The Rise Of Australasia - Chapter 171

Chapter 171: Chapter 165: The Second Cabinet Government!

Arthur received this list almost at the same time, of course, this was because Arthur was in the Administrative Building.

The new cabinet government isn’t much different from the previous one, except for the change in the Minister of Health; the other positions are still held by members of the previous term.

This was because all the political parties in Australia were not established for long, resulting in low influence across all parties.

Of course, the Australian Labor Party was an exception. The Labor Party was unique among all parties in Australia as it had been established earlier. The Australian Government had already achieved the Labor party’s platform, resulting in the party not being widely appreciated in Australia.

The reason for Minister Bradford Dillman of Health’s failure in the election was simple, he was impeccable in his medical capabilities, but his administrative skills left much to be desired.

Bradford Dillman was more suited to be an expert in the Ministry of Health, or perhaps a deputy minister supervising medical affairs, rather than the Minister of Health, managing the entire Australian medical industry.

The new Minister of Health was Willie Watson, a member of the Independent Party. Willie Watson also had an impressive background, being a native Australian who had studied at prestigious universities in Europe, earning degrees in medicine and management, and had interned in the United Kingdom for a lengthy period.

Upon learning of Australia’s successful unification, Willie Watson did not rush to return to Australia. Instead, he continued acquiring a wealth of knowledge in Europe, honing his academic and professional skills before finally returning to Australia.

After the legalisation of political parties some time ago, Willie Watson was one of those proactive in establishing a party, contributing to the formation of the Independent Party alongside others.

The Independent Party’s objective was to preserve Australia’s independence and unity, as well as safeguarding the entire Australian Principality.

In the view of the Independent Party, Australia should be an independent and united nation, even including New Zealand and New Guinea within this integrated ambit.

Although Willie Watson did not become the leader of the Independent Party, his rich European background and education made him the party’s only choice for a cabinet position.

With Willie Watson’s election as the Minister of Health of the 2nd Cabinet Government, he became the first cabinet minister in Australian history with party backing.

After looking over the list of the entire cabinet government, Arthur immediately rose to his feet, ready to head to the meeting room to meet his new Cabinet Government.

The term of the second cabinet government had been changed to four years, which meant that this cabinet government would be in office from June 1903 to June 1907.

Compared to the first cabinet government, this cabinet was set to face more tasks.

Especially with the upcoming birth of the dreadnought, Australia would also join in the naval construction, even seeking a higher international status and reputation.

This meant that the recent government would gain more tasks, but the political achievements and reputation they gained would undoubtedly be greater.

In the meeting room, as the final cabinet government list was released, continuous applause and conversations could be heard.

The bustling scene didn’t stop until Arthur arrived, then restored to silence and formality.

“Everyone, I am delighted to witness the birth of Australia’s second cabinet government. Of course, there are many familiar faces here, and I am pleased that you can stay in these positions. Those who have not succeeded in the election, do not be discouraged, there are plenty of opportunities in the future. Whether you are a cabinet member, a member of parliament, a member of a political party, you can contribute to the development of Australia, contributing your share of effort to the rise of our great motherland.” Arthur said with a smile.

“Long live Your Highness!”

After Arthur’s enlightening speech, many people seemed to come to their senses.

Just like the young age of Australia, these politicians in Australia were also generally young.

Many of these members of parliament were even young people with advanced degrees, possibly not even thirty years old yet.

For politicians, such an age was just the beginning, their political careers still had a long way to go, a temporary setback now didn’t signify an end.

Besides, as Members of the Australian House of Commons, they already have an abundance of power and obligations.

Although they cannot participate in nationwide decision-making like cabinet members, they still have the ability to effect change in Australia and utilize their power.

“In addition to becoming cabinet members, there are many other opportunities in the Australian government. These include deputy ministers in different departments and positions within state governments.”, Arthur said with a smile, “The specific government will issue a public notice in due course, and you can apply for specific positions when the time comes.”

Beyond the Prime Minister, cabinet ministers generally also hold deputy roles. This ensures that no department will be without leadership in unexpected circumstances.

These positions are ideal targets for those who have lost in the election. Although they may not hold the same prestige as cabinet ministers, it is still a way to reach the upper echelons of the Australian government.

Non-cabinet and governor positions do not have term limits or restrictions on the duration of service. As long as individual cabinet ministers believe they are capable enough to retain their positions, they can continue to serve until a more suitable candidate is found or they retire.

This could be a better option for those who do not excel or do not have strong political abilities.

As competition for higher positions is intense and they often bear the brunt of disasters and accidents.

With the official release of the second cabinet member list, the elections have finally ended.

On the whole, the members of the new Cabinet Government are expected. After all, experience is advantageous for an emerging country like Australia.

The cabinet members did a decent job during their terms, and Arthur doesn’t mind letting them continue in their positions.

However, what the state of the next election will be four years down the line is unknown.

Whether the party will attract many new members and gain the upper hand in the House of Commons after four years of development is a topic of interest.

No one can say for sure whether the second cabinet officials will gain the advantage in the future elections again.

But overall, the political situation in Australia is moving in a good direction, and as time goes by, Australia’s political system is becoming increasingly mature, with more ways for the Australian people to assert their interests.

On June 11,1903, the list of the Australian 2nd Cabinet Government was officially published the very next day in the Victoria Newspaper and the Australia Daily, which were quickly printed and distributed nationwide.

The Australian people had no objections to the continuation of the existing Cabinet Members in the new cabinet.

After all, numerous changes had occurred in Australia over the past three years, and the vast majority of these changes were for the better.

Compared to who the cabinet members are, Australians care more whether these cabinet members will respect and protect their interests.

It seems that the last cabinet did quite well, the basic living conditions and income of Australians are constantly improving, and many Australians have even been lifted out of poverty and no longer worry about hunger or cold.

The focus is no longer on the selection of deputy ministers of the Cabinet and the other political parties. Overtime, most of the army weapons and equipment that the island nation had initially ordered from Australia have been manufactured and are about to be shipped to the island nation.

It’s noteworthy that the equipment belonging to the Russian Empire, which also started production alongside those intended for the island nation, will be dispatched to different countries at different times.

Although the destinations and departure times differ, Arthur is pretty certain that these two batches of weapons and equipment could potentially end up being used in the same war, a war that is about to decide the dominance in the Far East.

Presently, Australia does not directly have the strength to participate in this war and can only act as an arms dealer behind the scenes, indirectly balancing the power of the two sides of the conflict, while also generating revenue for Australia’s military industry.

Another thing worth noting is a piece of news from distant United States. In June this year, the Ford Company was officially founded and has begun developing automobiles.

Although the Ford Company won’t be able to compete with Benz Automobile Factory in the short term, given Ford’s historical achievements, it is something to pay attention to.