The Albanese Government

The Labor Party Plan for a better future - taken to the election in 2022.

The Labor National Platform 2021

Conference resolution relating to the ALP National Platform

That the Conference reconfirm the longstanding resolution relating to the Platform as follows:

• Conference recognises that the Platform and Resolutions of the Party represents short and long-term aspirations of the ALP;

• The program for each of the three years of a Labor Government will continue to be drawn from the Platform; and

• Therefore, the Conference requests that the FPLP will, in preparing the program for the next three years:

  1. (a)  Continue to give priority to economic growth, a fair distribution of the benefits of economic growth and improvements in the welfare and standard of living of the Australian people; and

  2. (b)  Implement other platforms and policies according to a time scale to be determined having regard to the above overall priorities of the Party.

  CARRIED

  ALP Special Platform Conference Revesby, March 2021.Budget 2022 (October)

Budget highligts

The Treasurer delivered the Federal Budget on Tuesday 25 October 2022. Full Budget DocumentationCheaper

Child care

We are investing $4.7 billion over 4 years from 2022–23 to make early childhood education and care more affordable. From July 2023, Child Care Subsidy rates will increase up to 90 per cent for eligible families earning less than $530,000.

Expanding Paid Parental Leave

The Government is investing $531.6 million over 4 years from 2022–23 to expand the Paid Parental Leave scheme. In 2026, families will be able to access up to 26 weeks of Paid Parental Leave.

Investing in social and affordable housing

The new national Housing Accord builds on the Government's $10 billion investment to establish the Housing Australia Future Fund. Returns from the Fund will be used to build 30,000 new social and affordable dwellings over 5 years.

A target of one million new homes

The new national Housing Accord has an aspirational target of one million new, well-located homes to be delivered over 5 years from mid‑2024 as capacity constraints are expected to ease. Under the Accord, the Government will provide $350 million over 5 years, with ongoing availability payments over the longer term, to deliver an additional 10,000 affordable dwellings.

Improving mental health and well‑being

This Budget restores the 50 per cent loading for telehealth psychiatry services in regional and rural areas.

Securing the NDIS

Total funding for the NDIS will reach $166.6 billion over 4 years, an increase of $8.8 billion. The Government will immediately invest $158.2 million for an additional 380 permanent staff for the National Disability Insurance Agency.

More and better aged care

The Government will provide $2.5 billion over 4 years, to deliver on its commitments to increase average care minutes per resident and mandate that facilities have a registered nurse on site 24/7.

Protecting Australians in aged care

The Government is providing $810.2 million for additional support for aged care providers to manage COVID-19 and $34.9 million to continue in reach testing in aged care.

Supporting our veterans

We are investing $233.9 million over 4 years to recruit 500 additional staff to speed up compensation claims processing. With a further $87 million over 2 years to improve veterans' access to support and services. To improve the welfare of veterans $46.7 million will be provided for 10 Veterans’ and Families’ Hubs across Australia.

Strengthening efforts to support women's safety

The Government is delivering $1.3 billion to support implementation of the National Plan to End Violence Against Women and Children 2022–23. To increase support for women experiencing violence, we are investing $169.4 million for an additional 500 frontline community workers.

Community Batteries and Solar Banks

The $224.3 million Community Batteries for Household Solar Program will assist up to 100,000 households to reduce their power bills by delivering up to 400 community batteries to store excess solar energy. The $102.2 million Community Solar Banks program will help up to 25,000 households access cheap solar-powered energy.

NBN and mobile connectivity

A $2.4 billion investment in NBN Co will extend fibre access to 1.5 million more premises, including over 660,000 homes in regional Australia. A year of free broadband for up to 30,000 unconnected families will help students access learning materials from home.

The Treasurer delivered the Federal Budget on Tuesday 25 October 2022

PBS general co‑payment will be lowered to $30

From 1 January 2023, we will decrease the maximum co‑payment under the PBS from $42.50 to $30 per script, a 29 per cent reduction.

Improving mental health and well‑being

This Budget restores the 50 per cent loading for telehealth psychiatry services in regional and rural areas.

Strengthening efforts to support women's safety

The Government is delivering $1.3 billion to support implementation of the National Plan to End Violence Against Women and Children 2022–23. To increase support for women experiencing violence, we are investing $169.4 million for an additional 500 frontline community workers.

Investing in our schools

We’re investing $474.5 million over 2 years to help students bounce back. All schools will benefit from the $203.7 million Student Well-being Boost. The Schools Upgrade Fund will provide $270.8 million to support improvements to ventilation and air quality.

Supporting small business well‑being

We are providing $15.1 million to extend the tailored small business mental health and financial counselling programs, NewAccess for Small Business Owners and the Small Business Debt Helpline.

The Treasurer delivered the Federal Budget on Tuesday 25 October 2022.

Fee-free TAFE

The Government is delivering 480,000 fee-free TAFE and community-based vocational education places over 4 years. As well as a $50 million TAFE Technology Fund to modernise TAFEs across Australia.

The Treasurer delivered the Federal Budget on Tuesday 25 October 2022

Transparent and accountable climate action

We have enshrined in law our emissions reduction targets of 43 per cent by 2030 and net zero by 2050. We are investing $42.6 million to restore the Climate Change Authority, introducing an Annual Climate Change Statement to Parliament.

Protecting the Great Barrier Reef

The Government is increasing funding for the Great Barrier Reef to $1.2 billion by 2030. This will accelerate and scale up reef protection and restoration activities and address gaps in the implementation of the Reef 2050 Long-Term Sustainability Plan.

Bills before the Parliament (click)

A list of all the Bills and Legislation passed by the Parliament under the Albanese Labor Government.

Press releases on other actions - set out by portoflio

Prime Minister

Deputy Prime Minister - Minister for defense.

Minister for Foreign Affairs

Treasurer

Minister for Finance, Minister for Women, Minister for the Public Service

Minister for Trade and Tourism, Special Minister of State

Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations, Minister for the Arts

Minister for Health and Aged Care

Minister for Climate Change and Energy

Minister for the Environment and Water

Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government

Minister for Social Services

Minister for Indigenous Australians

Attorney-General, Cabinet Secretary

Minister for Skills and Trainig

minister for environment and water

Minister for Education

Minister for Housing, Minister for Homelessness, Minister for Small Business

Minister for Communication

Minister for Resources, Minister for Northern Australia

Minister for Industry and Science

Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry, Minister for Emergency Management

Minister for Home Affairs, Minister for Cyber Security

The Gillard Government

Environment

Climate change

In her 2010 election campaign, Gillard pledged to build a "national consensus" for a carbon price by creating a "citizens assembly", to examine "the evidence on climate change, the case for action and the possible consequences of introducing a market-based approach to limiting and reducing carbon emissions", over the course of one year. The assembly was to be selected by an independent authority who would select people from the electoral roll using census data. The plan was never implemented. After the 2010 election, Gillard agreed to form a minority government with the Greens and replaced her "citizens assembly" plan with a climate change panel.

During the 2010 campaign, Gillard also promised a $2,000 rebate for people to update pre-1995 motor vehicles. Costed at $400 million, the government said it would remove heavy polluting cars from circulation. After a delay, the Cleaner Car rebate, also known as the Cash for Clunkers scheme, was introduced. Following the 2010–11 Queensland floods the government cut the program, announcing the move as part of savings for a diversion of funds to help with flood relief. In all the government announced $1.6 billion in cuts to climate initiatives, including cuts to the solar energy rebate and carbon capture research.

Carbon price

Greg Combet was appointed Minister for Climate Change and Energy Efficiency in the Second Gillard Ministry.

Both the incumbent Howard Government and the Rudd Labor opposition promised to implement an emissions trading scheme (ETS) before the 2007 federal election. Labor won the election, and the Rudd government began negotiating the passage of an ETS through the Parliament. The Coalition called for the vote on the government's ETS to be delayed until after the United Nations climate change summit in Copenhagen in December 2009. Prime Minister Rudd said in response that it would be "an act of absolute political cowardice, an absolute failure of leadership not to act on climate change until other nations had done so" and the government pursued the early introduction of the Scheme. Unable to secure the support of the Australian Greens for their preferred model, the government entered negotiations with the Malcolm Turnbull led Liberal opposition, and in the lead up to the Copenhagen Conference, developed an amended Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme, with the support of Turnbull. Following a party revolt by Coalition members opposed to the Scheme, and shortly before the carbon vote, Tony Abbott challenged for the leadership of the Liberal Party and narrowly defeated Turnbull. Thereafter the Coalition opposed the ETS outright and the government was unable to secure the support of other Senators for its CPRS.

Following the Copenhagen Conference, Prime Minister Rudd announced the deferral of the Scheme and elected not to take the matter to a double dissolutionelection.

Gillard subsequently defeated Rudd in a leadership challenge and in the lead up to the 2010 election, Prime Minister Gillard and Treasurer Swan gave assurances that no carbon tax would be introduced by a Gillard led government, but that a "citizens' assembly" would be called to sound out public support for a price on carbon.

The 2010 election resulted in a hung parliament in which Gillard secured the support of the Greens and three independents to form a government. On 28 September, in a joint press conference with the Greens, Gillard announced that a citizens assembly would not be held and that instead a "multi-party climate change committee" consisting of Labor, Greens and Independent members, would examine the issues. On 24 February 2010, in a joint press conference of the "Climate Change Committee" Gillard announced a plan to legislate for the introduction of a fixed price to be imposed on "carbon pollution" from 1 July 2012 The carbon tax would be placed for three to five years before a full emissions trading scheme is implemented, under a blueprint agreed by a multi-party parliamentary committee.

The government proposed the Clean Energy Bill in February 2011, which the opposition claimed to be a broken election promise.[151] The Liberal Party vowed to overturn the bill if it is elected.

The legislation was approved by the Lower House in October 2011[153] and by the Upper House in November 2011.

Tasmanian forest deal

A$274 million government package ending the logging of native forests was agreed on with the Tasmanian Government, which has full backing of industry, but criticised by the Greens.

Communication

National Broadband Network

Continuing Rudd's promise in 2007, the construction of the National Broadband Network is ongoing. In November 2010, the first major implementation of the construction was when senators, voted 30 to 28, to separate the retail and commercial arms of former state monopoly Telstra, to increase competition as its infrastructure is incorporated in the new network. In February 2011, the NBN rollout came closer with a commercial agreement, which paved the way for the NBN Co to use Telstra's assets and for Telstra to phase out its copper network.

The network was tested in several locations in Tasmania and then in May 2011, the network was launched on the mainland in Armidale, New South Wales, the first of five sites on the mainland.

Internet controls

Soon after Gillard first took over from Kevin Rudd as Prime Minister, she put herself on record as being in favour of a mandatory internet filter for Australia and justified her stance by saying images of child abuse and child pornography should not be legally available on the internet.

Transition to digital television

The Gillard Government is continuing the national transition from analogue to digital television, which was launched in 2008 by Minister Stephen Conroy. The incumbent government continues to run the "Get Ready for Digital TV" campaign, which encourages Australians to buy either a Set-top box or a digital television. The transition is expected to be completed by the end of 2013.

