A Lonely War on Terror: An Australian MDS

[Sir Humphrey]

In 1945, the Commonwealth of Australia was at a crossroads. Britain could no longer be relied upon to protect the continent from attack, as was demonstrated in the dark days of 1942. It was hence that Australia turned to the United States for that support and protection, and would form the basis of Australian foreign policy for the next 70 years. Throughout the spectre of the cold war era Australia involved herself in localised wars in South East Asia. First to support the United Nations effort in Korea, then diplomatic support to the mother country during the Suez Crisis in 1956, troops were sent to Vietnam in support of the United States, again in the 1990 Gulf War, and again in 2003. Australia did not limit herself to these operations, the restoration of East Timor as a free and democratic nation was undertaken, support to Papua New Guinea and the Solomon islands, further strengthening Australia’s role in Oceania.

Menzies, Whitlam, Howard

Since 1945, the Australian political landscape had been dominated by three men, Sir Robert ‘Pig Iron Bob’ Menzies, a fervent royalist, was the longest serving Prime Minister between 1949 and 1966. Although Gough Whitlam's Prime Ministership would be one of the most turbulent in the history of Australia, the end resulting in a disastrous constitutional crisis and the sacking of the labour government in 1975, after the failure of supply to pass through the senate. This turbulent time gave way to the 1980s, and a change in the nature of Australian politics, where successive labour governments under Bob Hawke and Paul Keating gave way to the third dominating figure in the landscape, that of John Winston Howard.

After defeating Paul Keating and the labour party in the 1996 election, John Howard, along with his treasurer Peter Costello sought to address the many issues that faced the country towards the end of the twentieth century. Balance of trade has declined and foreign debt has risen intolerably under the labour governments - though through no fault of their own economic policies. During the 1998 election, there were two dominate issues, that of tax reform and the views of ultra conservative and politically incorrect One Nation and its leader Pauline Hanson. Despite a swing against the government, the Liberal - National coalition maintained the number of seats needed to form a government. The second term was enthralled in the East Timor peacekeeping venture and the introduction of the GST. During 2001, although economically a success, the government faced political unpopularity, loosing a number of ‘safe’ seats, such as the electorate of Ryan. However in August and September the so called ‘Tampa Crisis’ occurred, in which asylum seekers trying to enter into Australia were rescued by the Norwegian freighter MV Tampa, and was refused into Australia, as was the immigration policy. Domestic insecurity after this and the terrorist attacks in the United States, the Liberal - National coalition were returned with a comfortable majority.

Building on this lead, the government was rocked by the ‘Children Overboard Scandle’ - the result of the Tampa Crisis enquiry. The Bombing in Bali in 2002 was another event in which the incumbent took with stride. In 2003, Australia assured her support for the United States and Great Britain in the Second Gulf War, which drew not only large scale condemnation from the public, but also within the ranks of the Liberal - National coalition. Bitter debate followed about Iraq, and in late 2004, John Howard called a fresh election.

The Labour party, now under the leadership of Mark Latham, although leading in the opinion polls, lost ground to the coalition, and the government parties now controlled the senate. On the agenda for this term was the full privatisation of the federal owned Telstra communications company, a wide ranging set of Industrial Relation reforms bitterly opposed by the unions and the electorate (between 72 and 93% in some polls conducted in October 2005) and the introduction of Voluntary Student Unionism to the Universities. The senate majority held by the government was only one, and Barnaby Joyce a Queensland senator has already crossed the floor and voted against the government.

In late 2005, the government sought to increase its anti terror laws, including the shoot to kill policy and detention without charge for longer periods of time, including sedation laws. In conference with the state premiers whose government would ultimately enact and enforce the laws, they are in debate over the laws, the shoot to kill policy particularly unwelcome by the states. On the Second of November 2005, it was revealed that a terrorist attack was immanent. On the Eighth of November 2005, anti terror raids were conducted in Sydney and Melbourne with seventeen arrests being made.

Anti-Terror Raids in Sydney

With many problems facing the federal government at this point in time, and with problems at the state level ranging from the Hospitals crisis in Queensland, and the drought in NSW, Australia faces many questions, for which she only has a few answers.

[Oranje Verzet]

Supercool!

Will be following this one, if it was only because im going Down Under next year. I hope they dont shoot me or put me too jail just like that, damn no more crazy things i can do...

Good luck, Sir!

[cthulhu]

Cool stuff, I'll be following this one.

[Lord E]

Very nice start, I will be reading this

[kenneththegreat]

thumbs up, Sir Humphrey, i must get around to it myself once

[coz1]

Interesting, SH. I've always liked Howard so it will be interesting what he and Australia do.

[Zauberfloete]

... Sir Humprey writing an AAR on MDS! Whoa! Nice! Good look with Australia!

[Estonianzulu]

Excellent, get to watch MDS in action, before i figure out how to work it...

[VILenin]

Very good, Sir Humphrey! It will be nice to have a serious AAR about MDS2 as opposed to my rather silly one. Good luck with Australia.

[Phoenix Dace]

Excellent! I look forward to reading more of this.

[Earth's Savior]

Nice AAR. I wish you better luck with MDS2 than I had.

[SirCliveWolfe]

Interesting start Sir Humphrey...

