<sod>Section 61 of the constitution states that "The executive power of the Commonwealth is vested in the Queen and is exercisable by the Governor‑General as the Queen's representative, and extends to the execution and maintenance of this Constitution, and of the laws of the Commonwealth." Section 2 provides that a governor-general shall represent the Queen in Australia. The governor-general is appointed by the monarch on the advice of the [[Prime Minister of Australia|prime minister of Australia]].<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.australia.gov.au/about-australia/australian-story/governors-general| author=Australian Government| title=Governors-General| publisher=Digital Transformation Office| accessdate=21 October 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite book| url=https://books.google.ca/books?id=yTKFBXfCI1QC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false|last=Jupp| first=James| title=The Australian People: An Encyclopedia of the Nation, Its People and Their Origins| page=331| publisher=Cambridge University Press| year=2001| isbn=9780521807890| accessdate=21 October 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite book| url=https://books.google.ca/books?id=i3GSVRLdkc4C&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false| title=Introducing the Law| page=53| publisher=CCH Australia Limited| year=2011| isbn=9781921873478| accessdate=21 October 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.royal.gov.uk/MonarchandCommonwealth/Australia/TheQueensroleinAustralia.aspx| title=The Queen's role in Australia| publisher=Royal Household| accessdate=21 October 2015}}</ref> In practice, the governor-general carries out all the functions usually performed by a head of state, without reference to the Queen; though the governor-general is the Queen's representative, he or she is not the monarch's delegate or agent.<ref name=GG>{{cite web| url=http://www.gg.gov.au/governor-generals-role| last=Office of the Governor-General of Australia| title=About the Governor-General > Governor-General's role| accessdate=16 March 2011}}</ref> Under the conventions of the [[Westminster system]], the governor-general's powers are almost always exercised on the advice of the prime minister or other [[Minister of the Crown|ministers of the Crown]]. The governor-general may use the [[reserve powers]] of the Crown as prescribed by the constitution,<ref name=GG/><ref>{{cite web|author=Downing, S. ''Law and Bills Digest Group Information and Research Services''| publisher=Parliamentary Library|url=http://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/search/display/display.w3p;query=Id%3A%22library%2Fprspub%2FIAR30%22| title=The reserve powers of the Governor-General|accessdate=2 January 2013|date=23 January 1998}}</ref><ref>{{Harvnb| Victoria| 1900| loc=II.61}}</ref><ref>{{Citation| last=Gerangelos| first=Peter A.| year=2009| editor-last=Lee| editor-first=H.P.| editor2-last=Gerangelos| editor2-first=Peter A.| work=Parliament, the Executive, the Governor-General and the Republic| title=Constitutional Advancement in a Frozen Continent| publication-date=2009| publisher=Federation Press| location=Annandale| page=213| isbn=9781862877610| url=http://books.google.ca/books?id=nAiVoCy4nrEC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false}}</ref><ref>{{cite book| last=Zines| first=Leslie| title=The High Court and the Constitution| page=345| publisher=Federation Press| location=Sydney| year=2008| isbn=9781862876910| url=http://books.google.ca/books?id=iaxIwndVi1UC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false}}</ref><ref>{{citation| url=http://www.samuelgriffith.org.au/papers/html/volume6/v6chap1.htm| last=Barwick| first=Garfield| title=A View of the External Affairs Power| publisher=The Samuel Griffith Society| accessdate=1 January 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.cefa.org.au/content/view/265/189/| title=Pillar 2- Parliamentary Democracy| publisher=Constitution Education Fund Australia| accessdate=1 January 2013}}</ref><ref>{{citation| url=http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1301&dat=19751119&id=TgJkAAAAIBAJ&sjid=RvEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=2516,5928761| title=Solicitor-General explains opinion: did not deny Crown's power| date=19 November 1975| page=10| newspaper=Sydney Morning Herald| accessdate=1 January 2013}}</ref> though these are rarely exercised. One notable example of their use was by Governor-General [[John Kerr (governor-general)|Sir John Kerr]] during the [[1975 Australian constitutional crisis|Australian constitutional crisis of 1975]].<eod>