Economy

Wayne Swan, Deputy Prime Minister and Treasurer.

Fiscal policy

Upon taking over as Leader of the ALP on 23 June 2010, in one of her first policy undertakings in her first press conference, Gillard said she could "assure" Australians that the Federal Budget would be in surplus in 2013. The Government continued to promise this outcome until December 2012.

Prior to the 2010 Election, and through the first two years of its second term, the Gillard Government gave a series of guarantees that it would return the Federal Budget to surplus for the 2012–13 financial years. Gillard said that there were "no ifs no buts" about this promise and that "failure is not an option here and we won't fail". In his May 2011 Budget, Wayne Swan projected a $22.6 billion deficit and delivered a $44.4 billion deficit. In his 2012–13 Budget Swan announced that the government would deliver a $1.5 billion surplus. The government continued to predict a surplus until the close of 2012, but during the 2012 Christmas break, Treasurer Swan, as acting-prime-minister, announced that the government no longer expected to obtain a surplus, citing falling revenue and global economic conditions.

As part of minority government formation negotiations, Gillard also agreed to establish an independent Parliamentary Budget Office.

Mining tax

In the final months of the Rudd Government, Kevin Rudd and Wayne Swan pursued a proposal to initiate a Resource Super Profit Tax on certain mining companies. The RSPT was to be levied at 40% and applied to all extractive industry including gold, nickel and uranium mining as well as sand and quarrying activities.[168] The Rudd/Swan tax proposal was strongly opposed by the mining sector and by the Tony Abbott led Opposition, leading the Rudd Government to instigate an advertising campaign to increase public support for the tax.[169] In the aftermath of the 2010 leadership challenge, which saw Gillard replace Rudd, Bill Shorten, a key Parliamentary member of the ALP Right Faction, nominated the government's handling of the way in which Rudd had "introduced the debate" about the Resource Super Profits Tax as one of the main considerations which had led to a shift in support from Kevin Rudd to Julia Gillard as leader of the party.

After becoming Prime Minister, Gillard cancelled the Rudd Government's controversial $40 million advertising campaign supporting its mining super profits tax and called on miners to withdraw their own media campaign against the tax. Gillard pledged to re-negotiate the tax proposal and a revised Minerals Resource Rent Tax was approved by the House of Representatives on 24 November 2011, with the Government announcing that a 30 per cent tax would start on 1 July 2012 and would be expected to generate about $12 billion to 2013/14. The Government said that it would allocate funds raised towards a company tax rate cut, infrastructure and an increase in the superannuation guarantee rate from nine to 12 per cent.

The 2012–13 Budget set aside the proceeds of the new tax to fund family payments, a bonus for school-aged children and small business tax breaks. However, rather than generating revenue, in the first quarter the new tax incurred a tax credit liability for the government, as mining companies had no tax payable under the MRRT calculation, but could credit their state government royalty payments against future MRRT liabilities.The federal government must pay 10% compound interest on MRRT tax credits. In February 2013, Treasurer Swan announced that the new tax had raised $126 million during its first six months. The Government had originally budgeted for the MRRT to raise $3 billion through the 2012–13 financial year.

Relations with mining companies

In 2012, Gillard and Treasurer Swan made a number of public criticisms of mining company bosses. Swan singled out Gina Rinehart, Andrew Forrest and Clive Palmer and accused them of using their wealth and position to try to undermine public policy. Swan and Gillard repeated such criticisms in Parliament and in various media outlets. When Gillard suggested in May 2012 that people who lived on Sydney's North Shore were not "real people", the Opposition and media commentators accused the government of pursuing "class warfare".

In May, ministers in the Gillard Government re-stated government approval for mining magnate Gina Rinehart to bring in 1700 skilled foreign workers to get her $9.5 billion Roy Hill iron ore mine underway in the Pilbara.[180] The move drew criticism from some trade unionists and some Labor MPs. Union leader Paul Howes "I mean I thought we were actually attacking these guys at the moment. Whose side are we on?" Prime Minister Gillard said that she had not had full knowledge of negotiations.

Flood levy

After the devastating flood that caused widespread damage to Queensland, Gillard proposed a temporary levy that would raise $1.8 billion and take effect from 1 July 2011. The levy would help pay for the reconstruction of roads, rail and bridges in areas damaged by the recent floods. With a minority government, she needed four of the six lower house crossbenchers and all of the crossbench senators, with lower house members, Tony Crook, Bob Katter, Andrew Wilkie and Adam Bandt, supporting the levy. In the Senate, all the cross benchers (Green senators, Steve Fielding and Nick Xenophon) supported the flood levy and passed.In a February Newspoll, it showed that 55 per cent supported the new flood levy.

Live cattle exports

Joe Ludwig, Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry.

In response to a television program which showed footage of mis-treatment of Australian sourced cattle at certain Indonesian abattoirs, in June 2011, Agriculture Minister Joe Ludwig announced the suspension of Australia's live cattle export trade to Indonesia, pending an examination of animal welfare considerations. Indonesia threatened to challenge the Gillard Government's ban at the World Trade Organization. Live cattle exports were banned for two months and new guidelines introduced. While animal welfare campaigners called for the ban to remain permanent, the agricultural sector in Northern Australia suffered significant loss of earnings and the 2012 Federal Budget confirmed that a potential class action had been communicated to the government from livestock producers and related industries, seeking compensation for loss of trade.

Education

Education has been a priority on Gillard's agenda, following on from the launch of the My School website while she was Education minister. The revamped version was published in March 2011.[190]

Gonski Report

The Gonski Report, named after its chairman David Gonski, was commissioned in April 2010, by Julia Gillard, then education minister in the Rudd Government. Its findings were presented to the Federal government in November 2011. Following the submission of the report, both Federal and state governments proceeded to consider its content. In April 2013, the Council of Australian Governments discussed an A$9.4 billion school funding plan, based on the findings and recommendations of the Gonski report, that was proposed by the Gillard government. Gillard then sought support from the state governments for her National Education Reform Agreement and, as of May 2013, New South Wales is the only government that agreed to sign up—NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell participated in a joint press conference with Gillard to announce the decision on 23 April 2013. Under the NSW agreement, the state government will contribute A$1.76 billion, while the Federal Government will provide A$3.27 billion, resulting in an extra A$5 billion for NSW schools over a six-year period.

To fund the National Education Reform Agreement, the Gillard Government announced funding cuts to higher education that will also affect tertiary students, as another A$520 million will be raised by capping tax deductions for self-education expenses. Tertiary Education Minister Dr Craig Emerson explained after the funding plan was revealed, "Prime Minister Gillard has committed to making every school a great school."At the commencement of May 2013, media outlet News Limited gained access to confidential documents related to the "Better Schools for all Australians" advertising campaign that was designed to promote Gillard's Gonski school reforms. According to News Limited, the campaign will employ free-to-air and pay television, social media sites, magazines, and newspapers, with the allocation of a A$50 million budget to fund the activities.

As of 21 May 2013, the South Australian government continued to negotiate its participation in regard to the National Education Reform Agreement, but Premier Jay Weatherill expressed his support for the Gonski model: "One thing that's absolutely clear about the Gonski reforms is it's an extraordinary additional injection of extra resources into the education system." Weatherill explained that his government would sign on to the agreement once they were "sure that it's a good deal for South Australia"; however, he also stated that he is "absolutely" satisfied that his state would receive more money under the funding model.

The independent Schools Council of Australia and the National Catholic Education Commission are part of a unified front of non-government schools that continues to question the Gonski proposal as of 26 May 2013, and seek to undermine Prime Minister Gillard's goal of securing agreements with all Australian states and the two chief ministers by 30 June 2013. The Independent Education Union of NSW stated "Catholic and independent employer associations continue to be frustrated by the lack of robustness and stability of the proposed models for funding distribution." The independent schools Council of Australia stated in a letter to Gillard that it perceives a "reduction in Australian government funding for schools rather than the increases to school funding that the government indicated would flow to disadvantaged students" and that it was having "difficulty reconciling" budget figures "with the government's public commitments."

As of 27 May 2013, senior government sources expected the Labor-led state governments of Tasmania, South Australia and the Australian Capital Territory to join Gillard's school funding reform proposal. Additionally, Gillard was expected to employ the momentum that is generated by the support of the aforementioned states to apply pressure on the Queensland and Victorian governments.

After the 2013 federal election when the Liberal-National Coalition Abbott Government replaced the Labor party, the Gonski report was removed from the government's website. It was preserved by Australia's Pandora Archive.[

National School Chaplaincy Programme

On 7 September 2011, Peter Garrett, Education Minister in the Gillard Government, announced a number of changes in the National School Chaplaincy Programme, renamed to the National School Chaplaincy and Student Welfare Programme. New chaplains were to be required to have a "Certificate IV in Youth Work, Pastoral Care or an equivalent qualification", while previously no formal qualifications were required. The changes also offered schools the option to employ, instead of "a religious support worker" (chaplain), a "secular student well-being officer", following concerns over the appropriateness of having a religious worker in a public school. Previously schools were only able to hire a secular welfare worker under the programme if they could demonstrate that their efforts to find an ordained chaplain had failed. On 27 September 2013 there were 2,339 chaplains and 512 student welfare workers employed under NSCP.

Health

In 2010, a hospital funding scheme was drawn up by the Rudd Government, where all states and territories, except Western Australia, under Liberal control, agreed to give up control of a third of their GST. In November 2010, the new Liberal Government in Victoria joined Western Australia in rejecting the deal and Gillard said the old reforms would not work. Gillard revamped the health reform package, by providing the states with $16.4 billion from July 2014 to 2020. It scrapped a major element of the previous package which would reduce 60 per cent of the states recurrent health costs to 50 per cent and removed the former Rudd Government plans to fund 60 per cent of new hospital capital costs. The deal was agreed on by all state premiers and chief ministers in February 2011.

In March 2012, Labor secured the support of the Australian Greens and Independent Rob Oakeshott to legislate for the introduction of a means test for the private health insurance rebate subsidy. The move was predicted to inject $746.3 million towards the government's planned budget surplus. It was criticised by health insurers as likely to encourage privately insured members to return to the public health system. Prior to the election of the Rudd Government, the Labor Party had pledged not to adjust the rebate.

Plain cigarette packaging

Plain cigarette packaging laws, introduced by Health Minister Nicola Roxon, which would ban the use of company logos, and require all cigarette packets to be a dark green colour, has been introduced into parliament. The Coalition will support the legislation, but plans to vote against the associated changes to trademark laws.

Paid Parental Leave scheme

The scheme was passed under the Rudd Government in June 2010 and came into effect under Gillard on 1 January 2011, which paid $570 a week. According to figures released by Families Minister Jenny Macklin, 15,450 (as of 30 January 2011) have applied. There were claims when Gillard was the Deputy Prime Minister, she questioned and opposed the scheme, which she denied.