[Sir Humphrey]

Oranje Verzet, good to see you coming down, though about the other stuff....
cthulhu, thanks for the support.
Lord E, thanks old chum.
kenneththegreat, the more the merrier!
coz1, you may like him in RL, but well this shall be interesting...
Zauberfloete, yep this project really caught my attention, and I would like to send a big thanks to everyone who worked on this.
Estonianzulu, alrighty! Hehe.
VILenin, thanks I shall probablt need it.
Phoenix Dace, good to have you on board.
SirCliveWolfe, thanks.

[Sir Humphrey]

In late 2005, Australian foreign attention and policy was directed perpetually Northwards. Throughout the existence of Australia, the Asiatic nations were to prove both friends and enemies, the so called ‘yellow peril’. After the fall of Singapore in 1942, viewed as a bastion of defence at the time was lost; ‘He is coming South’ became a popular phrase. However after the end of the Second World War, this changed to the threat of Communism, however by the twenty-first century, Australia has found herself both with Asia as her greatest friend and enemy. Reliant on Japan and China for trade, the question of the relationship with Indonesia, the archipelago nation above Australia was problematic. With a number of bombings in Bali by the radical Islamic group Jamiya Islamiya, the Australian relationship although not perfect, was brought closer together after the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami disaster. Australian Foreign affairs rotated around the relationship with Indonesia, with pressure being applied on the Indonesian government to crackdown in Islamic fundamentalists. Australian - Indonesian relations were strained over the crisis in East Timor, when after a United Nations backed plebiscite on Independence, Indonesian backed militia burnt Dili to the ground. Australian Foreign policy towards the other members of the Pacific community, and New Zealand have been both a mixture of success and failure. The relationship with New Zealand has been strained in the past, especially over the ANZUS Treaty, in which New Zealand refused entry of nuclear powered US warships into her ports. Australia’s relationship with the other Pacific nations has been mixed as well, with Australia acting as both the bigger brother and protector, and the holder of the Pacific Solution after the Tampa Crisis. Australian police have been operating closely in Papua New Guinea and in the Solomon Islands, supporting the governments, in order to avoid the pitfall of having ‘failed states’ in the Pacific, a potential haven for terrorists and other activities.

Alexander Downer - Foreign Minister

Alexander Downer, former party leader whilst in opposition, now Foreign Minister in the Howard government, as per the long standing government policy, maintained a close relationship with the United States, but also sought to maintain the presence of Australia in Oceania, with Australian involvement in Papua New Guinea of both an economic and political nature taking place.

However it was terrorism and the war upon it, that was atop the list of priorities of Australia, and when viewed in the context of the alliance framework with the United States it could be assumed that Australia would follow the lead of the United States. Like her mother country, Australia was deeply divided, as the remnants from the decision to support the war in Iraq have shown. Where as the United States looked to the Middle East and to a lesser extent South America, Australia looked to her Northern neighbour Indonesia. On the 11th of November Indonesian policy cornered the man behind the Bali Bombings, who rather than face justice, blew himself up. The threat of terrorism remains high, though no group has sought to target mainland Australia, there was however amble evidence from the arrests made in Sydney and Melbourne that such attacks were planned.

Barnaby Joyce & Steve Fielding - Rebel Senators

At home, the coalition (hence the term used to described the ruling Liberal - National Coalition Parties in the House of Representatives and the Senate) introduced the Industrial Relations reform bill, which despite fierce opposition both from the public and the unions, was passed through the House of Representatives, and only the senate had to pass the bill into law. For the average Australian worker it was a substantial kick in the stomach, the act rolling back years of hard won and hard fought for rights. In response, the state governments, spearheaded by Queensland Premier Peter Bettie and New South Wales Premier Morris Iemma, began preparing an appeal in the High Court, should the bills pass the Senate. With a government majority resting on the shoulders of either Nationals Senator Barnaby Joyce from Queensland or the fiercely evangelic family first Senator from Victoria Steve Feilding.

Peter Costello - Heir Apparent

However these two thorns had the reputation as wild cards; crossing the floor against the government, but also supporting them. The Labour party under the leadership of Kim Beasley, along with the Democrats, Greens and the few Independents will rely on the support of the two wayward coalition senators to block the bills. It was a tense time in the political arena, and coupled with the open leadership aims of the Treasury - Peter Costello and the growing discontent of the public with the policies of government, the government and the people (as much as they must be separated in political context) were looking in different directions. Parliamentary debate was fierce, however Australia was at a cross roads, with not only IR (Indsutral Relations) reforms in the pipeline, but changing the entire face of University life and availability, as well as tougher Anti-Terror legislation, it would be both events at home and abroad that would see Australia at a cross roads, between Isolationism and Interventionism.

Premier Beattie & Premier Iemma

[Maggern]

Brilliant!
Hope this one turns out great

[Lord E]

Nice update about the political situation of Australia, so is the Australian government planning to take some control in Indonesia using military force? Nice work so far, looking forward to see more

[VILenin]

Very good. Teaching me alot about Austrialian politics, that's for sure.

[Fiftypence]

Excellent start! I will be following.

[Oranje Verzet]

Aha so the big choice between intervening or not. Also a slider movement choice perhaps, the title already gives me a small hint, things are gonna get dicy down under.

Very good insight in Australian politics, very informative indeed for me.

[coz1]

The politics seem as difficult here as in RL. Good luck.