Howard Government

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John Howard in 2003

The Howard Government refers to the period between 11 March 1996 and 11 December 2007 in Australian politics when that country's national Government comprised a coalition of the Federal parliamentary caucuses of the Liberal and National parties. Throughout this period the government was led by Prime Minister John Howard, Treasurer Peter Costello, with] Alexander Downer as the Minister for Foreign Affairs. Philip Ruddock was Minister for Immigration (1996-2003) and Attorney General (2003-8).

Decisions of the Executive were made either by the Cabinet or by the appropriate Minister. Legislation was passed by the Australian Parliament; as well as its ongoing majority in the House of Representatives, the Government held a majority in the Senate for its fourth term.

[edit] First term: 1996–1998

Howard during a visit to the United States in 1997

See also: Australian federal election, 1996 and First Howard Ministry

The government did not have a majority in the Senate, and thus had to negotiate legislation through the Senate with either the Australian Democrats or the independents.^{[citation needed]} The Senate modified Government legislation, including the partial privatisation of the government-owned telecommunications company, Telstra; the modification of industrial relations laws to promulgate individual contracts; increases in university fees; large funding cuts in the 1996 and 1997 budgets; a 30% private health insurance rebate; and the Wik 10 Point Plan, giving extinguishment of native title on pastoral leases.^{[citation needed]}

A "Code of Ministerial Conduct"^[1] was introduced at the start of the term, and seven cabinet ministers (Jim Short, Geoff Prosser, John Sharp, David Jull, Brian Gibson, Bob Woods, and Peter McGauran) subsequently resigned following breaches of the code,^{[citation needed]} which included misuse of the ministerial travel allowance and conflicts of interest over share ownership. Prosser reportedly had improper business dealings and another two ministers (John Moore and Warwick Parer) were found to have breached the code.^{[citation needed]}

"A Guide on Key Elements of Ministerial Responsibility"], Dept of the Prime Minister & Cabinet</ref> at the start of his term

• A "work for the dole" system was introduced that required able-bodied social security recipients to seek work
• Following the Port Arthur massacre in April 1996, Howard coordinated action by the state governments to restrict the private ownership of semi-automatic rifles, semi-automatic shotguns and pump-action shotguns and raised the prospect of a referendum on gun control. May 10 that year he structured a "National Firearms Agreement" covering related matters such as uniform firearms licensing, although this was never fully implemented.
• Partial privatisation of the government-owned telecommunications company, Telstra
• Industrial relations laws modified to promulgate individual contracts
• University fees increased
• Large funding cuts in the 1996 and 1997 budgets
• Introduced 30% private health insurance rebate
• Wik 10 Point Plan, giving extinguishment of native title on pastoral leases

[edit] Second term: 1998–2001

See also: Australian federal election, 1998 and Second Howard Ministry

• Goods & Services Tax (GST) was introduced, replacing a range of taxes on specific goods with a flat rate on almost all goods and services.
• Following the August 1999 East Timor Special Autonomy Referendum result for secession from Indonesia and the subsequent "scorched earth" campaign by pro-Indonesian militias, Australia led a peacekeeping/policing force to East Timor. The mission was praised domestically and in several countries,^{[citation needed]} but seriously damaged relations with the Indonesian government.^{[citation needed]}
• As a partial offset for the GST, a $7,000 "first home buyers grant" (FHOG) was introduced in 2000.^[2]

[edit] Third term: 2001–2004

Howard and George W. Bush on 10 September 2001. Howard was in Washington DC during the September 11 terrorist attacks, the response to which occupied much of his third term in office

See also: Australian federal election, 2001 and Third Howard Ministry

The Governor General, Dr. Peter Hollingworth, faced allegations of not investigating Anglican ministers accused of paedophilia while he was Anglican Archbishop of Brisbane. Hollingworth subsequently resigned the governor-generalship.

In April 2002 changes where made to Australian nationality law that allowed Australian citizens who had acquired another country's citizenship to keep their Australian citizenship concurrently.^{[citation needed]}

Despite its victory in 2001, the government did not have a Senate majority, and its ability to pass planned legislation was restricted.

