Governance in Australia: The Ultimate Guide

The practice of international law entails a credible analysis of the rules that govern the relations between various countries of the world. Understanding the operations of international law requires an effective analysis of international foreign policies. Moreover, understanding the governance systems of various countries of the world and their sources of power on international platforms is an important element of internalizing the practice of international law. 

Part 1: Foreign Policy Analysis 

The Style of Government in Australia and the Demographics of the Country 

The style of governance in Australia is a federal constitutional monarchy. The form of governance practiced in Australia copies the traditional parliamentary monarchy of Britain. The leader of administration is the governor-general, who is selected by the monarch to represent the monarchy in governance (Crawford, 2019). The prime minister informs the appointment of governor-general by the queen. The governor-general in Australia acts as the commander in chief of the disciplined forces. Besides, the governor-general harmonies the final acquiescence to bills approved by the assembly. Moreover, it is the duty of the governor-general to appoint ambassadors and high commissioners. Australian governance includes six state besides Australian Capital and Northern territories, all of which have self-governing systems that are answerable to the federal government., 

The federal government in Australia involves three main parts. They include the parliament, the executive arm, and the legislature. However, the powers of government are shared between the national government and the six states together with the Australian Capital Territory and the Northern territory jurisdictions. The parliament or the legislature involves the House of Representatives and the senate. Each state in Australia and the other two jurisdictions is represented by one member in the senate. The role of the parliament is to draft laws of the. The Judiciary in Australia comprises the high court and the federal judicature (Crawford, 2019). The role of the judiciary is to interpret the law. The executive body involves the prime minister and the members of the cabinet. The role of the executive is to make policies. The Primer is also the head of the popular party in the whole government. Australia has a total population of 25, 500, 100 people, according to the demographic report of 15th January 2020, making it the most populated Oceanian country (Crawford, 2019). Most of Australia's inhabitants reside in urban areas. Australia's inhabitant’s density averages at 3.2 people in a square kilometer. 

The Major Economic Issues Facing Australia. 

The economy of Australia is staggering to stabilize after a drop in the year 2018. The country underwent a severe drought, and the occurrence of the housing downturn happened the same year. The economy of Australia dropped from a high of 0.9 GDP per capita to 0.7 in 2018 (Crawford, 2019). Since the drop, a lot of economic issues have surfaced. The rates of taxation in Australia have escalated as the government attempts to gather enough capital to finance her projects. High taxation in Australia scares potential investors, and this phenomenon has resulted in an increased rate of unemployment. The rate of unemployment in Australia stands at 7.3%. The cost of living has also escalated in unfavorable proportions (Crawford, 2019). The cost of housing in Australia has shot to 2.4% from 2018 to date. Moreover, the high taxation rates in Australia opens up a negative phenomenon of foreign ownership of assets in the country. Foreign ownership of assets in Australia increased with a difference of 2% since 2018 to the present day as local investors opt to sell their property to foreigners. 

The Main Actors in Creating Foreign Policies in Australia 

The role of creating foreign policies in Australia lies within the executive body of government. The Prime minister, who heads the executive, works in conjunction with the cabinet in creating policies. The cabinet comprises of various ministers who are assigned various roles. Making foreign policies in Australia is a function of the minister of foreign matters. The policies made by the minister proceed to the prime minister for approval (Crawford, 2019). The prime minister can approve the policies or not depending on his/her perception of the relevance and effectiveness of the policies. Ones the foreign policies are approved by the Prime minister, they are forwarded to the governor-general who applies the final ascent. The governor-general represents Australia in foreign programs and he/she is the custodian of foreign policy documents. 

Part 2: Power and Security 

Collective Security Policy in Australia 

Australia is a solid member of the United Nations and participates in addressing security matters thought the United Nations front. Moreover, Australia is a key member of the ANZUS treaty deal signed between Australia, New Zealand, and the United States of America in 1951. The treaty involves collective security in the area of the Pacific Ocean (Crawford & Cameron, 2019). The treaty bound the three countries together until Nez Zealand pulled out of the pact in 1986, leaving behind Australia and the United States of America. However, New Zealand signed the agreement again in 2007, making the three countries invest in a free-nuclear zone project the aims at collectively securing the pacific region. 

Advantages and Disadvantages of Collective Security Policy in Australia 

The main advantage of collective security policy in Australia is the assurance of military support in case of external attacks. The three countries, Australia, New Zealand, and the United States of America, have vowed support and allegiance in times of war. Moreover, the security pact between the three countries prevents the testing of a nuclear weapon in the pacific area. The agreement also promises support between the three countries in times of natural disasters (Crawford & Cameron, 2019). The advantage of the collective security policy is to facilitate collective resourcing and, therefore, to improve stability between the three countries. However, the collective security policy is a threat to the national security of Australia. The signing of security pacts between countries causes tensions and suspicion among the uninvolved countries. The collective policy can draw Australia into conflicts that could have been avoided. 

