Chapter 302: Cabinet General Election
As October arrived, the Cabinet general election that had been delayed due to the previous conflict with the Dutch and the aftermath of the rubber crisis officially began.
For the third Cabinet government, they were lucky. Compared to the previous Cabinet government, they served an additional four months in office.
However, they were also unlucky, as the competition for the fourth Cabinet government's election was extremely fierce. This meant that several Cabinet ministers might be leaving office.
On October 7, 1911, the election for the fourth Cabinet government of Australasia officially commenced.
Before this election, on October 5, 1911, the third Cabinet government held a performance report outside Sydney Palace Square, broadcast nationwide.
Compared to the first two Cabinet governments, the third Cabinet government had made significant changes, and Australasia had expanded its international influence during the third Cabinet government's rule.
Overall, Arthur was quite satisfied with the work of the third Cabinet government. Since Prime Minister Walter took office, his performance was just as good as Prime Minister Evan's, and Australasia had made great progress in many areas.
A performance report consisting of tens of thousands of words from the third Cabinet government could be summarized in a few key points.
According to Prime Minister Walter's report, the main achievements of the third Cabinet government were:
Significant population growth.
According to Prime Minister Walter's report, during the third Cabinet government's rule, Australasia's population grew from under 7 million to 10.35 million, an increase of over 3.35 million people, with an average annual growth of more than 820,000.Strong economic promotion.
When the third Cabinet government took office in 1907, the national government's total revenue was only 21.2 million Australian dollars, with a total expenditure of 29.31 million Australian dollars, resulting in a deficit of 8.1 million Australian dollars.
After four years of development, last year Australasia's total fiscal revenue reached 64.17 million Australian dollars, with total expenditures of 57 million Australian dollars, resulting in a surplus of 7.17 million Australian dollars.
In just four years, the fiscal deficit of 8.1 million Australian dollars turned into a surplus of 7.17 million Australian dollars, a remarkable achievement for the Cabinet government.
Additionally, in 1906, Australasia's per capita income was only 40 Australian dollars, but by 1910, it had risen to 48.7 Australian dollars, showing the government's emphasis on residents' income.
Rapid industrial development.
As one of the key standards for measuring a country's comprehensive strength, industry had been a focus for Australasia since its establishment.
Since the third Cabinet government took office, industrial development in Australasia had been very rapid.
The annual iron production increased from 1.33 million tons at the end of 1906 to 2.11 million tons by the end of 1910, and steel production increased from 800,000 tons at the end of 1906 to 1.4 million tons by the end of 1910.
Furthermore, Australasia had vigorously developed its domestic iron ore, coal, oil, and other important mineral resources, ensuring that mineral extraction could keep up with consumption.
During the third Cabinet government's term, the government also oversaw the construction of the Leonora Industrial Base, expanding Australasia's industrial development in various sectors, including chemical industries, agriculture, civil industries, military industries, and machinery.
Currently, the Leonora Industrial Base has already provided at least 20,000 jobs for Australasia, and once the second phase of construction is completed, it is expected to provide at least 100,000 jobs.
In the mechanical field, Australasia had already popularized agricultural machinery in several large farms across the country. This not only saved a significant amount of manpower but also greatly increased food production, accelerating the development of agriculture.
Besides these important areas, policies in education, healthcare, and other aspects of public welfare were also key points in Prime Minister Walter's speech.
For the third Cabinet government, promoting their outstanding achievements was beneficial for their re-election or pursuit of higher positions.
With the anticipation of the people across Australasia and the attention of many media outlets, on October 7, 1911, the election for the fourth Cabinet government officially began.
The election took place in the large conference room of the Council of Ministers. The election participants were all members of the House of Representatives of Australasia.
As of now, there were 298 members in the House of Representatives, nearly 60% of whom were part of a political party, while the remaining 40% were independent members.
After all, Australasia was a monarchy with an authoritarian regime. Due to restrictions in the electoral and party laws, political parties did not play as significant a role in supporting a candidate, which is why a considerable portion of the House of Representatives members were independents.
Cabinet elections differed from those of parliament members because there were fewer than 300 participants, meaning the results were usually concluded in less than a week.
However, this week was an agonizing wait for all the candidates, as it was a crucial moment determining their future.
To show the importance of the Cabinet election, Arthur attended the election ceremony on the first day, as he had done in the past, emphasizing the solemnity and fairness of the election.
The rest of the time was left to the parliament members to act freely. Except for certain positions where Arthur had to provide a list, most positions allowed members to self-nominate. Political parties with more than ten seats in the House of Representatives even had the right to nominate non-members to run for specific Cabinet positions.
This Cabinet election was very important for Australasia because the fourth Cabinet government would inevitably be quite different from the third Cabinet government.
To put it simply, many ministers from the third Cabinet government, who had served three terms, would not continue in their roles.
Fortunately, Arthur had already stated in advance that aside from a few positions requiring his nominations, he would not intervene in the election for other positions.
This meant that these ministers who wanted to move forward could only rely on their own efforts.
On October 15, 1911, Arthur once again arrived at the Council of Ministers' conference room. His arrival marked the end of the election for the fourth Cabinet government.
Entering the conference room and sitting in the main seat, Arthur looked at the room full of parliament members with a smile and said, "Everyone, the results of the fourth Cabinet government election are in, and I believe this is your sincere choice. Before announcing the official list of the fourth Cabinet government members, I would like to say a few words to all the members here."