• Iraq
  • In March 2003, Howard joined 40 countries including the United Kingdom and the United States, in what US President George Bush referred to as the Coalition of the Willing in sending troops and naval units to support in the invasion of Iraq and the removal of Saddam Hussein from power. He told parliament:

Full disclosure by Iraq of its chemical, biological and nuclear weapons programs and immediate and total cooperation by Iraq with the provisions of resolution 1441 of the Security Council will remove the need for military action.^[3]

• • Australian opinion was deeply divided on the war and large public protests against the war occurred.^[4] Several senior figures from the Liberal party, including John Valder, a former president of the Liberal Party, and Howard's former friend and colleague, former Opposition Leader John Hewson and former Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser publicly criticised Howard over Iraq.^[5] John Valder's criticism was particularly strong, claiming that Howard should be tried and punished as a war criminal.^[6]
  • On Anzac Day 2004, Howard made a surprise visit to Australian defence personnel in Iraq. This came amid a bitter debate in Australia over the war following opposition leader Mark Latham's promise to return Australian troops by Christmas. Howard portrayed Latham as a threat to the U.S.-Australia alliance.

• Energy - On 6 May 2004, Howard convened a meeting with a group of energy industry representatives called the Lower Emissions Technology Advisory Group (LETAG). Although it met with the renewable energy sector separately, the Government was later criticised for not inviting them to this meeting. According to leaked minutes from the meeting, Howard would conclude that technology would be the long-term solution to greenhouse issues and his focus should be on ways to accelerate introduction of technology for reducing greenhouse gases, but that he was not looking for the establishment of public policy. Concerns about the cost and effectiveness of the current Mandatory Renewable Energy Targets (MRET) were also raised.^[7]

In May 2004, and with the help of the Australian Democrats,^[8] the Howard Government amended Australia's superannuation law to allow same-sex couples to inherit their partners' private sector superannuation.^[9] Announcing the May 2004 proposal, Howard said:

"The changes we are announcing today will provide greater certainty for the payment of super death benefits for those involved in interdependency relationships including, of course, members of same sex relationships"^[10]

The changes did not extend to members in Commonwealth superannuation schemes.^[9]

On 13 August 2004, the Senate passed the Howard Government's^[11] Marriage Legislation Amendment Bill^[12] which incorporated the common law definition of marriage—"the union of a man and a woman to exclusion of all others"—into the Marriage Act and the Family Law Act.^[13]

[edit] Fourth term: 2004–2007

Howard with Condoleezza Rice, Philip Ruddock and Alexander Downer in March 2006

See also: Australian federal election, 2004 and Fourth Howard Ministry

The Howard government revisited and secured the passage of previously blocked legislation, including:

• • industrial relations changes
  • the abolition of compulsory university student union fees and
  • liberalisation of media ownership laws (by lowering restrictions on media companies owning multiple different media).

It also instructed the Governor-General to disallow a legislation, the ACT Civil Unions Act.^[14]

• In April 2006, the government announced it had completely paid off the last of $96 billion of Commonwealth net debt inherited when it came to power in 1996.^[15] Economists generally welcomed the news, while cautioning that some level of debt was not necessarily bad, and that some of the debt had been transferred to the private sector.^{[16][verification needed]}

Industrial relations

Main article: WorkChoices

In 2005, Howard announced significant changes to industrial relations laws. These became the subject of a national publicity campaign by the government and pronounced opposition from community groups, the union movement and state Labor governments. On 15 November 2005, public rallies were held to protest against the industrial relations changes. An estimated 100,000-175,000 people attended rallies in Melbourne and around 300 other meetings and rallies, held concurrently around the country, were also well attended.^[17] These meetings were organised by various unions and community organisations with the help of Labor and the Greens. Due to the Coalition's slim majority in the Senate, the passage of the proposed laws was put in doubt following criticisms from Queensland National Party Senator Barnaby Joyce, although he later voted in support of the legislation. The industrial relations laws were passed without substantial change.

Anti-terrorism measures

In mid 2005, John Howard and his cabinet began discussions of new anti-terror legislation which includes modification to the Crimes Act 1914. In particular, sections relating to sedition are to be modified. On 14 October 2005, Jon Stanhope (Chief Minister of the ACT) took the controversial step of publishing the confidential draft of the Federal Anti-Terrorism Bill 2005 on his website.^[18] This action was both praised and criticised.^[19] Citing concerns about civil rights raised by the Australian National University as well as concerns over the speed of the legislation's passage through parliament, he later refused to sign off on a revised version of the legislation, becoming the only State and Territorial leader not to sign.^[20] The House of Representatives passed the anti-terrorism legislation which was debated in the Senate before its final implementation in December 2005.