<sod>Section 61 of the constitution states that "The executive power of the Commonwealth is vested in the Queen and is exercisable by the Governor‑General as the Queen's representative, and extends to the execution and maintenance of this Constitution, and of the laws of the Commonwealth." Section 2 provides that a governor-general shall represent the Queen in Australia. The governor-general is appointed by the monarch on the advice of the [[Prime Minister of Australia|prime minister of Australia]].<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.australia.gov.au/about-australia/australian-story/governors-general| author=Australian Government| title=Governors-General| publisher=Digital Transformation Office| accessdate=21 October 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite book| url=https://books.google.ca/books?id=yTKFBXfCI1QC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false|last=Jupp| first=James| title=The Australian People: An Encyclopedia of the Nation, Its People and Their Origins| page=331| publisher=Cambridge University Press| year=2001| isbn=9780521807890| accessdate=21 October 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite book| url=https://books.google.ca/books?id=i3GSVRLdkc4C&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false| title=Introducing the Law| page=53| publisher=CCH Australia Limited| year=2011| isbn=9781921873478| accessdate=21 October 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.royal.gov.uk/MonarchandCommonwealth/Australia/TheQueensroleinAustralia.aspx| title=The Queen's role in Australia| publisher=Royal Household| accessdate=21 October 2015}}</ref> In practice, the governor-general carries out all the functions usually performed by a head of state, without reference to the Queen; though the governor-general is the Queen's representative, he or she is not the monarch's delegate or agent.<ref name=GG>{{cite web| url=http://www.gg.gov.au/governor-generals-role| last=Office of the Governor-General of Australia| title=About the Governor-General > Governor-General's role| accessdate=16 March 2011}}</ref> Under the conventions of the [[Westminster system]], the governor-general's powers are almost always exercised on the advice of the prime minister or other [[Minister of the Crown|ministers of the Crown]]. The governor-general may use the [[reserve powers]] of the Crown as prescribed by the constitution,<ref name=GG/><ref>{{cite web|author=Downing, S. ''Law and Bills Digest Group Information and Research Services''| publisher=Parliamentary Library|url=http://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/search/display/display.w3p;query=Id%3A%22library%2Fprspub%2FIAR30%22| title=The reserve powers of the Governor-General|accessdate=2 January 2013|date=23 January 1998}}</ref><ref>{{Citation| last=Gerangelos| first=Peter A.| year=2009| editor-last=Lee| editor-first=H.P.| editor2-last=Gerangelos| editor2-first=Peter A.| work=Parliament, the Executive, the Governor-General and the Republic| title=Constitutional Advancement in a Frozen Continent| publication-date=2009| publisher=Federation Press| location=Annandale| page=213| isbn=9781862877610| url=http://books.google.ca/books?id=nAiVoCy4nrEC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false}}</ref><ref>{{cite book| last=Zines| first=Leslie| title=The High Court and the Constitution| page=345| publisher=Federation Press| location=Sydney| year=2008| isbn=9781862876910| url=http://books.google.ca/books?id=iaxIwndVi1UC&printsec=frontcover&source=gbs_ge_summary_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false}}</ref><ref>{{citation| url=http://www.samuelgriffith.org.au/papers/html/volume6/v6chap1.htm| last=Barwick| first=Garfield| title=A View of the External Affairs Power| publisher=The Samuel Griffith Society| accessdate=1 January 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.cefa.org.au/content/view/265/189/| title=Pillar 2- Parliamentary Democracy| publisher=Constitution Education Fund Australia| accessdate=1 January 2013}}</ref><ref>{{citation| url=http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1301&dat=19751119&id=TgJkAAAAIBAJ&sjid=RvEDAAAAIBAJ&pg=2516,5928761| title=Solicitor-General explains opinion: did not deny Crown's power| date=19 November 1975| page=10| newspaper=Sydney Morning Herald| accessdate=1 January 2013}}</ref> though these are rarely exercised. One notable example of their use was by Governor-General [[John Kerr (governor-general)|Sir John Kerr]] during the [[1975 Australian constitutional crisis|Australian constitutional crisis of 1975]].<eod>