Seeing everyone sitting upright, listening attentively, Arthur continued, "I believe you all can see that the situation in Europe and even across the world is becoming increasingly tense. No one can stop the outbreak of a great war. Even though Australasia is located in Oceania, we cannot guarantee that we will remain completely neutral in this war. Therefore, I have higher expectations and demands from you all. I hope that with your combined efforts, Australasia can adopt a neutral stance and watch the world situation unfold, while protecting the interests of our nation and people and striving to gain more international influence and status for our country."
"The House of Representatives must closely supervise the work of the state governments to ensure that we do not stagnate due to our own troubles. Additionally, I hope that all of you will focus on doing solid work, using your actions to create a better Australasia and work together with the next Cabinet government to protect and develop our great nation."
Clap! Clap!
As Arthur finished speaking, applause echoed through the conference room.
"Alright, then, let's have Butler Kent announce the specific members of the fourth Cabinet government!" Arthur smiled and turned his gaze to Butler Kent, who was holding the final election results.
"The specific members of the fourth Cabinet government of the Kingdom of Australasia are: Minister of Foreign Affairs, Dez Watson; Minister of Education, Stefan Cross; Minister of Health, Willy Watson; Minister of Public Security, Robert Hillier; Minister of Transportation, Lauren Robert; Minister of Public Welfare, Philip Chapman; Minister of Agriculture, Mark Radell; Minister of Industry, Paul Hogan; Minister of Finance, Kevin Nober; Minister of National Defense, Raul Pranger; Minister of Royal Affairs, Hunter Monsey Loren; Speaker of the House of Representatives, Evan H. Parks; Chief Justice, Greg Harris; Archbishop, Stede Malbrunck; Secretary of State, Roger Joseph Ebert; and Prime Minister, Hunter Crawford Loren."
The election results were mostly as Arthur had expected, with most of the third Cabinet government officials not continuing in the fourth.
This included not only Pierre, Thomas, Richard, Andrew, and Henris, but also Prime Minister Walter from the third Cabinet government.
The failure of these individuals to secure higher positions meant that the veteran officials from the six original Australian colonies were mostly leaving the high ranks of Australasia's political scene.
The current Cabinet officials in Australasia were mostly elected or appointed by Arthur's trusted insiders.
Of course, the reason Evan continued as Speaker of the House was because the position was elected every two years, with the next election scheduled for 1912, next year.
This meant that for Speaker Evan to maintain his position, it would not be as easy as it was for the Cabinet ministers.
After all, for those former Cabinet ministers who were now without a position, Evan's role as Speaker might be their last hope.
Glancing at the various expressions of the people in the room, Arthur smiled and said, "This Cabinet has many new faces, and I hope this will bring new vitality to the government. To those who have successfully been elected, I hope you will familiarize yourselves with your new roles and get involved in the affairs of Australasia as soon as possible."
"Becoming a Cabinet member doesn't mean you can relax; it's just the beginning of your political careers. Europe and the world are already in turmoil, and Australasia cannot afford to stagnate at such a time. We need to continuously grow our country's comprehensive strength, develop industry and economy, build up agriculture and education, and expand our military to ensure we can protect our nation and people in any situation."
"I'll give you one week to familiarize yourselves with government affairs. Next week, we'll hold the first Cabinet meeting of the fourth Cabinet government in Sydney Palace," Arthur smiled and said.
Arthur's plan was not to remain neutral during World War I. Australasia must secure enough benefits and status during the war to ensure its participation in the post-war settlement and prepare for World War II.
Moreover, no matter which side lost, Australasia could absorb a large amount of industry and population, an opportunity Arthur would never allow to slip away.
"As for the remaining members who were not elected, do not be disheartened. No matter where you are, you can still contribute greatly to the development of the country. These contributions will become your capital for running in the next Cabinet election. No matter what position you hold, I hope everyone will prioritize the development of the country and work tirelessly to make Australasia better."
After saying the last sentence, Arthur glanced around the room and, with Butler Kent, left the conference room.
After Arthur's departure, the members in the room finally relaxed, with some beginning to congratulate those elected to the Cabinet.
Naturally, the person who received the most congratulations was Kent, who had become the new Prime Minister.
The last Cabinet restructuring saw Arthur elevate Kent to the position of Secretary of State, signaling changes in Australasia's political landscape.
The position of Prime Minister had been controlled by the Governors of the six Australian colonies for ten years, but Arthur clearly wanted someone more loyal to him in the role.
This was why Kent received so much support for the position of Prime Minister.
Aside from the six original governors, the most competitive candidates for the position were the insiders appointed by Arthur.
As for the political parties and parliament members in Australasia, they might have some influence, but to challenge the position of Prime Minister directly, their experience and strength were still lacking.
Therefore, it was better to show face and directly support Kent.
Because of this, the fourth Cabinet government underwent a major transformation, and more talent was brought into the Cabinet.
Of the ten ministers in the fourth Cabinet government, only four were from the previous Cabinet, while the other six were first-time elected members, demonstrating the fairness and transparency of the election.
Given that most positions in the previous Cabinet had been controlled by veteran politicians, there were inevitably some rumors.
Now, with fresh blood joining the Cabinet, it not only met the hopes of the public but also the expectations of Arthur.
(End of Chapter)
Thank you for the support, friends. If you want to read more chapters in advance, go to my Patreon.
Read 30 Chapters In Advance: patreon.com/Kira1997