Immigration

Chris Bowen succeeded Chris Evans to serve as Labor's Minister for Immigration and Citizenship in the Gillard Government. Broadly, the Gillard Government maintained Australia's long-term bi-partisan policy of a large, multi-ethnic annual immigration program. Gillard sought to rhetorically re-position the Labor Government away from Kevin Rudd's "Big Australia" population goal.Gillard also identified the Labor Government's handling of asylum seeker policy under Kevin Rudd as a policy area requiring improvement.

In response to growing numbers of boat arrivals and deaths at sea, the Gillard government revised Labor's position on asylum seeker policy and adopted support for offshore processing. It elected not to re-open offshore processing centres established under the Howard Government, and instead sought other arrangements in the region—notably through the announcement of a limited people-exchange arrangement with Malaysia. The Malaysian proposal involved Australia sending 800 asylum seekers to Malaysia in exchange for 4000 processed refugees. However, the plan was blocked by the High Court and the government later acted to re-open the Pacific Solution processing centres.

Asylum seekers

Persons arriving by unauthorised boat to Australia by calendar year

This issue of government policy towards unauthorised arrivals seeking asylum in Australia has been of major significance throughout the tenure of the Gillard Government. During the first Rudd-Gillard leadership spill of 2010, outgoing Prime Minister Kevin Rudd said he feared a "lurch to the right" under a Gillard prime ministership. Rudd had dismantled key components of the Howard Government's asylum seeker policy, including the Pacific Solution offshore processing system. The Gillard Government initially maintained Rudd's policies, downplayed the notion of "pull-factors" attracting increased numbers of boat arrivals and criticised offshore processing at Nauru but, by September 2012, after the High Court had rejected an alternative plan to exchange asylum seekers for processed refugees from Malaysia amid an extended surge in boat arrivals and deaths at sea, the Gillard Government confirmed support for offshore processing, and announced it would re-open sites at Nauru and Manus Island.

After winning leadership of the Labor Party, Gillard identified addressing the issue of unauthorised arrivals of asylum seekers as one of three key policy areas requiring the attention of her government. She announced that negotiations were underway for a return to "offshore processing" of asylum seeker claims. Gillard ruled out a return to processing at Nauru because it was not a signatory to the UN Refugee Convention, and named East Timor as a preferred location for new detention and processing facilities. The East Timorese Government rejected the plan.

For the final few years of the Howard Government, people smuggling between Indonesia and Australia had virtually ceased and Australia's offshore detention centres were near empty. The newly elected Rudd Government announced a series of measures aimed at achieving what it described as a more "compassionate policy".The Pacific Solution had involved offshore processing, a system of "temporary protection visas" for unauthorised arrivals, and a policy of turning back boats where possible. The Rudd Government dismantled all three components, dubbing them "ineffectual and wasteful". Throughout 2009–2010, a flow of boat arrivals re-emerged. In October 2010, the Gillard government announced that it would open two detention centres for 2000 immigrants, due to the pressures in allowing women and children to be released into the community. One to be opened in Inverbrackie, South Australia and one in Northam, Western Australia. She said it would be a short-term solution to the problem and that temporary detention centres will be closed.

On 15 December 2010 a ship containing 89 asylum seekers crashed on the shore of Christmas Island, killing up to fifty people. Refugee and migrant advocates condemned government policy as responsible for the tragedy,[and ALP Party President Anna Bligh called for a complete review of ALP asylum seeker policy. Gillard returned early from holidays in response to the crash, and to review asylum seeker policy.Some months later Gillard would announce "The Malaysia Solution" in response.

In April 2011 the Federal Government confirmed that a detention centre for single men will be built at the old army barracks at Pontville, 45 minutes north of Hobart. This immigration detention centre will house up to 400 refugees. Also in April 2011 immigration detainees at the Villawood detention centre rioted in protest of their treatment, setting fire to several buildings.

Restoration of offshore processing

In May 2011 Gillard announced that Australia and Malaysia were "finalising" an arrangement to exchange asylum seekers for processed refugees (the plan was dubbed the "Malaysia Solution"). Malaysia was not a signatory to the UN Refugee Convention, which Nauru has now moved to sign, but the Government maintained that while it no longer believed that only signatories to the Convention were suitable, Nauru would not be feasible. Gillard and Immigration Minister Chris Bowen said they were close to signing a bilateral agreement which would result in 800 asylum seekers who arrive in Australia by boat being taken to Malaysia instead and Australia would take 4,000 people from Malaysia who had previously been assessed as refugees. On 31 August the High Court ruled that the agreement to transfer refugees from Australia to Malaysia was invalid, and ordered that it not proceed the on the basis that it contravened human rights protections established under existing laws. In an unusual attack on the judiciary, the Gillard questioned the consistency of Chief Justice Robert French as she faced political criticism over the rejection of the Malaysia Solution. She accused the court of missing an opportunity to "send a message" to asylum-seekers, sparking opposition charges she has breached the doctrine of the separation of powers.

The Government was unable to secure the support of the Greens or Opposition in the Senate for modifications to enable the Malaysia Solution to proceed and instead reverted to expanding onshore processing arrangements. Continued deaths at sea and ongoing boat arrivals kept the issue at the fore of policy debate during the term of the Gillard Government, leading to a major Parliamentary debate on the issue in June 2012, as news reports reached Canberra of another fatal sinking off Christmas Island.The government sought changes to the Migration Act, to allow asylum seekers to be processed in Malaysia. The Greens opposed the Bill outright and called for greater opening up of Australia's borders. The Opposition opposed the Bill on human rights grounds and called for restoration of the Howard Government's policies. The government allowed the possibility of returning processing to Nauru, on the condition that Malaysia was also permitted.Unable to secure passage of the Bill through Parliament following the emotional debate, the government convened a panel chaired by Angus Houston, which recommended the resumption of processing at Nauru and Manus Island. Gillard endorsed the plan in August 2012.

Migration

In relation to population targets for Australia, Gillard told Fairfax Media in August 2010 that while skilled migration is important: "I don't support the idea of a big Australia". Gillard also altered the nomenclature of Tony Burke's role as "Minister for Population" to that of "Minister for Sustainable Population". The Government released a "sustainable population strategy" in May 2011 which did not specify a target population. In October 2011 trade minister Craig Emerson released a paper with Gillard's approval which advocated for continued population growth.

Indigenous affairs

Indigenous Affairs Minister Jenny Macklin.

Jenny Macklin served as Minister for Indigenous Affairs through the term of the Rudd Government and was re-appointed to the role by Julia Gillard. The Gillard Government broadly maintained ongoing support for the Northern Territory Intervention instigated by the Howard Government and continued by the Rudd Government. The program was designed to address child welfare, drug and alcohol abuse and general law enforcement concerns in isolated indigenous communities. The annual Closing the Gap Report in 2012 found that infant mortality rates, literacy, numeracy and early childcare education had improved, but that school retention, employment and life expectancy rates remained poor. Gillard responded to the findings by saying: "Foundations are in place, work is underway. We can measure encouraging improvement right now."

Amid a 2010 campaign by indigenous activist Noel Pearson and Opposition Leader Tony Abbott to overturn the Queensland Bligh Government's Wild Rivers Legislation, Prime Minister Gillard would not be drawn and referred the matter to a parliamentary committee. Pearson and Abbott argued that the Queensland State legislation denied Aboriginal people economic opportunities.

The Gillard Government, with bi-partisan support, convened an expert panel to consider changes to the Australian Constitution that would see recognition for Indigenous Australians. The Government's move was in line with a promise given to the Australian Greens to hold a referendum before the next election as part of a deal made following the 2010 election. The panel's broad membership included indigenous activist Noel Pearson and Pat Dodson and Liberal Parliamentarian Ken Wyatt. The Government promised to hold a referendum on the constitutional recognition of indigenous Australians on or before the federal election due for 2013. The plan was abandoned in September 2012, with Jenny Macklin citing insufficient community awareness for the decision.

Foreign policy

Stephen Smith served as Minister for Foreign Affairs in the First Gillard Ministry. He was replaced by Kevin Ruddwho later unsuccessfully challenged for the Labor leadership and lost his Cabinet position.

Former New South Wales Premier Bob Carr joined Cabinet as Minister for Foreign Affairs following Kevin Rudd's failed February 2012 bid for the Labor leadership.

Stephen Smith served in the First Gillard Ministry as Minister for Foreign Affairs. Following the 2010 election, Gillard appointed her former leader Kevin Rudd(a career diplomat) to the portfolio. Relations between the pair remained strained, and Rudd was replaced as Foreign Minister in February 2012 following his failed bid for the leadership of the Labor Party. Former New South Wales Premier Bob Carr was selected to join the Senate in place of the retiring Mark Arbiband joined Cabinet as the new Minister for Foreign Affairs.

During her first major international tour as Prime Minister, Julia Gillard told ABC TV's 7.30 Report:

[F]oreign policy is not my passion. It's not what I've spent my life doing. You know, I came into politics predominantly to make a difference to opportunity questions, particularly make a difference in education. So, yes, if I had a choice I'd probably more be in a school watching kids learn to read in Australia than here in Brussels at international meetings.

For his part, Kevin Rudd was an active Foreign Affairs Minister. Following the 2011 Egyptian revolution and resignation of Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak, Rudd called for "constitutional reform and a clear timetable towards free and fair elections".In response to the 2011 Libyan civil war, Rudd announced in early March 2011 that a no-fly zone should be enforced by the international community as a "lesser of two evils" to prevent dictator Muammar Gaddafi from using the Libyan airforce to attack protesters and rebels. The Age and other media outlets reported this as representing a rift between Rudd and Prime Minister Gillard, and said that US officials in Canberra had sought official clarification on what the Australian government was proposing. Speaking from Washington, Ms Gillard said in response that the United Nations Security Council should consider a "full range" of options to deal with the situation, and that Austialia was not planning to send forces to enforce a no-fly zone.

For her part, Prime Minister Gillard attended the APEC Japan 2010 summit in, where she held her first face-to-face meeting with US President Barack Obama. Obama thanked the Prime Minister for Australia's continuing assistance and contribution to the Afghanistan War. While Gillard sent her condolences to the American people and the President for the American casualties in Afghanistan

Gillard travelled to the United States in March 2011 to mark the 60th Anniversary of the ANZUS Alliance and was invited to address the United States Congress. Gillard made her first visit to Washington as Prime Minister on 5 March 2011. She held meetings with President Barack Obama, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. She also met with Michelle Obama and John McCain.Gillard, addressed a joint session of the United States Congress, the fourth Australian leader to do and first foreign dignitary to address the 112th congress.

In April 2011, Gillard embarked on a North Asia trip, promoting closer military, economic and trade ties. Her visit to Japan was the first by a foreign dignitary after the devastating earthquake and tsunami. South Korea and China were also part of her trip.

Gillard was the first foreign leader to address the Parliament of New Zealand.

