Democratic Beliefs

At the citizenship ceremony, you pledge to share Australia's democratic beliefs and respect its rights and liberties. **Parliamentary democracy** Australia's system of government is a **parliamentary democracy**. The power of the government comes from the Australian people because **Australian citizens vote for people to represent them in parliament**. The representatives in parliament must answer to the people, through elections, for the decisions they make. **The Rule of Law** All Australians are equal under the law. The **Rule of Law** means that **no person, group or religious rule is above the law**. Everyone — including government, community and religious leaders, business people and the police — must obey Australia's laws. **Living peacefully** Australians believe that change should occur through discussion, peaceful persuasion and the democratic process. **We reject violence** as a way to change a person's mind or the law. **Respect for all individuals** Australia's democratic system is based on the principle that every individual, regardless of their background, has rights and equality under Australian law. All Australians are expected to treat each other with **dignity and respect**, regardless of their race, country of origin, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, age, disability, heritage, culture, politics, wealth or religion.