 Australian law. Australia is a democracy. This means that Australia's citizens can vote for who they want to run the government. Australia has three levels of government, local government, state and territory governments and the federal government, each responsible for different things. In Australia the governments make laws and the court system decides how laws apply to people. There are laws that separate the media, police and religion from the government and court system. These laws protect our rights. All Australians enjoy freedom of religion and freedom of political expression and all people are equal under the law. There are lots of different laws including laws about the environment, animals, smoking and alcohol. You should try to learn about the laws in Australia so that you can understand your rights and responsibilities. The law applies to everyone equally both at home and in public. Everyone in Australia must understand the law. Police. You should not be afraid of police. They are here to help you. The police aim to protect life and property in the community, prevent crime and keep the peace. The police are separate from the government and the Australian Defence forces. Do not be afraid to report things to the police like car accidents, robberies and assaults. The police will listen to you. You have to understand that the police here are like friends. They are not like in your country. Police have laws which govern their actions. It is illegal for anyone including police to discriminate against people from different ethnic or religious backgrounds. Bribing police is illegal in Australia. This includes not only money but also offering gifts of favours. Don't be afraid to ask a police officer questions. Some police stations have multicultural liaison officers who can help you. You have the right to an interpreter if you are being questioned by the police. Family violence. In Australia it is illegal to be physically violent towards anyone including members of your family at home or in public. If you are violent you could go to jail. There are support services to help victims of family violence. Support services can help women, men and their families to manage issues that contribute to family violence and emotional abuse. Don't hesitate to ask a counsellor or police if you need help. If you prefer you can also report family violence anonymously by telephone. Legal aid. If you have a problem with the law you can contact a free Legal Aid lawyer and ask them to explain the problem to you and advise you what to do. You should not hesitate to ask for help. Legal Aid and Community Legal Centres give free advice to people on low incomes. Lawyers are independent. They're not part of the government. They can give advice about your legal rights and responsibilities and sometimes take on your case. If you don't understand something then it's best to seek advice. Get help so that you do understand what's going on. Driving and road safety. You may want to buy a car but it can take time to save the money. If you do buy a car you need to pay for registration, a license and car insurance. In Australia you need a driver's license to drive a car or ride a motorbike. Getting a learner permit is the first step towards getting your driver's license. You will need to pay for and pass a test to get a learner permit. This allows you to learn with another driver in the car. You must place yellow L plates on the car to show other drivers you are learning. You will then need to pass another test to get a provisional license or red P plates so you can drive without another driver. Driving in Australia without a license is a crime. You cannot drive a car without having a proper license and learner license is not a license to drive it is to learn and you get a full license or provisional license that is a license that you are allowed to drive. You will be breaking the law and could be fined or have to go to court if you drive above the speed limit, drive while talking on a mobile phone, overload the car, do not wear a seat belt or drive after drinking alcohol. All passengers have to wear a seat belt and babies and young children must travel in a properly fitted safety seat. Always follow the road rules. If you have a car accident you should report it to the police. Police sometimes stop cars to check if the driver has a license to check if the driver has been drinking alcohol using random breath tests and to make sure that cars are registered and safe. If this happens to you don't be worried it is routine and the police are just doing their job. Cars can travel very fast in Australia and there are many cars on the road. Cars travel on the left hand side of the road. Be extra careful when crossing the road in Australia especially in the big cities and make sure you remind your children about the dangers of crossing roads. Don't let them play on the streets by themselves. Try to use pedestrian crossings and at traffic lights press the button and wait for the signal to cross the road. Public transport. Many people in Australia use public transport to get around. You need to buy a ticket every time you use a train, bus or tram otherwise you will get a fine. In some places you will need to validate your ticket as well. Many people ride their bicycles to work or school but you must wear a helmet in Australia and if riding on the road you will have to follow the road rules.