Sources of Power in Australia 

Australia draws her hard power from the sovereignty of the constitution of the land. Australia is a sovereign country and draws her mandates from the provisions of the constitution. The constitution grants Australia the liberty to undertake her internal affairs without the interference of either internal or external forces. Moreover, Australia draws its power from the various pacts that the country has signed (Crawford & Cameron, 2019). The United Nations provides soft powers to Australia, and the other members state the authority to exercise sovereignty without external interference. The ANZUS treaty also gives Australia powers through the assurance of support in case of external invasions. 

Australia's Involvement in Armed Conflicts 

Currently, Australia is in armed conflict with the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL). Australia is among the twenty-one countries that are currently fighting the invasion of ISIL into Iraq and Syria (Crawford & Cameron, 2019). The Islamic States in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) is a group of radicalized terrorists that have vowed to take control of the Arab countries and impose the Sharia law to all persons living in the region. Australia participates in the war against ISIL through sending troops to secure targeted regions in Iraq and Syria. 

The most pressing security concern in Australia is the possible retaliation of radicalizing militants in Iran after the Killing of General Suleiman of Iran by American troops. The phenomenon has created tensions among the nations that are involved in fighting terrorism in the Middle East region. ISIL is a sympathizer of the radical groups in Iran, and the killing of General Suleiman could result in revenge missions (Crawford & Cameron, 2019) Australia's involvement in the affairs of the Middle East projects the country as a possible terrorists' target. 

Part 3: Global Engagement 

Australia as a North Economy 

The economy system in Australia is a North type of economy. The term North economy eludes to the economic system of the European society and the North American community. The economy of Australia is northern because it is characterized by a stable democracy, technological inventions, and dominance in world trade. Despite the recent drop in GDP records of Australia, the country enjoys one of the most stable economies in the world (Kent, 2019). The economy system in Australia is a free market system and is currently stands at 80.9 in the recent rankings of economic freedom hence making Australia the fourth biggest economy in the Asia-Pacific region. 

The main contributors to the credible economy of Australia are the service sector. The service sector in Australia contributed 67.7% of the country's GDP of 2019. Moreover, the service sector recorded a high of 78.8% of employment in the workforce in 2017 (Kent, 2019). Other contributors to the economy of Australia are Construction, mining, manufacturing, and the Agricultural sector. The northern system of the economy in Australia provides enough infrastructure for the effective performance of the various contributors of the Australian economy. 

Australia Benefits from Foreign Aid and offers Foreign Aid As Well 

The beginning of 2020 in Australia was marked by disastrous wild fire that consumed over 24.5 million areas of land and left man people dead and thousands of the population became homeless. Australia received aid from New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, and Vanuatu in form of firefighting troops to assist in managing the wild fire. However, Australia is philanthropic country and it gives aid to many countries during disastrous times. Australia is dedicated to offering foreign aid in countries that are affected by natural calamities. The foreign aid policy in Australia targets in helping the developing countries in developing reliable infrastructure that addresses natural calamities. For instance, Australia was among the leading aid donors to Haiti after the dreadful Haiti earthquake of 2010 (Kent, 2019). The robust economy of Australia allows her to offer education aid to nations in the indo-pacific region. 

Australia's Involvement in Intergovernmental Organization 

Australia is a member state of various intergovernmental organizations in the world. Currently, Australia is a member of the Asian Development Bank. The intergovernmental organization was formulated to increase economic growth in Asia and the Pacific's (Peters, 2019). Australia is also an associate of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC), the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Regional Forum (ARF), and the famous Australia-New Zealand-United States Treaty (ANZUS). 

Benefits of the State from the Membership of Australia in Various Intergovernmental Organizations 

The membership of Australia in a multi-governmental organization facilitates growth and development in my state. My state is Queensland State, and its benefits in economic growth from the membership of Australia in intergovernmental organizations. The Asian Development Bank gives grants and loans to my state's government (Peters, 2019). The various intergovernmental organizations provide monetary support to the development of infrastructure in my state. 

Benefits of Australia's Relationship with WTO, IMF, and the World Bank 

Australia enjoys a credible relationship with the World Trade Organization (WTO), the International Monetary Fund (IMF), and the World Bank. The relationship of Australia with the World Trade Organization has facilitated trade activities between Australia and other nations that subscribe to WTO (Peters, 2019). The World Trade Organization has opened a wide forum for Australia to transact trade and business with other countries. The favorable relationship between Australia, IMF, and the World Bank facilitates easy access to grants and loans. 

