Government does not shut down
When the caretaker period begins, the Australian Government continues to administer the country. Departments keep operating, essential services continue and ministers remain in office. The difference is that longstanding conventions affect how certain significant decisions are handled while an election is pending.
The conventions recognise that the outgoing government may soon lose office and that it should avoid binding an incoming government unnecessarily on major matters.
The main areas of restraint
Caretaker guidance focuses particularly on major policy decisions likely to commit an incoming government, significant appointments and major contracts or undertakings. Where a decision cannot reasonably be delayed, consultation with the Opposition or other steps may be appropriate depending on the circumstances.
The conventions do not prohibit every decision. Routine administration and urgent matters still need to be managed.
Conventions are not ordinary statutory rules
The Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet describes caretaker conventions as longstanding practices rather than legally binding, hard-and-fast rules. Their application requires judgment. Agencies use official guidance to manage the period consistently.
That distinction matters in political argument. Saying a proposal 'breaches caretaker conventions' is not necessarily the same as saying it is unlawful. A legal obligation and a constitutional or administrative convention can have different consequences.
Announcements and campaigning
Ministers remain politicians during the campaign and can advocate party positions. Public resources, departmental activity and government communication must nevertheless be handled in accordance with caretaker and public-sector requirements. Political parties can make campaign commitments that are not yet government decisions.
Readers should therefore distinguish between an election promise made by a party and an administrative action taken by the continuing government.
Where to verify a caretaker claim
For federal government practice, the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet publishes detailed Guidance on Caretaker Conventions. That guidance is a better starting point than partisan summaries because it explains the principles and practical treatment of appointments, contracts, international negotiations and other business.
Individual disputes can still involve judgment, so the exact facts and the relevant section of the guidance matter.
Primary sources and further reading
We use authoritative Australian institutions as the starting point for this explainer. Follow these links for the underlying rules, official guidance and current details.