Cabinet

What is Cabinet?

Cabinet is a group of top-level members of the Australian Government. It includes the Prime Minister and about 20 ministers who are part of the executive government. They meet to discuss current problems for Australia and how these can be solved. Cabinet's role is to develop government policy and make decisions about national issues.

Cabinet meetings 

The Cabinet in session.

Office of the Prime Minister

The Cabinet in session.

Office of the Prime Minister

Description

A group of people sit on both sides of a wooden table. The men and women look towards the camera. It looks as if their meeting has been interrupted because there are papers and water glasses on the table.

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Permission should be sought from the Office of the Prime Minister for third-party or commercial uses of this image. 

• discuss their plans to take action on issues  – policies
• come up with solutions to national problems
• present bills – proposed laws – prepared by government departments. Cabinet considers these bills and recommends whether they should be introduced into Parliament or if changes should be made.

Usually, only Cabinet ministers attend Cabinet meetings. Sometimes other members of the government or people with expert knowledge are invited to attend to discuss a bill or an issue Cabinet is considering.

In Cabinet meetings, ministers can speak freely about issues. Once Cabinet has made a decision, all Cabinet ministers are expected to support the decision publicly. This is known as Cabinet solidarity.

Meetings may be held in the Cabinet Room in Parliament House or in other places across Australia. The Cabinet Room in Parliament House is opposite the Prime Minister’s office and close to ministers’ offices. The room is highly secure. Mobile phones and computers cannot be used. High security is essential because Cabinet discusses confidential and secret matters that affect the safety and security of the nation.

Written records of Cabinet meetings are made but are kept secret for 20 years. After this time, Cabinet documents are made available for the public to read.

Accountability

The Prime Minister and Cabinet ministers are members of parliament, which means the Parliament can keep a check on their actions and decisions. The Parliament can scrutinise – closely examine – the government. Each day in the House of Representatives and the Senate, ministers are asked questions about government decisions during Question Time. Ministers decisions are also scrutinised in Senate estimates, where senators examine how the government plans to spend taxpayers' money.

The Cabinet Room, Australian Parliament House.

DPS Auspic

The Cabinet Room, Australian Parliament House.

DPS Auspic

Description

This photograph shows the Cabinet Room in Parliament House including the meeting table with chairs and an Australian flag on the left.

Copyright information

Permission should be sought from DPS AUSPIC for third-party or commercial uses of this image. To contact DPS AUSPIC email: auspic@aph.gov.au or phone: 02 6277 3342.

Operation

Although it is an important part of Australia’s system of government, Cabinet is not mentioned in the Australian Constitution. Cabinet and the way it functions is based on past practice and traditions, some of which come from the British Parliament.

The government decides how Cabinet will operate. The Prime Minister chairs Cabinet and has a strong influence on how it works. Some prime ministers have used a majority vote in Cabinet to decide on an issue; others have preferred to try to reach a consensus – where all ministers generally agree to the decision.