Part 4: Human Rights E ngagement of Australia in International Law 

The engagement of Australia in international law manifests through her participation in international forums such as the international environment program, international human rights, and international security. Australia has contributed tremendously in drafting internal law to manage environmental pollution through the UN (Peters, 2019). Moreover, the involvement of Australia in implementing international security policies have shaped the credibility of the country in establishing international law. Australia has influenced the drafting of international law that ensures the security of refugees in war-torn zones. 

Australia Involvement in an International Legal Dispute 

Australia participated in international legal disputes that attracted the intervention of the International Criminal Court (ICC). The famous international legal dispute involving Australia is the case against Australia's immigration department in 2004 (Peters, 2019). The Australian immigration department detained hundreds of asylum seekers in 2004, and the matter resulted in the case in the ICC. The ICC argued that detaining asylum seekers amounted to crimes against humanity. 

The Position of Australia in the Worldwide Declaration of International Human Rights 

Australia has taken a firm stand in articulating international human rights from time to history. Australia is a strong supporter of international human rights forums. Australia has been key in drafting various spellings of international human rights. Australia was among the first eight nations that presented a proposal to the UN seeking to draft a declaration of international human rights. Besides, various political figures in Australia, such as Dr. Herbert Evatt, have contributed to the UN adoption of international human rights (Peters, 2019). Dr. Herbert Evatt is remembered as the leader of the Australian delegate that presented a proposal before the UN in 1949, seeking a declaration of international human rights. Dr. Herbert Evatt happened to be the president of the UN general assembly during the declaration of international human rights. Australia stands international rights and objects any other country that interferes with global human privileges. 

Australia's Human Rights Records and Its Involvement in Human Rights Controversies 

The country has participated in various international forums that seek to enforce the observance of human rights internationally. Besides, the constitution of Australia has provided various clauses that protect the human rights of Australian citizens. However, Australia has involved herself in human rights controversies in the past (Steele, Swaffer, Phillipson & Fleming, 2019). The iconic human rights controversy that Australia engaged in was the detaining of over 500 asylum seekers. Australia arrested many asylum seekers who entered the country through Australian waters on Manus Island. The arrested refugees were running war in Afghanistan, Myanmar, Iran, Pakistan, Sudan, and Somalia. The asylum seekers traveled through Papua New Guinea and through Nauru into Australia. The immigration department in Australia ordered the arrest and detention of the asylum seekers against the spellings of international human rights. 

Australia's Support of Human Rights Both Domestically and Internationally 

Australia has staged significant contribution articulating the observance of global human rights. Locally, Australia has drafted various constitutional clauses that defend the human privileges of the populations of Australia. Besides, the various states in Australia have adopted numerous constitutional clauses that provide guidelines on the adherence to human rights in the country (Steele, Swaffer, Phillipson & Fleming, 2019). For instance, in October 2018, Queensland State became the third state in Australia, after Victoria and the Australian Capital Territory, to introduce a human rights act in the constitution of the state. Internationally, Australia has been at the forefront in protecting human rights. The participation of Australia in UN forums that drafted the declaration of international human rights is solid evidence of the dedication of the country in supporting human rights in the world. 

In totality, the governance of Australia is organized in form of a federal constitutional monarchy. The governor-general represents the monarchy in government. The federal government involves a parliament, judiciary and executive. High taxation in Australia scares potential investors, and this phenomenon has resulted in an increased rate of unemployment. The minister makes foreign policies in Australia of foreign matters. Australia is a key member of the ANZUS treaty deal signed between Australia, New Zealand, and the United States of America in 1951. Australia is a sovereign country and draws its power from the constitution. The economy of Australia is northern because it is characterized by a stable democracy, technological inventions, and dominance in world trade. The relationship of Australia with the World Trade Organization has facilitated trade activities between Australia and other nations that subscribe to WTO. Australia was among the countries that pioneered a proposal to the UN seeking to draft a declaration of international human rights 

References 

Crawford, J. (2019). Brownlie's principles of public international law. Oxford University Press, USA. 

Crawford, J., & Cameron, R. (2019). International law in Australia revisited. Adel. L. Rev., 40, 199. 

Kent, J. D. (2019). Offshoring International Law? Australia and the Right to Seek Asylum (Doctoral dissertation). 

Peters, M. E. (2019). Immigration and International Law. International Studies Quarterly, 63(2), 281-295. 

Steele, L., Swaffer, K., Phillipson, L., & Fleming, R. (2019). Questioning segregation of people living with dementia in Australia: an international human rights approach to care homes. Laws, 8(3), 18.