In Commonwealth relations, Gillard represented Australia at the Wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton in London in April 2011 and hosted the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Perth in October of that year. The Perth CHOGM saw the historic announcement, by Gillard and British Prime Minister David Cameron, of changes to the succession laws regarding to thrones of the Commonwealth realms, overturning rules privileging male over female heirs to the line of succession and removing a ban on Roman Catholic consorts.

In late 2011, the Gillard Government reversed the Rudd Government's policy of blocking uranium sales to India for not being a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. Tensions between Rudd and Gillard culminated in the Australian Labor Party leadership spill, 2012. On 23 February 2012, Rudd was replaced as Minister for Foreign Affairs by Craig Emerson (on an acting basis), and then by former NSW Premier and new Senator Bob Carr on 13 March. Outlining his views on managing Australia's important relationships with China and the United States, Carr said:

For the first time in our history the nation with which we have the major economic relationship is a nation with different values and a different form of government from our own. So one can't say there aren't challenges in this relationship, but, ultimately, we don't have to choose America or China.

In another early foray into his new portfolio which proved controversial, Carr threatened sanctions against Papua New Guinea in the event of delayed elections there.

Gillard toured India in October, seeking to strengthen ties. On 19 October 2012, Australia secured election to a seat as a Non-Permanent Member of the United Nations Security Council. The initiative had been launched by the Rudd Government.

In October 2012, the Government released the Asian Century White Paper, offering a strategic framework for "Australia's navigation of the Asian Century". The report included focus on Australia's relations with China, India, the key ASEAN countries as well as Japan and South Korea.

In the lead up to historic November 2012 United Nations vote to promote Palestine's status to that of "non-member observer state", Gillard argued to Cabinet for a "no" vote. Gillard said a "yes vote" would set back the Mid East peace process. Cabinet ultimately determined to abstain in the vote, which was carried with a large majority at the United Nations, but with the opposition of the United States. Bob Carr said the vote would "encourage peace talks".

Defence policy

Senator John Faulkner served as Defence Minister in the first months of the Gillard Government.

John Faulkner served as Minister for Defence during the initial months of the Gillard Government and was succeeded by Stephen Smith following the 2010 Election and return of Kevin Rudd to the Foreign Affairs portfolio.

The Rudd Government in its 2009 Whitepaper on Defence had outlined a series of avenues for expansion of Australia's independent defence capacity – including a major upgrade of the Royal Australian Navy and Royal Australian Airforce: including the purchase of new submarines, frigates and combat aircraft. The Whitepaper cited the rise of China as representing a potential threat to the future security of the Asia-Pacific. In 2012, the Gillard Government announced that the key measures recommended in the Whitepaper would be delayed or cut amid a $5.5 billion reduction in defence spending.Treasurer Wayne Swan's 2012 Budget announced a series of cuts in defence spending to assist in the government's plan for restoration of a Federal Budget surplus. The Gillard Government reduced military spending to 1.6% of gross domestic product (the lowest level since the 1930s).

The Gillard Government had inherited the Howard and Rudd Governments' commitment to the War in Afghanistan which followed the 2001 11 September attacks in the United States. In November 2011, the Obama Administration and Gillard Government confirmed a plan to increase the US military presence in northern Australia.Defence Minister Stephen Smith welcomed the first contingent of 200 US Marines to Darwin in April 2012 – with the force projected to grow to 2500.

War in Afghanistan

Since coming to office, Gillard has remained adamant towards her position in the Afghanistan War. The Gillard Government believes that withdrawing troops prematurely from Afghanistan, could re-establish the country as a 'safe haven' for terrorists. On 19 October 2010 Prime Minister Gillard addressed Parliament stating her government's commitment to the war, and said "Australia will stand firm in our commitment to our alliance with the United States, the international community understands this, our friends and allies understand this, and our enemies understand this too". On her first day as Prime Minister, Gillard reassured her position towards the war to President Barack Obama of the United States.

Prime Minister Gillard made an official visit to Afghanistan, in October 2010. There she met members of the Australian Defence Force in Tarin Kowt, and had discussions with President Hamid Karzai. This visit was part of her first international trip as Prime Minister.

In April 2012, Prime Minister Gillard announced that her government would withdraw all Australian combat forces from Afghanistan by the end of 2013 – one year earlier than most expected.

Local government referendum

Main article: Proposed 2013 Australian constitutional referendum

In May 2013 the Gillard Government announced that a referendum would be held to recognise local governments in the Australian Constitution and allow the Federal Government to fund them directly. Similar referendums have been held by Labor governments in 1974 and 1988 but have failed to pass. The referendum was scheduled for the day of the 2013 election, which the Government was planning to hold on 14 September 2013.

Prime Minister Gillard initially indicated that she believed the referendum would have bipartisan support, but the Opposition later expressed reservations about the plan.

Same-sex marriage

In September 2012, the House of Representatives rejected a bill introduced by Labor MP Stephen Jones aimed at legalising same-sex marriage by 98 votes to 42. The Senatesubsequently voted against a bill to legalise same-sex marriage by 41 votes to 26. In both instances the Gillard Labor Government allowed MPs a conscience vote whilst the opposition Liberal/National Coalition voted as a bloc against the legislation.

Social security

The Gillard government introduced new eligibility criteria for the Disability Support Pension in 2012 which caused a decline in eligibility rates.

Biosecurity

See also: Biosecurity in Australia

The Biosecurity Bill was introduced by the Gillard government in 2012, after being instigated by the findings of the 2008 Beale Review. It passed through parliament on 14 May 2015 with bipartisan support, as possibly "one of the most substantial and significant pieces of legislation to pass through Parliament during the term of the [Abbott] Government". The Biosecurity Act 2015 was a major reform of the Quarantine Act, in particular in its strengthening and modernising the existing framework of regulations governing biosecurity in Australia.

The Rudd Government

Economy

The Rudd government issued its first budget in May 2008, which was initiated to fight inflation. The total expenditure, as a share of gross domestic product (GDP), was lower than any of the previous governments, despite including many of the expensive election promises for "working families". The projected surplus of 1.8% of GDP, or $21.7 billion, exceeded the 1.5% target set by the government in January. Labor supported improving the federal–state funding process through a reform of the Council of Australian Governments. Three nation-building investment funds were established – the infrastructure fund, "Building Australia", was designated $20 billion of federal funding. Education received $10 billion as part of Rudd's "education revolution", while health also received $10 billion.

In the 2008–09 budget, the Rudd government cut $63.4 million over four years from the CSIRO, forcing the closure of two laboratories and the loss of 100 jobs. It also cut $20 million from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

In response to the Global Financial Crisis of the late 2000s, the Rudd government announced in October 2008 that it would guarantee all bank deposits. The government initially ignored Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) advice to cap the guarantee.

With the economy experiencing its biggest slowdown since the early 1990s and facing a recession, the government announced an economic stimulus package worth $10.4 billion.A second economic stimulus package worth $42 billion was announced in February 2009, consisting of an infrastructure program worth $26 billion, $2.7 billion in small-business tax breaks, and $12.7 billion for cash bonuses, including $950 for every Australian taxpayer who earned less than $80,000 during the 2007–08 financial year. At the same time, the RBA cut official interest rates by a percentage point, lowering them to 3.25%, the lowest since 1964 (a 43-year low).

The package was welcomed by state governments and many economists, as well as the OECD. The Malcolm Turnbull-led coalition opposed the package, stating that they believed additional tax cuts to those which had been planned the next few years was a better way to prevent a recession. The package was passed in the Senate on the 13 February with support from minor parties and independents, following amendments that reduced the cash bonuses in the package to fund investment in the environment and water supply.

National accounts released on 4 March 2009 showed that Australia's non-farm sector shrunk for the September and December 2008 quarters.

The 2009 Australian federal budget was released on the evening of 12 May 2009. Labor decided not to extend the investment allowance, and it was phased out by the end of the year. Other measures to support employment – augmenting a first-home buyer's scheme – were initiated.

During the March quarter, the Australian economy grew by 0.4%,a number not foreseen by many until the positive balance of trade statistics released the day before. The main contributors to this result were the large fall in the current account deficit and increasing household consumption. Apart from the manufacturing sector, the Australian economy avoided a technical recession. RBA economists endorsed the first two phases of stimulus a year later, saying that it was "undeniable" that government spending had supported the economy. RBA governor Glenn Stevens remained cautious of American-style fiscal policy, casting doubt on the idea that Australia should have a higher inflation target to repair its public accounts.

The Rudd Government established a review of the tax system by the head of the Department of the Treasury, Ken Henry. Among other suggested reforms recommended by the Henry review and adopted by the Rudd Government was a Resource Super Profits Tax on the extractive industry. The proposal met resistance from mining industry bodies and mining companies, and the proposal was later heavily modified when Julia Gillard replaced Rudd as Prime Minister.

Defence

In December 2007, the Minister for Defence, Joel Fitzgibbon, ordered the Department of Defence to develop a new white paper to guide Australia's defense policy. While the white paper was originally due to be completed in December 2008, it was delayed until 2009 due to the volume of work required.The white paper, entitled Defending Australia in the Asia Pacific Century: Force 2030, was released on 2 May 2009 and outlines a significant expansion to the Australian Defence Force, intended to maximize the military's capacity to act independently in Australia's region.

Other defence policies enacted by the Rudd Government include cancelling the contract to purchase 11 Seasprite helicopters in March 2008,and beginning the process of planning the replacement for the Navy's Collins-class submarines.

John Faulkner, Minister for Defence

The Rudd Government altered the number of Australian troops deployed to Afghanistan and Iraq. The 550 combat troops deployed on an overwatch mission in central-southern Iraq were withdrawn in mid-June 2008, fulfilling an election promise. This reduced the Australian Defence Force presence in the region to 800–900 support personnel, including 440 either on the ground in Iraq or patrolling the coastline. As of early 2009, around 150 support personnel remained in Iraq. In contrast, the Australian force in Afghanistan was expanded, with Rudd announcing in April 2009 an increase from 1,100 to 1,550 personnel.

Fitzgibbon became the first Rudd Government minister to resign, on 4 June 2009. He quit after admitting that meetings concerning business opportunities held between defence officials and his brother, the head of nib Health Funds, had breached the Ministerial Code of Conduct. John Faulkner was appointed to succeed in the Defence portfolio.

Education

One of the Rudd Government's key proposals in the 2007 election campaign was the implementation of an "education revolution". This was to include the provision of computers for every school student in years 9–12 and the implementation of a national curriculum.

Scholarship for disadvantaged students

In 2010, a new suite of scholarships was developed; the Student Start-Up Scholarship and the Relocation Scholarship. These scholarships were developed as part of the Rudd Government's response to the Bradley Review of Higher Education, and its recommendation to tighten eligibility for Youth Allowance by reforming the 'work test' coupled with a loosening of the parental income test. The government abolished the old scholarship system, which helped about 21,000 students per year, due to concerns that it was not adequately means tested and that many scholarships were not allocated as a result of being administered by the universities. However, the new system was stalled in the Senate as a result of opposition by the Liberal-National Opposition and Senator Fielding. This left an estimated 150,000 students waiting for the changes to pass parliament two weeks before the start of the academic year in March. The new scholarship system was a massive extension of the system of support, provided as an entitlement, based on parental income and administered by Centrelink. Criticism of the new system centred on claims that it would disadvantage regional students. One university in Queensland topped up its food bank, anticipating that the number of students regularly going without food would increase.