On 2 November 2005 Howard held a press conference to announce that he had received information from police and the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) that indicated an imminent terrorist attack in Australia. Within a week, on 8 November, anti-terrorist raids were held across Melbourne and Sydney, with 17 suspected terrorists arrested, including Abdul Nacer Benbrika. These raids, according to Howard, demonstrated the need for his Anti-Terrorism Bill.^[21] Critics have also said that the press conference was held on the same day as the changes to industrial relations laws were introduced to Parliament.

Since Mohamed Haneef spent 12 days in jail without charges (he was suspected to have supported the perpetrators of the foiled terror attacks in London and Glasgow in July 2007), the anti-terrorism bill and its impact for the separation of powers in a democracy became more publicly discussed. When a judge found insufficient evidence for the charges against Haneef, Minister of Immigration Kevin Andrews withdrew his working visa. While the Howard government unequivocally backed Kevin Andrew's decision, members of the judicial community in Australia raised their concern about the interference of the government in judicial proceedings.^[22]

Mandatory detention policy

Main article: Mandatory detention in Australia

Throughout the first half of 2005, the Howard government faced pressure regarding the controversial mandatory detention program, introduced in 1992 by the Keating ALP government.

It was revealed in February that a mentally ill German citizen and Australian resident, Cornelia Rau, had been held in detention for nine months. The government then established the closed non-judicial Palmer Inquiry promising that the findings would be made public. In May, it was revealed that another Australian, subsequently identified as Vivian Solon, had been deported from Australia and that the department responsible was unable to locate her. By late May, it was revealed that an additional 200 cases of possible wrongful detention had been referred to the Palmer Inquiry.^[23] Also at this time Howard faced backbench revolt from small numbers of his own party demanding that reforms be made.^[24] On 9 June Australia's longest serving detainee, Peter Qasim, was moved to a psychiatric hospital.^[25]

In June, 2005, several backbenchers including Petro Georgiou challenged the Howard government's holding of asylum-seeker children in immigration detention centres.^[26] Over 2000 asylum-seeker children were held in detention centres during previous years. The longest period a child was detained was 5 years.^[27]

Under the agreement between Howard and the MPs, legislation was introduced to "soften" the detention system enacted in 1992. Detained families with children were moved out of detention centres and placed in "community detention", and people detained over two years received an ombudsman review.^[28] Questioned as to why the government had not acted sooner, Howard was quoted as saying: "We have to confess that was one of the many failings of this Government."^[28]

Energy

The Howard government did not sign the Kyoto Protocol, arguing that it did not set binding emission reduction targets for developing countries such as China and India.^[29]

On 6 June 2006, Howard announced a task force to conduct the "Uranium Mining, Processing, and Nuclear Energy Review", the terms of reference of which include "the extent to which nuclear energy will make a contribution to the reduction of global greenhouse gas emissions".^[30] Howard announced on 10 December 2006 the formation of a Prime Ministerial Task Group on Emissions Trading.^[31] On 3 February 2007, the Australian government announced that it could not by itself have a significant effect on mitigation of global warming, though it would continue to make efforts to cut greenhouse gases; it would be necessary for Australia to find means of adaptation.^[32] On 4 June 2007, Howard announced a new Carbon Trading Scheme to be in place in Australia by 2012. Only four months earlier, Howard rejected such a scheme by the states, claiming "knee-jerk reactions that are going to destroy the jobs of coalminers".^[33]

[edit] Social Policy

[edit] Gun Control

[edit] Baby bonus

[edit] First Home owners grant

[edit] Euthanasia veto

[edit] Gay marriage veto

[edit] Economic reform

Peter Costello was Treasurer throughout the Howard Government's period in office

[edit] GST

• insert 'Never ever' quote here

[edit] Industrial Relations

• workchoices 1 & 2

[edit] Nationhood

[edit] Republic referendum

[edit] Indigenous affairs

• The 10-Point Plan

[edit] Northern Territory intervention

In August 2007, the Howard government announced the Northern Territory National Emergency Response. This package of revisions to welfare provisions, law enforcement and other measures was advanced as a plan for addressing child abuse in Aboriginal Northern Territory communities that had been highlighted by the "Little Children are Sacred" report in mid-June.

