| ACT (n) | Australian Capital Territory Australian equivalent of the District of Columbia |
| ADF (n) | Australian Defence Forces Army, Navy, Air Force, SAS |
| AUD, AUD$, A$ (n) | Australian dollar |
| AUSFTA (n) | Australia-United States Free Trade Agreement |
| back bencher (n) | Member of Parliament not holding a ministerial position |
| back hander (n) | a bribe |
| bailiff (n) | private process server, marshal of the court |
| BAS (n) (pronounced baaz) |
Business Activity Statement Tax form for figuring your GST payment. |
| blue heeler (n) | a cop |
| bolshie (n) (adj) | revolutionary, agitator, rebel From Bolshevik. |
| celebrant (n) | a person who performs a non-religious wedding or funeral. |
| clawback (v) (adj) | the recovery of funds already disbursed "The plan would clawback benefits." |
| coronial (n) | having to do with a coroner "The coronial inquest proved he was murdered." |
| CSIRO (n) | Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation Official scientific arm of the government. |
| demob (v) | leave the armed forces From demobilize. |
| digger (n) | Australian soldier |
| divvy van (n) | police paddy wagon From division van. |
| dole (n) | welfare "He's on the dole." |
| dole bludger (adj) | welfare cheat |
| donkey vote (adj) | In preferential voting, just going down the list and numbering in order, not really voting. |
| FIRB (n) | Federal Investment Review Board |
| fire brigade (n) | fire department |
| firies (n) | firemen "Quick, call the firies." |
| first past the post (adj) | The one with the most votes wins, majority not needed. election term |
| front bencher (n) (adj) | member of Parliament who holds a ministerial position "He's a front bencher." |
| gaol (n) | jail (pronounced the same) |
| gazetted (v) | to be made official in government publications "The company was gazetted last week." |
| greenie (n) | environmentalist, member of the Greens Party |
| Hansard (n) | Printed transcript of State and Federal Parliament sessions, with minor corrections and explanations added. Like the U.S. Congressional record |
| High Court (n) | Equivalent of the U.S. Supreme Court |
| lurks (adj) | benefits of a situation outside legal or ethical guidelines. |
| lurks and perks (adj) | benefits: illegal (lurks) and legal (perks) "They're the lurks and perks of elected office." |
| mooted (v) | suggested |
| Nasho (n) | National Service (the draft) |
| Nashos (n) | Soldier's association for those who were drafted under the National Service Act 1951-1972 |
| pension day (n) | the day government pension cheques arrive |
| pollie, pols (n) | politician |
| Premier (n) | elected head of an Australian state equivalent to U.S. state governor |
| preselect (v) | nominations in the Australian political process Done by a closed party committee, not by popular vote. |
| quango (n) | Quasi Autonomous Non-Governmental Organization A semi-official regulatory board with actual power. |
| Question Time (n) | public session in Parliament where members question each other This is where it all comes out in government: the good, the bad, and the ugly. |
| ratepayer (n) | taxpayer, landowner |
| resume (v) | how the government takes back land for public use "The state resumed our paddock to build the highway." |
| retrospective (adj) | retroactive "The law takes effect retrospectively." |
| rort (v) | to steal, illegally taking advantage of the system (an Aussie tradition) "The pollies travelling first class on the ratepayers is a rort." |
| scheme (n) | plan (no negative connotation) "We're on scheme water." |
| shadow government (n) | the minority party shadow ministers in Parliament a shadow minister is appointed for every actual minister |
| stood down (v) | laid off, forced to resign "They were stood down without pay." |
| supply bill (adj) | budget or appropriation bill in Parliament |
| Supreme Court (n) | state superior court where serious crimes are tried |
| swings and roundabouts (adj) | checks and balances |
| watch house (n) | police station |