Australian Constitution and Citizenship

1. Citizenship in the New
Nation

2. Purpose of the constitution
To bring together the six colonies in a federation.
In order to do this the constitution:
- Created a new level of government, the Commonwealth
- government
- - Set out the rules for the relations between this new level of
government and the states, formerly the colonies
- - Set out the areas of responsibility of the Commonwealth and
states.
Symbolic, like a flag.

3. What can the constitution tell
us?
- Very useful in understanding the history, attitude
- and values of the day.
If it was written today, what would it include?

4. The first federal government cabinet
What does the photo tell us about the age, ethnicity
and gender of the first ministry?

5. Preamble
Wheres the people of New South Wales, Victoria
South Australia, Queensland and Tasmania, humbly
relying on the blessing of the Almighty God, have agreed
to unite in one indissoluble Federal Commonwealth under the
Crown of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland,
and under the Constitution hereby established:
And whereas it is expedient to provide for the admission
into the Commonwealth of Australasian Colonies and
possessions of the Queen:
Be it therefore enacted by the Queen’s most Excellent
Majesty…

6. Influences
Highly influenced by Britain and America.
Like America, Australian adopted the federal system.
i.e. power is divided between two levels of government -
The Commonwealth Government and the State Governments.
i.e. the States did not want to give up all their powers
to a central body.

7. Draft Constitution
Drafted in the 1891 and 1897 - 1898 Conventions.
The draft was then put to referendum.

8. Whereas ‘The People’
But who are ‘the people’???
Not actually a large percentage of the population -
‘The People’ really only refers to those
who can vote and stand for election, those who have
full political rights.

9. Aborigines in the
Constitution
2 references to Aboriginal people
Section 127: Stated that Aboriginal people were not to be
counted in the census of the Australian people, which would
be used to create electorates of roughly equal size
Section 51: Stated that the Commonwealth government
would not take any responsibility for policies to do with
Aborigines.
Aborigines were thus rendered invisible or ‘non-persons’
in the Constitution. No access to commonwealth
benefits such as invalid, old age pensions, a basic wage,
maternity.

10. The right to vote
Section 41: stated that all people who had the right to vote
in a colony would automatically have that right in the
Commonwealth elections.
At this time Aborigines, as British subjects, had the right to
vote in four colonies (not Queensland and Western Australia).

11. “The Commonwealth has power to deal with the people
of any and every race and every race within our borders
except the Aboriginal inhabitants of the continent who
remain under the custody of the states. There is that
single exception of a dying race, let us hope that in their
last hours they will be able to recognise not simply the
justice but the generosity of the treatment which the
white race, who are dispossessing them and entering
into their heritage are according them.”
Alfred Deakin, 1901

12. After constitution you have..
Legislation, or the Laws.
Opening of the first Commonwealth Parliament
May 1st 1901.
Each law would be presented and debated -
The laws and policies would determine what sort of nation
Australia would become.

13. First Commonwealth
Parliament
1. Protectionist Party: 32 Seats
2. The Free Trade Party: 27 Seats
3. The Labor Party: 14 Seats.
Edmund Barton: A member of the protectionist party.
George Reid: Leader of the Opposition (Free Trade Party)
William Groom: May 21 (protectionist party)
made the first speech in the Commonwealth Parliament.

14. Acts of importance
*Immigration Restriction Act 1901
*Pacific Island Labourers Act 1901
*Franchise Act 1902
*The Customs Tariff Act 1902
*Conciliation and Arbitration Act 1904
*Tariffs Acts and New Protection 1905 - 1907
*Invalid and Old Age Pension Act 1908
*Defence Act Amendment 1909
*Maternity Allowance Act 1914

15. Who can be a citizen?
This is outlined in the first 3 acts -
Immigration Restriction Act 1901
Pacific Island Labourers Act 1901
Franchise Act 1902