In 2009, the Coalition and Senator Fielding had blocked changes to the Youth Allowance and Austudy system, stating they were unfair to rural and regional students and would leave 26,000 students worse off.[36] The bill would have tightened regulations around the work requirements these students needed to fulfill to be considered independent of their parents. However, the two country independents in the House of Representatives, Tony Windsor and Rob Oakeshott, supported the changes. The Bradley Review had found that the old system had been accessed disproportionally by students from high-income families despite being intended to support those from disadvantaged backgrounds.[37]

To win the support of the Greens and Senator Nick Xenophon and to mitigate the opposition of the Liberals and secure passage of the bill, Education Minister Julia Gillard loosened some aspects of the changes to rural arrangements. This allowed students from remote areas to access the workforce test with the additional requirement that their parents earned less than $150,000. The Student Start-Up Scholarship was cut (by about $200) to just above $2000 to pay for these changes. However, the impasse meant that, in mid-February, an estimated 150,000 students were waiting for the bill to pass in time for the start of the Australian academic year.[37] Ultimately, the Government secured passage as a result of the changes and the new scholarship was provided in the first semester of this year. In 2013, the Labor Government proposed a cut to the value of the Student Start-Up Scholarship, to turn it into a loan which would fund the Gonski Reforms. However, after losing the election and forming the opposition, Labor changed its position and opposed these cuts which became supported by the Liberal Government. These changes are yet to pass the Senate.[needs update]

Environment and energy management

Main article: Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme

In opposition, Rudd had called climate change "the greatest moral, economic and social challenge of our time" and called for a cut to greenhouse gas emissions by 60% before 2050.[38]

Penny Wong, Minister for Climate Change and Water

In October 2007, John Howard, Prime Minister at the time, said that Labor's policy on climate change negotiations had no significant differences to the Liberals' policy.[39] At the time, econometric research suggested that providers of carbon credits under the voluntary Australian Greenhouse Office trading scheme were capable of stabilising emissions, due to the demand from households for carbon-neutral products.[40]

On 3 December 2007, hours after being sworn in, Rudd signed the Kyoto Protocol.[41] Rudd described this action as a "significant step forward in our country's efforts to fight climate change domestically – and with the international community".[This quote needs a citation]

After a year of accounting of "emissions" and "sinks", the government published its climate change policies in a white paper released on 15 December 2008. This defined a plan to introduce an emissions trading scheme in 2010 and recommended a target range for Australia's greenhouse gas emissions in 2020, which would be a 5% to 15% reduction from levels in 2000. It drew criticism from environmental groups[42] and the Federal Government's climate change advisor, Professor Ross Garnaut. Garnaut said that the government's conditional 2020 emission targets were too low, and that the planned assistance measures for emissions-intensive industries pose "profound" financial risk for the Government.[43] In May 2009, Rudd announced an increase of the scheme target to a 25% reduction from levels of 2000, but that the introduction of the scheme would be delayed until July 2011.[44]

In June 2010, the environment minister, Peter Garrett, revealed in an interview with Sky News that he first learned of the change in policy when he read it in a newspaper after being leaked by a government source.[45] This followed damaging comments by Professor Tim Flannery, a strong supporter of Labor's scheme, that he felt "betrayed" by the Prime Minister's decision.[46][47]

The Government articulated its stance on energy management in October 2009. Writing in The Australian Financial Review, the resources minister, Martin Ferguson, acknowledged that withholding resources such as coal (either black or brown) is unlikely to do much to assist in reducing emissions or alter demand.[48] The government instead hoped to become a world-leading investor in carbon capture and storage technologies, and expand Australia's natural gas production, while continuing to support a raft of new coal-mining projects worth about $11 billion.[48][49] The government also had plans to support growth of the renewable energy industry.[citation needed]

Foreign relations

The Rudd Government attempted to increase Australia's international influence.[50] Prime Minister Rudd announced in March 2008 that Australia would seek a non-permanent seat on the United Nations Security Council for 2013–14, which the country had last held in 1985–86.[51] In November 2009, the Age newspaper reported that $11 million had been spent campaigning for the seat, and had added twenty-seven votes for Australia; the majority of the votes came from small island nations in the south Pacific and six African nations.[52]

The Rudd Government lobbied for the G20 Forum to replace the G7 as the premier forum for global governance and economic management and secured a seat for Australia at the forum.[53][54]

The Rudd Government sought to improve relations with China. Trade developments including the Gorgon gas project saw major deals between Australia and China. In an April 2008 visit to China, Rudd addressed an audience in Mandarin at Beijing University, in which he told students that Australia had concerns over human rights issues in Tibet and later repeated the comments to Premier Wen Jiabao. The Chinese Communist Party reacted angrily to the remarks, describing Tibet as "purely an internal affair".[55] The Rudd Government's relations with the Communist Party were further strained by the Stern Hu Affair, in which, following a failure by China to secure the purchase of Australian mining assets, Australian businessman Stern Hu was accused of "stealing state secrets" during trade negotiations on behalf of Australian mining company Rio Tinto, and subsequently received a ten-year jail sentence for paying bribes.[56] The Rudd Government's 2009 Defence white paper identified the rise of China as a potential threat to Asia Pacific security, and during the WikiLeaks affair, confidential diplomatic cables were released which purported to show that Rudd had warned the US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton that the Communist Party was "paranoid" about Taiwan and that the US should be prepared to use force against China "...if everything goes wrong".[57][58]

Responding to the New South Wales coroner's late November 2007 finding that the Balibo Five had been deliberately murdered by the Indonesian military in 1975, Rudd commented that "those responsible should be held to account. ... You can't just sweep this to one side".[59][60] As opposition leader he had argued for the repatriation of their remains. However, no meaningful action was taken when Rudd became PM, and he refused the requests of relatives of the slain journalists to visit their graves while in Indonesia.[61]

Rudd's term in office coincided with the final months of the Bush Administration in the United States. After reports in domestic media that Rudd had joked with journalists that George W. Bushdid not know what the G20 Forum was, the press reported that Rudd received a frosty welcome from Bush at the White House dinner that opened G20 summit in Washington in November 2008.[62] Bush's successor, Barack Obama, had a warmer relationship with Rudd, telling the Australian media in April 2010 that Rudd was "smart but humble" and the political leader he was closest to on the world stage.[63]

Immigration

2010 ABC news report of a bilateral agreement with Indonesia to "tackle the problem" of boat arrivals.

Chris Evans served as Minister for Immigration and Citizenship in the Rudd Government, which maintained Australia's bipartisan policy in support of the multi-ethnic annual intake of immigrants. Rudd said that he believed in a "Big Australia" and projected a population of 35–36 million by 2050.[64][65]

The Rudd Government moved in its early months to dismantle several components of the Howard Government's approach to unauthorized arrival immigration policy – it abandoned offshore processing of asylum seekers and temporary protection visa arrangements. The Coalition said that these practices had halted the trade in people smuggling from Indonesia to Australia, but the Labor Party said these were ineffective and inhumane.[citation needed] The issue of asylum seeker policy remained controversial through the term of the Rudd Government.[citation needed] The number of asylum seeker boat arrivals increased throughout the period and the handling of the issue was identified by supporters[who?] of Julia Gillard's challenge to Kevin Rudd as a motivating factor in his replacement.[citation needed]

Asylum seekers

At the 2007 election, Rudd stated:[66]

You'd turn them back. ... You cannot have anything that is orderly if you allow people who do not have a lawful visa in this country to roam free. That's why you need a detention system. I know that's politically contentious, but one follows from the other. Deterrence is effective through the detention system but also your preparedness to take appropriate action as the vessels approach Australian waters on the high seas.

— Kevin Rudd, 2007 election campaign.

HMAS Albany, one of the patrol boats involved in attending the rescue involving a fatal explosion due to sabotage of the SIEV 36 by people smugglers.

Chris Evans was appointed Minister for Immigration and Citizenship in the First Rudd Ministry and retained this portfolio in the First Gillard Ministry. The newly elected Rudd Government announced a series of measures aimed at achieving what it described as a more "compassionate policy".[67]Howard's policy, called the Pacific Solution, had involved offshore processing, a system of "temporary protection visas" for unauthorized arrivals, and a policy of turning back boats where possible. The Rudd Government dismantled all three components, dubbing them "ineffectual and wasteful".[68] The government adjusted the mandatory detention policies established by the Keating and Howard governments and on 8 February declared an end to the Pacific Solution.[69][70] The policy had involved the establishment of offshore processing centres on Manus Island in Papua New Guinea (closed 2004) and at Nauru. In announcing the demise of the policy, Evans described it as "a cynical, costly and ultimately unsuccessful exercise", and the 21 people housed at the Nauru detention center were transferred to Brisbane.[71]

Persons arriving by unauthorised boat to Australia by calendar year

In May 2008, the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre said that the Department of Immigration and Citizenship was rejecting asylum-seeker applications at a higher rate than under the previous government, noting 41 of 42 applications had been rejected.[72][73] Evans claimed a denial rate of 77 percent, based on his acknowledgment that of a caseload of 730 appeals, he has intervened in 170.[72] In July 2008, the Australian government announced that it was ending its policy of automatic detention for asylum seekers who arrive in the country without visas.[74] While it remained committed to the policy of mandatory detention as an "essential component of strong border control", the Rudd Government announced that detention would be restricted to unlawful non-citizens who posed a threat to the community, those who refuse to comply with visa conditions, or those who need to be detained for the period of conducting health, identity and security checks.[75][76][77] The government announced the cessation of the detention of children and the provision of legal advice to unauthorized arrivals.[78][79][80]

In April 2009, following the relaxation of border protection policies, there was an increase in asylum seeker vessels which culminated in a fatal explosion due to sabotage on one of these vessels. In response, the government announced a new strategy of offering financial support to Indonesia to assist in their efforts to reduce people smuggling to Australia.[81][82][83] After the explosion, Rudd said: "People smugglers are the vilest form of human life."[84]

Unauthorized boat arrivals in Australia increased from 161 people in 2008 to nearly 3,000 people in 2009.[85] The opposition said that this was due to the government's policy adjustments, while the Government said that it was due to "push factors".[86] Rudd had a conversation with the President of Indonesia on 20 October to intercept vessels bound for Australia. The government had made provisions to house refugees in spare demountable housing on Christmas Island, as the detention center there was becoming crowded.[87] In 2010, as the Christmas Island facility reached its official capacity, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) noted in its annual report that despite global refugee numbers remaining steady, there was a 29% increase in asylum claims for 2009. This supported claims that the government's policy changes had led to the increase.[88]

