Editing Governor-General of Australia (section)

===Role in the Australian Parliament===
The Constitution defines the [[Parliament of the Commonwealth]] as consisting of the monarch, the [[Australian Senate|Senate]] and the [[Australian House of Representatives|House of Representatives]].<ref>''Australian Constitution'' (Cth) [https://www.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/viewdoc/au/legis/cth/consol_act/coaca430/xx1.html s 1]</ref> However, the monarch's role is no more than titular, with the governor-general responsible under the Constitution for most of the functions undertaken by the monarch in regard to the [[UK parliament]].<ref name=":2" /> These include the power to summon, dissolve and prorogue the Parliament,<ref>''Australian Constitution'' (Cth) [https://www.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/viewdb/au/legis/cth/consol_act/coaca430/xx5.html s 5]</ref> to issue writs for lower house elections,<ref name="s32">{{Cite Legislation AU|Cth|act|coaca430|Australian Constitution|32}}</ref> to convene a joint sitting,<ref name="s57">{{Cite Legislation AU|Cth|act|coaca430|Australian Constitution|57}}</ref> as well as the power to give royal assent to bills in the monarch's name.<ref name="s58">{{Cite Legislation AU|Cth|act|coaca430|Australian Constitution|58}}</ref>

The governor-general also has a ceremonial role in swearing in and accepting the resignations of members of Parliament. All members must make an [[Oath of Allegiance (Australia)|oath or affirmation of allegiance]] to the King in the presence of the governor-general or someone appointed by them before they take their seats.<ref name="s42">{{Cite Legislation AU|Cth|act|coaca430|Australian Constitution|42}}</ref><ref>''Australian Constitution'' (Cth) [https://www.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/viewdoc/au/legis/cth/consol_act/coaca430/sch1.html sch]</ref> On the day parliament opens, the governor-general makes a speech in the Senate (similar to the [[Speech from the throne|King's Speech]] in the UK), entirely written by the government, explaining the government's proposed legislative program.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Elder |first=D. R. |title=House of Representative Practice |date=2018 |publisher=Department of the House of Representatives |isbn=978-1-74366-654-8 |editor-last=Elder |editor-first=D R |edition=7th |location=[[Canberra]], Australia |pages= |language=en-AU |chapter=A Parliament |editor-last2=Fowler |editor-first2=P E |chapter-url=https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/House_of_Representatives/Powers_practice_and_procedure/Practice7/HTML/Chapter7/A_Parliament}}</ref>

One of the most significant powers of the governor-general is the power to grant [[royal assent]] in the King's name.<ref name="s58" /> This assent gives bills that have been passed by the houses of parliament the force of law, with effect either 28 days after being signed, on a date to be fixed later by proclamation or otherwise as provided in the act.<ref>{{Cite web |date=14 December 2023 |title=Law-making |url=https://peo.gov.au/understand-our-parliament/how-parliament-works/bills-and-laws/law-making |access-date= |website=Parliamentary Education Office |language=en-AU}}</ref> The government does not formally advise the governor-general to grant assent, but it is expected that they will act in accordance with the democratically elected houses of Parliament and assent has never been refused.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Twomey |first=Anne |author-link=Anne Twomey (academic) |date=2019-01-29 |title=Why a government would be mad to advise the refusal of royal assent to a bill passed against its will |url=http://theconversation.com/why-a-government-would-be-mad-to-advise-the-refusal-of-royal-assent-to-a-bill-passed-against-its-will-110501 |access-date= |website=The Conversation |language=en-US}}</ref><ref>{{Cite journal |last=Taylor |first=Greg |date=2008 |title=Refusals of Assent to Bills Passed by Parliament in Germany and Australia |url=https://www8.austlii.edu.au/cgi-bin/viewdoc/au/journals/FedLawRw/2008/4.html |journal=Federal Law Review |volume=36 |pages=83–116 |doi=10.22145/flr.36.1.4 |s2cid=220296964 |via=[[Austlii]]}}</ref>

Apart from assenting to a bill, the governor-general can also reserve a bill for the King's pleasure, that is allow the monarch to give royal assent personally to a proposed bill.<ref name="s58" /> When the governor-general acted as a representative of the British government, this provision allowed for the governor-general to refer a bill back to the British government for review, which would then advise the monarch whether or not to grant assent.<ref name="s58" /><ref>{{Cite book |url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-2016976825/view |title=Final report of the Constitutional Commission |date=1988 |isbn=0-644-06897-3 |pages=72–3, 82–3 |publisher=Australian Government Pub. Service |language=en-AU |via=Trove}}</ref> The British government could also advise the monarch to disallow a law passed within the last two years, which would annul the law on the governor-general's proclamation or message to the houses.<ref name="s59">{{Cite Legislation AU|Cth|act|coaca430|Australian Constitution|59}}</ref> However, since the assumption of full sovereignty and the emergence of an independent Crown of Australia, the British government no longer has these powers and the reservation power has only occasionally been used for bills that affect the monarch personally, such as the ''Royal Styles and Titles Act'' (1953 and 1973) and other bills of national significance such as the ''[[Flags Act 1953]]'' and the ''[[Australia Act 1986]]''.<ref name=":7" />

Finally, the governor-general can refer a bill back to the houses with suggested changes.<ref name="s58" /> This has only happened when once passed, the government has realised a bill requires further amendment and requests the governor-general return the bill to the house.<ref name=":7">{{Cite book |title=House of Representative Practice |date=2018 |publisher=Department of the House of Representatives |isbn=978-1-74366-654-8 |editor-last=Elder |editor-first=D R |edition=7th |location=[[Canberra]], Australia |pages= |language=en-AU |chapter=Presentation of bills for assent |editor-last2=Fowler |editor-first2=P E |chapter-url=https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/House_of_Representatives/Powers_practice_and_procedure/Practice7/HTML/Chapter10/Presentation_of_bills_for_assent}}</ref>