the wet one. The center of the continent is arid, hot and dry during the day, but often bitterly cold at night. In Sydney and Melbourne the temperatures in summer vary between 22°C and 28°C. In winter they vary between 12°C and 16°C in Melbourne and never drop under 0°C in Sydney.

To find an accommodation: Hotel.com.au Hotel.com.au Take a break Bed&Breakfast
To find an apartment: LJ HOOKER
Portal website
Century 21
Raine & Horne
Domain

Sydney Morning Herald website
To find a job: CareerOne
My Career
SEEK
Government agency

Telephone codes: To make a call from Australia to Greece: dial 0011 (or +) 30
To make a call to in Australia from Greece: dial 00 (or +) +61
Mobile telephone standards: GSM, GPRS, WCDMA
Internet suffix: .au