Immigration Detention Population to December 2014

In October 2009, the MV Oceanic Viking was involved in an emergency operation rescuing 78 Sri Lankan asylum seekers in international waters within the Indonesian sea rescue zone. Those rescued were due to be landed in Indonesia, for transfer to an Australia-funded immigration detention centre on the Indonesian island of Bintan.[89]However, the asylum seekers refused to disembark until 18 November, following assurances of fast-tracked processing of their cases for resettlement.[90] In the Australian Parliament, Rudd described this assurance as "non-extraordinary".[91]Opposition frontbencher Tony Abbott said that Kevin Rudd was inept and hypocritical in his handling of the issue during the affair.[84] According to Geoff Kitney, a Fairfax journalist who has covered immigration since the 1980s, his explanation of the terms of the agreement left the impression that, at the very least, he knew it would be difficult to show that the deal was not a cave-in.[92] The Sri Lankan government said that the deal would encourage more people to risk the ocean journey to Australia.[85] A UNHCR representative told The Australian that the deal was bad practice and would encourage similar behaviour.[93]

By March 2010, 100 asylum seeker boats had been intercepted within Australian waters under the Rudd government.[94]In April, the Rudd government suspended processing new claims by Sri Lankan and Afghan asylum seekers, who comprised 80 percent of all boat arrivals, for three and six months, respectively.[95] A boatload of refugees arrived daily in May 2010, causing overcrowding on Christmas Island. West Australian Premier Colin Barnett has been told by Evans that up to 90 asylum seekers would move to an unused mining camp near Leonora, more than 800 kilometres (500 mi) north-east of Perth.[96]

Government policy towards unauthorized boat arrivals remained controversial for the life of the Rudd Government. During the 2010 Labor leadership spill that resulted in Gillard replacing Rudd as Prime Minister, Rudd told media on 23 June: "This party and government will not be lurching to the right on the question of asylum seekers, as some have counseled us to do."[97]The Gillard Government made a further series of adjustments to Labor policy and moved to restore offshore processing of asylum seekers in 2011.[98]

Resettlement programs

Despite an election promise to process 90 percent of claims for protection visas within 90 days, Immigration Department figures in October 2009 showed no improvement in the speed of processing claims since the change of government.[99] As a proportion of the immigration intake, Australia accepted fewer refugees in 2009 than it did at any time under the Howard government.[100]

The government had accepted more refugees from regional conflicts as the number of Africans fleeing to Australia declined. There had been a notable spike in Chin Burmese and Rohingya Burmese refugees being accepted from camps in Thailand and Bangladesh. Almost 1,400 Burmese refugees were accepted in the first six months of 2009.[101] They were quietly resettled in northern Brisbane, in spite of a nationalist backlash against refugees that was developing in Queensland.[102][103]

Industrial relations

Julia Gillard, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations

WorkChoices, the industrial relations regime introduced by the Howard government, was overhauled. Rudd's 2007 policy included the phasing out of Australian Workplace Agreements over a period of up to five years, the establishment of a simpler awards system as a safety net, the restoration of unfair dismissal laws for companies with under 100 employees (with a probation period of 12 months for companies with less than 15 employees), and the retention of the Australian Building and Construction Commission until 2010. It retained the illegality of solidarity action, the right of employers to lock workers out, restriction of union right of entry to workplaces, and restrictions on workers' right to strike. Rudd also outlined the establishment of a single industrial-relations bureaucracy called Fair Work Australia, which played a more interventionist role than the Howard Government's Fair Pay Commission.

Some unions claimed it to be "WorkChoices Lite", referring to the Howard government's 2005 amendments to the Workplace Relations Act, although the most fundamental elements were reversed.[107] Employer groups for the hospitality industry expressed concern over the legislation, suggesting more rigid and expensive wage and other outcomes with employees would be particularly difficult for many businesses to afford during an economic downturn.[108]

Communications

Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy

Construction of a national fiber to the node National Broadband Network (NBN) was a key Labor promise in the 2007 election. The government advertised for requests for a proposal to build the network on 11 April 2008 and the tendering period finished on 26 November. The expert panel selected to assess the tenders found that none of them met the Government's requirements. As a result, the Government announced on 7 April 2009 that it was establishing a joint public-private company to build the NBN. Construction of the first stage of the network was planned to begin in July, with the project being estimated to take 13 years to complete at a cost of $43 billion.[109]

Social policy

Indigenous affairs

Kevin Rudd on screen in Federation Square, Melbourne, apologising to the stolen generations.

At the commencement of the 2007 election campaign and following John Howard's promise to call a referendum for recognition of indigenous Australians in the Australian Constitution, Rudd and Shadow Minister for Indigenous Affairs Jenny Macklin offered "bipartisan support to a commitment for constitutional recognition, regardless of the outcomes of the federal election".[110] Two days prior to the election, Rudd told The Australian that Labor would not be proceeding with the policy "in the first term of a Rudd Labor government, if at all".[111] In-office, the Rudd Government did not pursue the issue further.

As the parliament's first order of business, on 13 February 2008, Rudd read an apology directed to Indigenous Australians for the stolen generations. The apology, on behalf of successive parliaments and governments, passed as a motion by both houses of parliament, and was publicly well received; most criticisms were of Labor for refusing to provide victims with monetary compensation as recommended in the Bringing Them Home report, and that the apology would not alleviate disadvantage amongst Indigenous Australians.[112][113] Rudd pledged the government to bridging the gap between Indigenous and non-indigenous Australian health, education and living conditions.[114] By signing the historic Close the Gap Statement of Intent on 20 March 2008, Rudd committed the government to achieving health equality in a way that respects the rights of indigenous people.[115][116][117]

One year after the apology, Michael Mansell, Amnesty International and stolen generations victim Marjorie Woodrow called for the government to provide reparations as recommended in the Bringing Them Home report.[118][119][120] In the first of the government's so-called 'indigenous report cards', delivered each year to parliament, Rudd said that new eye and ear health funding had been secured; noted that 80 houses for indigenous Australians had been built; said that the government had continued the Northern Territory Intervention; and gave his personal support to an initiative led by mining magnate Andrew Forrest to provide 50,000 indigenous jobs.[121]

A participant of the Return to Country movement protests against the Rudd government's decision to hand over some powers back to the NT government, in front of the State Library, Melbourne.

One of the government's first reforms was to the maintenance of Indigenous housing, 95 percent of which was federally administered. Many Indigenous housing organisations are being wound down, with state and territory governments responsible for managing of all fields of community housing.[122] Community housing in the Northern Territory has a life cycle of less than ten years.[citation needed]

In May 2009, the Rudd government handed over financial responsibility for 500 outstations – small communities in the Northern Territory – to the state government.[123] Under a policy called A Working Future, the state set out $160 million to develop twenty "Territory growth towns" into hubs for surrounding communities.[124] The towns would become economic and service centers, delivering all education and health services for the region and forcing people to move to be treated for diabetes, kidney and heart problems. Acting upon the advice of Patrick Dodson, the state agreed to maintain the $32 million of federal funding already in place for outstations. However, no new settlements would be approved, marking an end for the Return to Country movement.[citation needed]

After two and a half years, the government's $672 million Strategic Indigenous Housing and Infrastructure Program (SIHIP) had built only 11 of a planned 750 houses, and further funds were required for the project to retain its 2013 target completion date.[125][needs update]

LGBT rights

A paper put out by Tom Calmaand the HREOC in 2008 advocating for a new National Indigenous Representative Body

In April 2008 the government proposed greater recognition of LGBT rights in Australia by announcing reforms to the recognition of same-sex relationships in taxation, health, employment, superannuation, aged care and other areas. However, these changes would not affect marriage, IVFaccess, and adoption rights. Originally, 58 Commonwealth laws where gay couples faced discrimination were identified in the year-long Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission (HREOC) inquiry, "Same-Sex: Same Entitlements Inquiry", which was tabled in Parliament in June 2007.[126] An audit conducted by the government in early 2008 found around 100 Commonwealth laws where gay couples faced discrimination.[127][128] The last of the legislation to remove the discrimination that was identified in the reviews passed the Senate in November 2008.[129]

Australia 2020 Summit

In February 2008 Rudd announced the Australia 2020 Summit, held 19–20 April 2008, which brought together 1,000 leading Australians to discuss ten major areas of policy.[130] The summit voted in favour of a plebiscite on Australia relinquishing "ties" to the United Kingdom followed by a referendum on the model for an Australian republic,[131] a bill of rights, and the re-formation of an Indigenous peak representative body similar to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC), which had been abolished by the Howard Government in 2005.

In April 2009, Rudd announced that of the 962 recommendations of the summit, the following 9 would be adopted:[132]

·       A civilian regional disaster response organisation

·       An indigenous cultural centre

·       A national workplace mentoring program

·       Bionic eye research

·       An Asian scholarship program

·       A children's television channel

·       A business and schools roundtable

·       A carbon emission skills program

·       A tertiary education broadband network

The Keating Government

Economy

After succeeding from Hawke as Labor leader and prime minister, Keating reshuffled the Cabinet. Dawkins replaced Ralph Willis as Treasurer. In 1991 Australia was in the midst of a prolonged economic recession, with eight-quarters of declining economic growth. In response to these economic conditions, Keating announced the "One Nation" economic program in February 1992. Throughout his first year in office, unemployment continued to rise and with it government expenditure on welfare. In response, the government passed the Australian National Training Authority Act 1992 and Disability Discrimination Act 1992. Unemployment reached 11.4% at the end of 1992 – the highest level since the Great Depression.[6]

The Government introduced the Superannuation Guarantee in 1992 as part of a major reform package addressing Australia's retirement income policies. Since its introduction, employers have been required to make compulsory contributions to superannuation on behalf of most of their employees. This contribution was originally set at 3% of the employees' income, and has been incrementally increased.

