Australia's unique policy
Up until 30 years ago, Australian education was still very much British. However, the English influence began to decline, giving way to the American way of life. Thanks to its multiculturalism, Australia has recently opened up to other cultures, both European and Asian. The beginnings of this shift could be seen in the early 1970s, and by the 1980s it had become widespread. But Australia, a member of the Commonwealth, remains a constitutional monarchy. Elizabeth II was Queen of Australia and Head of State for 70 years until her death on September 8, 2022. Two days after Elizabeth II's death, Charles III was officially proclaimed King. In practice, he has no key role in the exercise of power. His powers are in fact delegated to the Governor General, himself limited by the country's political tradition: although the Constitution grants him fairly broad executive powers, these are no longer used. The Governor General can dissolve Parliament and dismiss the Prime Minister, which has only happened once in Australian history, in 1975. At the time, Labor Prime Minister Gough Whitlam was embroiled in a number of scandals, including a case of dubious financial loans. The event produced a political earthquake, and it's hard to imagine the same scenario happening again today. The Governor General is officially appointed by the monarch, but is recommended by the government. Their profile is often apolitical, currently a former military officer. The question of the republic is nowhere near as often addressed as one might expect. Since the death of Elizabeth II, a few public statements have been made in this direction, but they remain in the minority. It has to be said that a referendum on the issue was lost in 1999, mainly due to political divisions over the new system that would have been adopted. In Australia, you'll find very few fervent defenders of the monarchy; it's more often a question of apathy or lack of need for change.
Power is divided into three branches:
Legislative power in the hands of Parliament, which passes laws, but which are promulgated by a signature of the Governor General, representing the King. It should be noted that the two houses, the House of Representatives and the Senate, have almost equal powers. Legislation therefore requires the approval of both houses. The 151 members of the House of Representatives are elected for three-year terms by a system known as "preferential", whereby voters vote for their candidates in order of preference. The 76 Senators are elected by proportional representation in each state or territory for a six-year term. Each state is represented by 12 senators, while the two territories, the Northern Territory and the Australian Capital Territory, have only two senators.
Executive power rests with the Prime Minister and his ministers. The Premier is a member of the House of Representatives and is also the leader of the political party with the largest membership.
The judiciary is managed by a system of courts dominated by the High Court.
It should also be noted that Australia is a federal state, and that the Constitution defines the separation of powers between the federal government and the states, which are responsible for education, health, police, etc., for example. Each state has its own system of government, generally based on the federal system.
All citizens over the age of 18 are obliged to vote in all elections; those who fail to vote without a valid excuse are punished by a fine.
Lucky Country: a rich, young and powerful nation
Literally nicknamed "the lucky country", Australia is generally perceived as an Eldorado. Unemployment is very low (normally around 5%, but below 4% by early 2024!), and the country's growth rate is the stuff of dreams for other OECD members. As the world's thirteenth-largest economy, the signs of Australia's success are indisputable: GDP per capita peaks at US$62,600, life expectancy at 84 years and the world's fifth-highest HDI (Human Development Index). Perceived as a hostile territory, these southern lands ended up attracting the most opportunistic: hidden among the arid immensities often disregarded by settlers, a surprise awaited prospectors. The subsoil contained a wealth of precious minerals. Immediately, capital poured in, the stock market exploded and factories multiplied: the country's standard of living became one of the highest in the world. Today, Australia exports to the giants of Asia, the main importers of its minerals. The country now ranks1st in the production of bauxite, alumina, diamonds, tin, titanium and lead, and2nd in gold, nickel, uranium and zinc. Australia also produces coal, oil, iron, natural gas, lignite and silver. The challenges of climate change and a possible ecological transition are therefore essential for the current Labor government, which has just replaced 9 years of Conservative government that maintained a policy considered pro-coal by many. The opening up of its economy to international competition from the 1970s onwards, as well as numerous restructurings and privatizations, have gradually led to the modernization of the entire industrial sector. Finally, between the construction and infrastructure sectors, the agricultural economy - Australia is the world's leading exporter of wool and produces large quantities of meat which it exports worldwide - and the wine industry, which contributes AU$5.7 billion to the country's economy - Australia seems to maintain a balance between a predominantly urban service economy and the constant exploitation of its agricultural and mining resources.
Geopolitics: the great gap between the United States and China
Australia's Asian geographic position and historic European culture make it a country that sometimes struggles to know where it stands geopolitically. These questions are one of the most important issues facing the country in the 21st century. The great divide between the United States and China in recent years is a case in point.
It has to be said that Britain's colonial domination, followed by a perception of neglect, particularly during the Second World War, encouraged Australia to turn towards the United States. With their neighbors New Zealand, the ANZUS treaty was signed with the USA in 1951, with the aim of ensuring the security of these two Pacific island states. This led to Australia's involvement in all US-led conflicts, including Vietnam and Iraq. But whereas in 1947 almost 90% of Australia's migrants were born in Europe, today a larger proportion of the population comes from Asia.
