The monarch is represented by the Governor-General, who holds the key powers of summoning and dissolving Parliament, appointing ministers and assenting to legislation. The Governor-General's role is less central than the Constitution suggests because many of the conventions of government are not mentioned in the document. Neither the Prime Minister or the Cabinet is mentioned in the written Constitution, nor are the political parties which have emerged to run the parliamentary system. The Prime Minister is an elected member of parliament who is elected by his political faction as their leader and in turn enjoys a majority representation in the House of Representatives. Ministers are elected members of the parliament and with the Prime Minister form the Cabinet.
Ministerial departments employ public servants to undertake the day to day work of government.
Most legislation emerges from the ministries, so their influence on government is much greater than the Constitution suggests. The two houses of Parliament, the Senate and the House of Representatives, have equal powers in making laws - apart from finance bills, which must come from the lower house. While the government is formed by the group with the majority of seats in the lower house, hut it does not always control the Senate. The Senate has developed a more independent role. This was the wish of the founders, in that each state has equal representation in the Senate regardless of their population and size.