1. Lecture 7. Australia and new Zealand

2. Australia 6 states and 2 territories: New South Wales (Sydney)
Victoria (Melbourne)
Queensland
South Australia
Western Australia
Tasmania
Northern Territory
The Australian Capital Territory (Canberra)

3. The flag and the coat of arms

4. Population 23,7 million people 27% - born overseas
20% - at least one of the parents was born overseas
53% - both parents were born in Australia
(including Aboriginal population)
Top countries for overseas-born population:
the UK, New Zealand, China, India,
Italy, Vietnam, Philippines,
South Africa, Malaysia, Germany

5. Nearly 20 per cent of Australia's land mass is classified as desert
The driest continent with the exception of Antarctica

6. Mountain ranges: the Great Dividing Ranges, the MacDonnell Ranges, etc
Mountain ranges: the Great Dividing Ranges, the MacDonnell Ranges, etc. The highest point is Mount Kosciuszko, New South Wales, at 2228 metres above sea level.

7. The longest rivers: the River Murray and the Darling River The largest lake: Lake Eyre (salt), rarely fills entirely

8. Coastline

9. Wildlife

10. History of Australia: Aborigines Early explorers Colonization
The Australian Gold Rush
Federation
WW1
WW2
The Independence

11. Aborigines (indigenous people)
Migrated from Asia ~ 30,000 years ago
Several hundred distinct groups
About 2% of the population
Ties with the land
Traditions of storytelling

12. Early Explorers
‘Terra Australis Incognita’ (the unknown southern land)
The Dutch reached it in 1606, ‘New Holland’
Other European explorers and traders
James Cook landed in Australia in 1770 (Botany Bay) and claimed the east coast for Britain: New South Wales

13. Colonization The 1st British colony was established
in 1788 (now Sydney) – around 1,350 people
The second fleet arrived in 1790 –
the “Death Fleet”
Convicts, 4 times more men than women
Colonies in New South Wales, Tasmania, Western Australia, Victoria, and Queensland.
Some ex-convicts moved to South Australia and the Northern Territory.

14. The Gold Rush After the Californian Gold Rush of 1849
Edward Hargraves used the skills acquired in California
Found gold in New South Wales in 1851
Then rich fields were found in Victoria
Gold diggers from Britain, the US, China…
The population of Australia doubled within 10 years

15. Federation The Father of Federation is Henry Parkes,
the Premier of New South Wales
In 1889 called for the colonies to unite
Proposed a meeting to devise a federal constitution
A draft in 1891, but few people took part in a referendum
Debates over a new capital
New referendums in 1899
The Federal Parliament, the 1st Prime Minister, the colonies became states
The Commonwealth of Australia was proclaimed on 1 January 1901

16. Australia in the First World War (WW1)
Australian volunteers
Total population was less than 5 mln, over 400,000 men enlisted
Over 60,000 killed, 156,000 wounded, gassed or taken prisoners
The Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC)
First sent to Egypt to fight against Turkey

17. Australia in the Second World War (WW2)
Britain declared war in 1939, Australia also declared war
Over 500,000 Australians served overseas:
against Germany and Italy in Europe and North Africa
against Japan in south-east Asia
Australian mainland came under direct attack for the first time: Japanese aircraft and submarines

18. Independence 1901 – the British Parliament passed legislation
allowing 6 Australian colonies to govern themselves
as the Commonwealth of Australia
1927 – the united Crown was replaced by multiple crowns:
the King of Australia
1931 – the Statute of Westminster: self-governing dominions
as autonomous communities equal in status –
the Commonwealth of Nations
1986 – Australia Act: the UK Parliament could no longer legislate for Australia, the UK was no longer involved in Australian government

19. Public Administration in Australia (1)the Queen of Australia (2) the Governor-General (3) the Prime Minister (4) the Cabinet and the Executive Council (5) Parliament (6) Political Parties

20. The Queen of Australia Plays ceremonial and symbolic roles
Referendum in 1999: Australia would remain
a constitutional monarchy, not a republic headed by the President

21. The Governor-General Sir Peter Cosgrove
(born in Sydney)
The Queen’s representative in Australia
Appointed by the Queen on the advice
of the Australian Prime Minister
The same role in Australia as the Queen in the UK:
-opens and dissolves the Australian Parliament
-appoints the Prime Minister and other ministers
-gives assent to laws passed by Parliament
-appoints federal judges and ambassadors
-receives and entertains official visitors
-sends congratulatory messages, etc
-the Commander-in-Chief

22. The Prime Minister The most powerful political position in Australia
The head of government, the most senior minister of the Crown
The leader of the Cabinet
The chairperson of the National Security Committee
The leader of the majority party or the largest party in a coalition
Malcolm Turnbull since September 2015

23. The Cabinet The Executive Council
The council of senior Ministers of the Crown
Appointed by the Governor-General on the advice of the Prime Minister
Responsible to Parliament
The Constitution doesn’t recognize the Cabinet as a legal entity
All members are also in the Executive Council
The Executive Council
Chaired by the Governor-General (at least in theory)
Established by the Constitution to advise the Governor-General.
Consists of all current and former ministers, including junior ministers.
But only current ministers are actually involved in the Council activities.
Meets only to give legal force to decisions made by the Cabinet.