Howard had been a long-time opponent of indigenous Native Title in Australia. Key components of the intervention included seizure by the Federal Government of local community land leases for a five year period and removal of the permit system that had allowed aboriginal communities to control access to their land.

The plan drew criticism from the report's authors for not incorporating any of the report's numerous recommendations^[34], however some aboriginal activists such as Noel Pearson provided qualified support for the intervention, as it provided the first sign of the Howard government taking any significant interest in aboriginal affairs. Commentators noted the approaching November federal election, suggesting that the intervention was an attempt at "wedge politics" and an appeal to middle class non-Aboriginal voters concerned with child abuse and racial issues.

[edit] Immigration

[edit] Tampa & Children overboard

In August 2001, the government refused permission for the Norwegian freighter MV Tampa, carrying a group of asylum seekers picked up in international waters, to enter Australian waters.^[35] When the Tampa entered Australian waters, Howard ordered the ship be boarded by Australian special forces. This brought censure from the government of Norway for Australia's failure to meet obligations to distressed mariners under international law at the United Nations.^[36] Many commentators cite the August 2001 Tampa controversy as the decisive issue in the 2001 election.^[37]

[edit] Skilled immigration

• Total immigration levels reached record levels under Howard. Skilled migration was emphasised over refugee and family reunion immigration.

[edit] Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs

• Citizenship test

[edit] National Security

Minister for Defence Dr Brendan Nelson signing an agreement which commits Australia to participate in the development of the F-35 Lightning II‎ fighter. Defence spending increased considerably during the Howard Government and the F-35 purchase will be the single most expensive defence acquisition in Australian history.

[edit] Defence

[edit] Border Protection

[edit] Pacific Solution

[edit] Mandatory detention policy

Main article: Mandatory detention in Australia

Throughout the first half of 2005, the Howard government faced pressure regarding the controversial mandatory detention program, introduced in 1992 by the Keating ALP government.

It was revealed in February that a mentally ill German citizen and Australian resident, Cornelia Rau, had been held in detention for nine months. The government then established the closed non-judicial Palmer Inquiry promising that the findings would be made public. In May, it was revealed that another Australian, subsequently identified as Vivian Solon, had been deported from Australia and that the department responsible was unable to locate her. By late May, it was revealed that an additional 200 cases of possible wrongful detention had been referred to the Palmer Inquiry, notable cases including Vivian Solon, Robert Jovicic, and Stefan Nystrom.^[23] Also at this time Howard faced backbench revolt from small numbers of his own party demanding that reforms be made.^[24] On 9 June Australia's longest serving detainee, Peter Qasim, was moved to a psychiatric hospital.^[25]

In June, 2005, several backbenchers including Petro Georgiou challenged the Howard government's holding of asylum-seeker children in immigration detention centres. ^[26] Over 2000 asylum-seeker children were held in detention centres during previous years. The longest period a child was detained was 5 years.^[38] Under the agreement between Howard and the MPs, legislation was introduced to "soften" the detention system enacted in 1992. Detained families with children were moved out of detention centres and placed in "community detention", and people detained over two years received an ombudsman review. ^[28] Questioned as to why the government had not acted sooner, Howard was quoted as saying: "We have to confess that was one of the many failings of this Government."^[28]

[edit] Foreign Affairs

Howard and other APEC leaders at APEC Australia 2007

[edit] East Timor

• Howard's letter
• InterFET

[edit] The War on Terror

[edit] Afghanistan

[edit] Iraq war

[edit] US Alliance

[edit] The David Hicks Affair

[edit] The Haneef Affair

[edit] 2007 election

Kevin Rudd (second from right) campaigning against WorkChoices on Labour Day 2007. The ALP's opposition to WorkChoices was a key factor behind its victory in the November election.

Main article: Australian federal election, 2007

In the 24 November election, the Coalition government was defeated, with a 5.44 percent swing against it nationwide. Howard, four of his ministers and 17 other Coalition MPs lost their seats in the defeat.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

• Australianpolitics.com

[edit] References

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