A landmark workfare scheme known as "Working Nation" was implemented with the intention of providing work and training for the long-term unemployed,[7] while the Industrial Relations Act of 1993 created a set of minimum entitlements in the workplace, relating to equal remuneration for work of equal value, unpaid parental leave, termination of employment (including unfair dismissal), and minimum wages.[8] According to Bill Kelty, the industrial changes introduced by Keating government provided trade unions "with more rights to bargain and more protection than was afforded to unions in most other nations".[8] In addition, the Sex Discrimination and Affirmative Action Acts of 1986 were strengthened in 1992 by a series of amendments, with the SDA provisions extended to federal industrial awards and protections against sexual harassment in the workplace extended.[8]

A number of adjustments were made to the social wage during Keating's five years in office. These included the introduction of an Earnings Credit Scheme, which enabled pensioners to earn extra income without losing their pension payments,[9] a nonincome-tested Child Care Cash Rebate and a Home Child Care Allowance, the latter of which was paid directly to full-time carers of children in the home,[10] a maternity allowance,[11] a Commonwealth Dental Health Program,[12] the Mature Age Allowance (an early retirement scheme for unemployed disadvantaged Australians over the age of sixty),[13] a Parenting Allowance (a payment for parents with children at home and with very little personal income), and an Additional Parenting Allowance to the partners of unemployed workers.[8]

The system of rental assistance was made more generous, with the maximum rates of Rent Assistance rates increased in real terms between March 1993 and September 1994 by 138.9% for families with three or more children, by 109.2% for families with one or two children, by 90.5% for single recipients without children, and by 79.5 for couples without children. These increased rates were protected by inflation as the rates had been indexed twice yearly from March 1991 onwards. Students in receipt of the homeless rate of AUSTUDY or ABSTUDY were also made eligible for rental assistance.[10]

The Keating Government also made improvements to the family benefits system, continuing a major policy of the Hawke Government. In 1987, the Hawke Government established benchmarks for the adequacy of maximum level family payments (i.e. payments to social security recipients and low-income working families) to ensure that they provided effective assistance to those in need. These benchmarks were set at percentages of the pension rate, and were therefore linked indirectly to Average Weekly Earnings. From a value of 11.9% of the combined married pension rate, the value of the Family Allowance Supplement was set to increase to 15% for children under 13 years old and to 20% for children aged between the ages of 13 and 15. These benchmarks were increased by the Keating Government in 1992 and again in 1995 to reach 16.6% and 21.6%, respectively.[14]

The Keating Government sold government business enterprises Qantas, CSL Limited and Commonwealth Bank.

Immigration

The Keating Government pursued a multiculturalist immigration policy.

The Keating government introduced mandatory detention for asylum seekers with bipartisan support in 1992.[15] Mandatory detention would become increasingly controversial under the succeeding Howard coalition government.

Culture and society

The government's agenda under Keating included creating an Australian republic, reconciliation with Australia's Indigenous population, and furthering economic and cultural ties with Asia. Keating and his supporters styled his approach to social policy as "Big Picture" politics.[16] Keating embarked on a legislative program included establishing the Australian National Training Authority (ANTA), the establishment of the "Creative Nation" cultural policy in October 1994 (which significantly increased funding for the arts, established SBS independent and allocated funding for the Australian Interactive Media Industry Association and other new media initiatives),[17] a review of the Sex Discrimination Act 1984, and native title rights of Australia's Indigenous peoples following the "Mabo" High Court decision.[citation needed]

Republican nationalism

In February 1992, Paul Keating announced that he wanted Australia to change its national flag because it contained the union jack within its design. Later that month, Queen Elizabeth IIvisited Australia for the Sydney Council's 150th anniversary and Keating greeted the Queen with a speech in which he spoke of a growing "national purpose" and "independence" in Australia. He was then accused by the British press of breaching protocol by putting his arm around the Queen's back.[18][19] When queried about these events in Parliament on 27 February 1992, Keating launched a repudiation of Australian ties to Britain and called the Liberals "'bootlickers" and "lickspitters" and accused them of "cultural cringe to a country which decided not to defend the Malay peninsula, not to worry about Singapore, not to give us our troops back to keep ourselves free from Japanese domination".[20] The Liberal-National Opposition, led by Dr John Hewson, called the republican agenda a "distraction" from Australia's economic problems, criticised Keating's attack on Britain's war effort as a fiction and argued that Australia had already long since established independence from Britain. Australians for Constitutional Monarchy was established by Michael Kirby to counter the republican movement. Republicanism was however to become a key goal of Keating's cultural agenda for Australia.[19]

With the House of Windsor suffering its 1992 "annus horribilis", the republican cause became widely supported in the nation's newspapers, but Keating's comments about the flag and Britain's war record outraged groups like the Returned Services League (RSL), whose membership still consisted of veterans of the First and Second World Wars, and a ban on republicans from entering their clubs was announced for ANZAC Day 1992. The opposition and many observers called Keating's comments insensitive on the basis of such factors as the sinking of HMS Prince of Wales and HMS Repulse in the defence of Singapore. RSL President, Brigadier Alf Garland, called Keating "an Irish republican bigot". On 27 April 1992, Keating visited Kokoda in a conspicuous effort to shift Australia's war remembrance focus away from our role in assisting Britain at Gallipoli and in Europe in the First World War and towards Australia's Pacific War effort, and the New Guinea Campaign which saw Australian soldiers halt the advance of Japanese troops.[19]

Keating proceeded with measures to remove the symbolism of Monarchy in Australia – removing reference to the Queen from Citizenship and Ministerial Oaths. In a 1993 Election policy launch, Keating argued that Australia would be "better able to succeed in the world" with an Australian head of state and announced a committee of "eminent persons" to develop a discussion paper for transition to a republic to coincide with the 2001 Centenary of Federation. Following the 1993 Election, Keating announced that his vision for a republic had been endorsed and that he would move ahead with plans for referendum. In April 1993, the establishment of a Republic Advisory Committee was announced. Keating advocated a minimalist change model involving parliamentary appointment of a president – this was criticised by members of the ALP left and by the new leader of the Australian Democrats, Cheryl Kernot who wanted more substantial change, such as direct election.[19]

On 18 September 1993, Keating met with the Queen at Balmoral Castle and outlined his republican program, which involved a referendum for a transition to a republic by 2001, but for Australian to remain within the Commonwealth of Nations. The Republic Advisory Committee, chaired by Malcolm Turnbull of the Australian Republican Movement, submitted its report to the Government on 5 October 1993 and Keating announced a working party of ministers to develop a paper for cabinet. Keating ultimately put forward a minimalist republican model.

Alexander Downer became Opposition Leader in May 1994 and developed an alternative policy for examining constitutional reform – proposing a Constitutional Convention be held sometime after the 1996 Election to establish a consensus on the republican question. John Howard, a constitutional monarchist, succeeded Downer in 1995, but maintained the Coalition's commitment to this proposal. Howard, in contrast to Keating, spoke in favour of the constitutional monarchy, the Australian flag and traditions like the commemoration of ANZAC Day.[19]

In June 1995, in a televised speech to Parliament entitled "An Australian Republic The Way Forward", Keating outlined a minimalist plan for a republic involving a president selected by a two-thirds majority of Parliament, following nomination by the Prime Minister and Cabinet. The reserve powers and ceremonial duties of the Governor General were to be maintained. This the government proposed be put to a referendum in 1998 or 1999.Howard went on to win the 1996 Election and established the Australian Constitutional Convention 1998, which settled on a similar republican model to that proposed by Keating, which was put to the people by the Howard Government in the 1999 Australian republic referendum.[19]

Aboriginal affairs

Keating gave a high priority to progressing and defining Aboriginal Reconciliation. Robert Tickner was the Federal Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs from 1990 to 1996.

The Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation was established in February 1992 and in 1993 the Government passed the Native Title Act in response to the High Court's historic decision in Mabo v Queensland. It was Australia's first national native title legislation. Six months after the Mabo Decision, Keating delivered his Redfern Park Speech to launch the International Year for the World's Indigenous People. Written by Keating's advisor Don Watson, it articulated the philosophical backdrop to the Keating Government's subsequent Native Title Act and Land Fund and Indigenous Land Corporation (ATSIC Amendment) Act 1995, which amended the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission Act 1989 to establish the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Land Fund and Indigenous Land Corporation. Little noticed at the time, the Redfern Speech is now recognised by many observers as historic and significant. Addressing remarks to non-indigenous Australia, Keating said:

It begins, I think, with the act of recognition. Recognition that it was we who did the dispossessing. We took the traditional lands and smashed the traditional way of life. We brought the disasters. The alcohol. We committed the murders. We took the children from their mothers. We practised discrimination and exclusion.

In 1994, a group of Ngarrindjeri women claimed that a bridge development was being constructed at a sacred Aboriginal site for "secret women's business". The veracity of these claims was later rejected by other elders and leading to the Hindmarsh Island bridge controversy. Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Robert Tickner issued an emergency declaration blocking work on the bridge, and then appointed a lawyer, Professor Cheryl Saunders OA, to report on the significant Aboriginal sites. As a part of this process some of these cultural secrets were written down and sealed in two envelopes marked Confidential: to be read by women only and forwarded to Tickner with the assessment. On 10 July 1994, Tickner placed a 25-year ban on the bridge construction putting the marina in doubt and bringing the Chapmans close to bankruptcy.[21] The 1995 Hindmarsh Island Royal Commission called by the South Australian State Government ultimately found that the claims had indeed been fabricated, and Tickner became the focus of criticism.

In the final weeks of the Keating Government, Pauline Hanson, a Liberal candidate running for the traditionally Labor electorate of Oxley criticised the Keating Government's approach to indigenous affairs and immigration, saying that Aboriginal people were being given preferential treatment at the expense of others in need. Hanson was dis-endorsed by the Liberals, but only after ballot paper had been printed with her listed as a Liberal.[22] She went on to win the seat and further denounce Keating's cultural and economic agenda in her controversial Maiden Speech to Parliament, saying: "We now have a situation where a type of reverse racism is applied to mainstream Australians by those who promote political correctness and those who control the various taxpayer funded "industries" that flourish in our society servicing Aboriginals, multiculturalists and a host of other minority groups".[23]

Foreign affairs

The Keating Government was the first Australian Government to operate in a post-Cold War international environment. In foreign policy, the Government developed bilateral links with Australia's neighbours, in particular with Indonesia, and took an active role in the development of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation Forum (APEC), initiating the annual leaders' meeting.

Gareth Evans, as one of Australia's longest serving Ministers for Foreign Affairs was active in developing the United Nations peace plan for Cambodia, concluding the Chemical Weapons Convention, founding the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) forum and the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF), as well as initiating the Canberra Commission on the Elimination of Nuclear Weapons.[24]

Keating chose Indonesia as his first international visit as prime minister. President Suharto was also seeking closer ties, but the Australia-Indonesia relationship remained complicated by the East Timor situation, including the violent repression of East Timorese independence supporters in Dili in 1992. Keating lobbied various Asian nations and the United States to push for the development of APEC (established in 1989) as a regional forum for heads of government meetings to further economic co-operation in the Asia Pacific. Bill Clinton was elected in 1993 and became a supporter of the plan, while Malaysia's Prime Minister Mahathir remained sceptical.[6] Keating dismissed Mahatir as a "recalcitrant", resulting in a diplomatic incident, straining bilateral relations[6] Nevertheless, Keating's broader hopes for APEC were ultimately achieved.