Thus, in the early 1970s, Australia strengthened its diplomatic ties with China, Japan and South Asia to ensure regional cooperation. Australia also gradually refocused on the Pacific Rim, paving the way for new economic development and intensive exploration of its subsoil. Australia is now looking to its closest neighbors as a future market for its exports. In 1980, the country took the initiative of setting up a regional organization: the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation. This cooperation brings together 21 countries, including China and the United States, and aims to facilitate free trade and economic growth in the Pacific region.
China is Australia's biggest customer, supplier and foreign investor. The figures are head-scratching, and call for a certain understanding. A period of political and cultural rapprochement took place in the 2000s, with the Chinese language being taught more widely in Australian schools. Geopolitical reality, however, has made the situation much more paradoxical. Since 2017, Australia has been increasing its military investment, fearing the "Chinese threat" in the South China Sea. Beijing is pursuing a policy of aggressive claims there, and is building military installations in Asia outside any international legality. Chinese policy is also gradually establishing its influence over the small island states of the Pacific (Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Fiji...) in order to take advantage of their rich marine resources. In a delicate position, this has led Australia to seek new economic alliances, signing free-trade agreements with numerous countries on both sides of the Pacific. From a geopolitical and military point of view, Australia has clearly turned towards the United States in recent years, while finding other allies in the region. The Quad alliance, initiated in 2007 with the USA, India and Japan, has recently been deepened. The new AUKUS alliance with the USA and the UK is now seen as the spearhead of Australian defense. After cancelling the giant submarine contract with France in 2021, Australia turned to these two partners and announced the construction of nuclear submarines in 2023, provoking considerable debate in this traditionally anti-nuclear country. The bill is in excess of 200 billion euros over the next thirty years, the like of which has never been seen before. The announcement of this new contract was not well received in China.
The Aboriginal Question
Questions about the economic and social development of Aboriginal peoples rarely leave the Australian political scene. While the Aboriginal population was decimated in the early days of colonization, to the point of being reduced to around 60,000 by 1930, there are now 880,000 Aborigines (it is estimated that there were around 750,000 when the settlers arrived). This survival is a source of great pride, tainted by indelible colonial wounds. Since the end of the White Australia policy, constitutional and legislative advances have integrated Aborigines into the national population. Several land rights acts have also sought to enable them to reclaim land, and a debate on the recognition of Aborigines in the constitution as a first people has been underway for several years. Nevertheless, representing only 3% of the population, Aborigines make up a quarter of the prison population and more than half of minors in juvenile detention. Aboriginal children are ten times more likely than the rest of Australians to be removed from their families and placed in foster care or institutions. Finally, given that Australia's economic model is based on excessive mining development, granting them overly extensive rights can be complicated. On the other hand, Australia has recorded very few historical facts about the border wars between Aboriginal populations and white settlers: this maintains the illusion of a peaceful colonization in which land appropriation took place without any revolts. Remembrance work is a major challenge today. In fact, the school curriculum has changed a great deal on this subject over the last fifteen years, although it has to be said that it had a very long way to go. The Aborigines are seeking recognition of the political sovereignty of their people, and in some cases, compensation for the destruction of their society and environment. In 1992, the Supreme Court handed down the landmark Mabo decision in favor of the Aborigines. Abolishing the concept of terra nullius, by virtue of which the British had "legally" appropriated Australia's lands, the Mabo ruling re-established an obvious truth: Australia was already populated before the arrival of the British. Subsequently, many Aboriginal communities turned to the government to legally reclaim their ancestral lands. Almost 50% of the land in the Northern Territory, for example, is now owned by Aboriginal interests.
In the face of colonial legacies, the interest of new generations in their past and their roots in Aboriginal culture is now paving the way for reconciliation more than 200 years after colonization began. An important milestone was reached in 2008, when Prime Minister Kevin Rudd issued the Australian government's formal apology for the "stolen generations" system, referring to children who were taken from their Aboriginal parents and placed in adoptive families or institutions. This formal apology did not meet with unanimous approval, and was notably snubbed by the current leader of the Conservative opposition, Peter Dutton.
Anthony Albanese's new government, on the other hand, seemed to embody new hope when it took office in 2022: the Prime Minister had promised to strengthen Aboriginal rights, and pledged to meet one of the First Nations' main demands: to organize a constitutional referendum to set up a consultative body, representative of all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities. This body would have the right to express its opinion on all legislation affecting them. This followed years of debate over the recognition of Aborigines in the Constitution. Public opinion initially seemed to favor the change, but the campaign was divisive and the referendum delivered a resounding result: some 60% of Australians rejected the government's proposal. Some Aboriginal leaders were also opposed to the advisory body, which they felt did not go far enough. The question therefore remains open as to whether Australia's First Nations should be recognized, and in any case, much work remains to be done to ensure that poverty and social problems are reduced among the indigenous population in the years to come.
