What influence did the westminster system of government have on the writing of they australian constitution?
A huge influence. Australia was, after all, a British colony. It’s taken a few things from US practice such as the names “Senate” and “House of Representatives” for the two houses, and the Senate is elected on the basis of provinces because, like the USA and unlike Britain, Australia is a federal country, rather than being hereditary or appointed, but the whole thing together is called Parliament rather than Congress and the method of deciding the Prime Minister is exactly the same as the British system. The way that the Australian Parliament functions once elected is classic Westminster system as well, including that the Prime Minister and other Ministers need to be members of one or other House of Parliament. Australia is, however, somewhat unique amongst Westminster system countries in its voting systems – Alternative Vote for the House of Representatives, and Single Transferable Vote for the Senate.