Defence

The Hawke Government committed Australian naval forces to the 1991 Gulf War in support of the United States led coalition against the Saddam HusseinIraqi regime's invasion of neighbouring Kuwait. Following the end of the Cold War, the 1990s was a busy period for United Nations peacekeeping missions, and the Keating Government committed Australian forces to various theatres: at one point during 1993, Australia had some 3000 peacekeepers committed to the field, including a large number in Cambodia and Somalia. Foreign Minister Gareth Evans had taken a leading role in the organisation of a peace settlement for Cambodia in the aftermath of the genocidal regime of Pol Pot and Australia contributed the force commander. While the United Nations intervention in Cambodia was largely successful, the Somali intervention ended poorly. The following year, the Rwandan genocide commenced in Central Africa, and, following the Somali experience, the international community was this time slow to intervene. The Keating Government despatched medical staff to aid in the belated UN Mission to that nation.[25]

As part of his broader agenda for shifting Australia away from its old allegiances, Paul Keating was keen to improve defence ties with Indonesia. The ongoing occupation of East Timor by Indonesia by the undemocratic Suharto Government and events like the 1991 Dili massacre, contributed to a large degree of popular disapproval of closer defence ties to Indonesia, nevertheless, Keating announced the conclusion of a security agreement with Jakarta in 1995. Opposition Leader Alexander Downer criticised the government for negotiating the security treaty in secret.[26]

1993 election

Most commentators believed the 1993 federal election was "unwinnable" for Labor; the government had been in power for 10 years, the pace of economic recovery was slow and unemployment was its highest rates since the Great Depression.[6] Opposition Leader John Hewson took the unusual step of releasing Fightback!, a detailed series of economic policies proposals, well in advance of the 1993 Election. Central to the reforms was the inclusion of a Goods and Services Tax. In its 1992 One Nation Policy, The Keating Government responded by promising to match the income tax proposals contained within Fightback!, but promising no GST. To demonstrate strength of intent, Keating promised two rounds of income tax cuts, legislating them and describing them as "L-A-W law". However, the tax cut law was repealed following the election, with the government instead announcing the money would be put into superannuation.[27]

The Labor Party then launched a high-profile media campaign against the Coalition's GST.[28] Keating told voters: "if you don’t understand it, don’t vote for it and if you do understand it, you’d never vote for it".[29] Campaigning against the consumption tax dominated Keating's Election Campaign launch at the Bankstown Town Hall.[6]

Keating's cultural agenda featured less prominently in the campaign, but proposals for furthering a republic remained a backdrop to the election.

Labor succeeded in winning back the electorate with a strong campaign opposing Fightback and its GST, and a promised focus on creating jobs coming out of the recession. Keating led Labor to an unexpected election victory, with an increased majority, and his "true believers" victory speech became famous. "This", remarked Keating, "Is the sweetest victory of all".[6][30][31]

, indigenous title to land, and industrial relations policy were major issues of the Keating Government's second term.[32]

In July 1993, a budget deficit for 1992-3 was disclosed at $14.6 billion. Treasurer Dawkins outlined a 1993–1994 budget projection for a $16.8 billion deficit (3.8% of GDP) but promised to bring down the deficit to 1% of GDP by 1996–7. Unemployment remained at 11%. The current account of the balance of payments was in deficit at $15.4 billion and forecast to rise to $18 billion. Debt financing for public sector borrowing amounted to $20.3 billion in 1992-3 and was also projected to rise. The government had supplemented expenditure through asset sales, such as the sale of Qantas. Treasurer Dawkins resigned from Parliament in December 1993, citing a desire to spend more time with his family.[33]

In its second term of office, the Keating Government lost four senior ministers: Graham Richardson resigned involuntarily in March 1994.[34] This was at the same time as the involuntary resignation of Ros Kelly over the Sports rorts affair.[34] Following the resignation of treasurer John Dawkins former WA Premier Carmen Lawrence entered parliament and the ministry. However she was unable to contribute as effectively as might have been expected due to controversy[34] over the Royal Commission into the Easton affair.

Following the 1993 election loss, the Liberal Opposition initially retained John Hewson as leader, but in 1994 elected the younger Alexander Downer as leader. Downer failed to make inroads against Keating and in 1995 the party turned to John Howard a former opposition leader, who had also been Treasurer in the Fraser Government which had been defeated by the Hawke-Keating Labor ticket in 1983. The veteran leader restored the Liberal's electoral fortunes and led the Coalition to defeat Paul Keating at the 1996 federal election.

By the time of the 1996 election, unemployment was at a lower rate than at the previous 1993 election, and interest rates were lower than they had been in 1990, but foreign debt had been growing.[6] The Keating Government was projecting a small budget surplus. Following the election, an $8 billion deficit was confirmed.[35] In his 18 February 1996 Policy Launch Speech, Opposition Leader John Howard emphasised that Labor had been in office a long time, and cited high inflation, a poor current account deficit and high national debt as evidence of bad economic management. He called for industrial relations reform and proposed an increased spending on environmental challenges, to be in part funded by the partial sale of telstra. He also promised to restore the prime minister's attendance at question time in parliament (which Keating had reduced in his final term).[36]

The Coalition won government in a landslide – with the Liberal Party increasing its House of Representatives seats from 49 to 75 and the National Party, led by Tim Fischer, increasing its seats, from 16 to 19, giving the coalition a 55-seat majority to the Coalition. On 11 March 1996, John Howard became the 25th Prime Minister of Australia.[37]

The 13-year Hawke-Keating Government saw the longest period in office for the Australian Labor Party in its century of existence.

The Hawke Government

OPENING UP AUSTRALIAN ECONOMY

Together with his treasurer Paul Keating, Hawke launched critical reforms that opened up Australia’s economy, especially to Asia.

He made the crucial decision to float the Australian dollar and deregulate the financial system, which exposed the economy to global market forces and stimulated growth.

The Hawke Government also cut tariffs, forged a historic wage accord between big businesses and unions, and reformed the tax system, introducing fringe benefits and capital gains taxes.

He also privatised many government-owned institutions, such as the Commonwealth Bank and Qantas.

ESTABLISHING MEDICARE

The Hawke Government’s towering achievement is the establishment in 1984 of Medicare, Australia’s taxpayer-funded universal health care system.

EMBRACING THE ENVIRONMENT

Hawke went to the High Court to save Tasmania’s Franklin Dam, and he was influential in protecting the Daintree and Kakadu.

He also led an international campaign to protect Antarctica from mining.

SWEEPING SOCIAL REFORMS

His “proudest achievements” the large increase in the proportion of children finishing high school.

The Hawke Government also doubled of the number of childcare places, doubled public housing funds and increased the old-age pension.

FOREIGN POLICY

Hawke “radically deepened Australia’s engagement with Asia”, via his foreign policy and economic reforms.

He made Australia a major player on the global stage, and had a key role in ending apartheid in South Africa.

The Hawke Government also established the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC).

The Whitlam Government

● His government extricated Australia from the Vietnam War and abolished conscription. Australia had been fighting in South Vietnam since 1962. Two years later conscription was introduced but the first wave of baby boomers rebelled and eventually they, and their elders, took to the streets in moratorium nationwide marches that saw mass civil disobedience reflect the prevailing view. Labor's anti-war policy became one of Whitlam's most powerful election campaign assets.

● Whitlam took the demonology out of foreign policy, recognising China after the Coalition had refused contact with Beijing for 24 years. Whitlam ripped the rug from beneath Bill McMahon when he led a Labor delegation to China in July 1971 and the Coalition prime minister accused him of being a Communist pawn only to see United States President Richard Nixon announce his proposed visit to China a week later. Whitlam also attempted to redefine the alliance with the US.

● Medibank, the precursor to Medicare, was established.

● Social welfare reforms included the supporting mother's benefit and welfare payment for homeless people. Before 1973 only widows were entitled to pension payments, so other women who were raising children alone faced invidious choices. But the pension payment gave single mothers choices and options around the raising of their children. It also helped remove old stigmas around single mothers.

● Equal pay for women: One of the first acts of the Whitlam government was to reopen the National Wage and Equal Pay cases at the Commonwealth Conciliation and Arbitration Commission. The 1972 Equal Pay case meant that Australian women doing work similar to that done by men should be paid an equal wage. Two years later the commission extended the adult minimum wage to include women workers for the first time.

● The Postmaster-General's Department was replaced by the twin-headed Telecom and Australia Post.

● The Australian Legal Office and Australian Law Reform Commission were set up.

● The death penalty for Commonwealth offences was abolished. Melbourne escapee Ronald Ryan was the last man executed in Australia on February 3, 1967, for shooting a prison guard. Victoria and some state governments (not NSW which abolished capital punishment for murder in 1955) remained proponents of the death penalty. Whitlam's reforms led to the 2010 federal legislation prohibiting the reinstatement of capital punishment in all Australian states and territories.

● The Family Law Act providing for a national Family Court was enacted, and simplified, non-punitive divorce laws were introduced.

● The Whitlam government also established needs-based funding for schools after appointing Peter Karmel to head a committee examining the position of government and non-government primary and secondary schools throughout Australia. Karmel's report identified many inequities in the funding system, which for the first time led to the federal government providing funding to state schools.

● A free university education was briefly available to all Australians. In Whitlam's three years of government, participation in higher education increased by 25 per cent, to 276,559 enrolments. The main beneficiaries were women.

● Amid widespread business and union opposition, in 1973 the Australian economy was opened to the world by a 25 per cent cut in tariffs across the board. An early forerunner of the Productivity Commission was established as was the Trade Practices Act and a predecessor of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.

● The Australian Assistance Plan to fund regional councils and employment projects continues in the concepts of "social planning" and "community development".

● The National Sewerage Program connected suburban homes to sewerage. The government spent $330 million on the program before it was cancelled by the Fraser government but in Sydney the backlog of unsewered properties fell from 158,884 in 1973 to 95,505 in 1978. Similarly, in Melbourne, the backlog was reduced from 160,000 in 1972-73, to 88,000 in 1978-79.

● The Whitlam government reduced the voting age to 18 and provided the Northern Territory and Australian Capital Territory with representation in the Senate.

● It replaced God Save the Queen with Advance Australia Fair as the national anthem.

● Queen Elizabeth became Queen of Australia when she signed her assent to The Royal Style and Titles Act 1973. The legislation also deleted the traditional reference to the Queen as Head of the Church of England by removing "Defender of the Faith" from her Australian titles.

● An Order of Australia replaced the British Honours system.

● The Racial Discrimination Act 1975 conferred rights to equality before the law and bound the Commonwealth and the states to the International Convention on the Elimination of all Forms of Racial Discrimination.

● The Department of Aboriginal Affairs was set up and the first Commonwealth legislation to grant land rights to indigenous people was drafted. The subsequent Malcolm Fraser government passed the legislation.

● Land title deeds were handed to some Gurindji traditional lands owners in the Northern Territory in 1975, a real and symbolic gesture that became a touchstone for the land rights movement.

● The Whitlam government also established the National Gallery of Australia, the Australia Council for the Arts, the Australian Heritage Commission. It introduced FM radio, pushed for the setting up of 2JJ, a radio established to support Australian music and connect with young Australians. It set up multicultural radio services – 2EA Sydney and 3EA in Melbourne – and issued licences to community radio stations for the first time.

● The Australian film industry flowered and the Australian Film and Television School, an idea of a previous Coalition prime minister, John Gorton, was opened.

● The reorganisation and modernisation of Labor's policy platform saved the ALP from its past.

● Papua New Guinea became independent on September 16, 1975, after being administered from Australia since the First World War.