24. The Commonwealth Parliament/ Federal Parliament
The legislative body.
Bills have to pass two houses in order to become law.
The House of Representatives: the lower house, “the people’s house”
- 150 single member electorate divisions, elections at least every 3 years
The Senate: the upper house, “the States’ house”
76 members, 12 from each state + 2 from each territory
Senators from states are elected for six years (half of senators every three years), senators from territories serve for 3 years

25. Political Parties Several dozen registered parties.
The two major parties are the Australian Labor Party
and the Liberal Party of Australia
The Australian Labor Party
The oldest political party, formed in the 1890s, represented in the 1st Parliament in 1901.
A moderate democratic socialist party (center-left)
“the party of opportunity and security for working people”
The Liberal Party of Australia
Formed in 1910, changed its name several times,
became the Liberal Party in 1944.
A center-right political party, conservative ideology, economic liberalism
The current prime minister is leader of the Liberal Party

26. The Federal National Party/ the Nationals
Traditionally represented farmers
and other rural voters,
began as the Australian Country Party,
changed its name in 1975.
The minor party in a center-right coalition with the Liberal Party
The Australian Greens
Launched in 1992,
state-based Greens since the early 1980s
Many other parties

27. New Zealand 2,000 km southeast of Australia North Island South Island
+ many smaller islands
The capital is Wellington

28. The flag and the coat of arms of New Zealand

29. Population 4,5 mln people 74 per cent - European ethnicities
14,9 per cent - Māori
11,8 per cent - Asian
7,4 per cent - Pacific peoples
1,2 per cent – Middle Eastern/ Latin American/ African
Three official languages: English, Māori, and New Zealand sign language

30. Mountains and volcanoes

31. Lake Taupo
Waikato River

34. The History of New Zealand
Maori settlements
The first Europeans
The Treaty of Waitangi
Colonial Period

35. Maori Settlement
The first settlers arrived from Polynesia between 1200 and 1300 AD
Ancestors of Maori
Developed a distinct Maori culture

36. The First Europeans The Dutch explorer Abel Tasman in 1642
Captain James Cook in later voyages
From the 1790s, British, French, and American whaling and trading ships.
Traded with Maori. Some conflicts, but mostly peaceful contact

37. The Treaty of Waitangi (1840)
The British government wanted to curb lawlessness
in New Zealand and to act faster than the French.
1840 – a treaty between the British Crown and more than 500 Maori chiefs
Protects the rights of Maori and non-Maori
The right of Maori tribes to organize themselves, protect their way of life and control their resources
Equality of all New Zealanders under law
New Zealand became a British colony, a part of the British Empire

38. Colonial Period: 19th century
The European population grew
from fewer than 1,000 in 1831 to 500,000 by 1881
Gold discovered in the 1860s
The New Zealand Constitution Act of 1852:
granted self-government to the Colony of New Zealand
the bicameral General Assembly: the Governor, the Legislative Council and the House of Representatives
the Executive Council nominally appointed by the Governor
the provinces of New Zealand
Conflicts between Europeans and Maori because of land, war in the North Island in the 1860s. The South Island settlements prospered
1893 – gave women the vote. State pensions and state housing

39. Colonial Period: 20th century
Declined the chance to join the Australian Federation in 1901
Gained partial independence in 1907: became a dominion within the British Empire
In WW1 and WW2 New Zealanders served and died overseas. Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC).
Full independence in 1947

40. Public Administration in New Zealand
The Queen of New Zealand
The Governor-General
The Government and the Prime Minister
Parliament
Election System
Political Parties

41. The Queen of New Zealand
A constitutional monarchy
The Queen has ceremonial and symbolic roles
Acts on the advice of New Zealand Government ministers
Appoints a Governor-General on the advice of the country’s Prime Minister
Elizabeth II: 10 visits to New Zealand during her reign

42. The Governor-General
Performs the same role in NZ as the Queen in the UK
dissolves Parliament before a general election
appoints the Government and the Prime Minister
signs legislation
opens new sessions of Parliament
presents honors
welcomes visiting Heads of State
attends Waitangi Day commemorations…
Rt Hon Dame Patsy Reddy

43. The Government and the Prime Minister
“Responsible government”: all Ministers should be elected members of the House of Representatives
The Prime Minister is “the first among equals”,
the Leader of the Cabinet,
the leader of the largest political party
in the House of Representatives John Key
The Cabinet: 20 members, most of them have
several functions.
All ministers are members of the Executive Council. The highest formal instrument of government. The Chairman is Governor-General

44. Parliament: the House of Representatives
Makes new laws and updates old ones
Approves the government’s taxes and spending
Checks the actions of the executive
Represents New Zealanders
From 1854 to 1951 consisted of three parts: the Governor, the House of Representatives (elected) and the Legislative Council (appointed).
The Legislative Council gradually became powerless and was abolished in 1951.
Now only one chamber: the House of Representatives. 120 members.

45. The Election System: Mixed Member Proportional Representation (MMP)
MMP was introduced in 1996
Each voter gets two votes:
For a political party (the party vote)
For an MP (the electorate vote)
MPs from single-member electorates and from party lists.
Almost impossible for a party to win a majority of seats.
The party with the most votes forms a coalition or agreement with another party or parties.

46. Political Parties: The National Party: 59 MPs, established in 1936
The largest partner in Government, the Prime Minister is the party leader
Loyalty to the country and its sovereign
National and personal security
Equal opportunity
Individual freedom and choice
Limited government…
The Labor Party: 32 MPs, established in 1916
Democratic socialist principles:
All the political authority comes from the people
All people should have equal access to all social, economic, cultural, political and legal spheres
Cooperation rather than competition in economic relations…

47. The Green Party: 14 MPs, established in 1995
New Zealand is a place where people respect
each other and the natural world we share
The New Zealand First Party: 12 MPs, established in 1994
To put New Zealand and New Zealanders first through enlightened economic and social policies, by placing control of New Zealand’s resources in the hands of New Zealanders, and by restoring faith in the democratic process
The Maori Party: 2 MPs, established in 2004
An initiative of Maori for the benefit of all citizens of this land
Commitment to the Treaty of Waitangi as the founding document of the nation