Which of the following is an exclusive power of the Commonwealth?

• A. Welfare.
• B. Taxation.
• C. Education.
• D. Defence.

Answer: (D)

This question tests understanding that some powers are exclusive to the Commonwealth, meaning only the federal government can make laws in that area. Defence is an exclusive power because matters of national security and military forces require a single, coordinated national approach across all states. The Commonwealth handles raising and maintaining the armed forces, defence planning, and national defence commitments, ensuring consistency and safety for the entire country. If defence were left to individual states, there would be a patchwork of policies that could undermine security and cooperation between states. By contrast, welfare, taxation, and education are not exclusive: welfare is delivered with significant state involvement (and Commonwealth funding), taxation powers are shared between levels of government, and education is mainly a state responsibility with some Commonwealth support.