Chapter 23: The Cabinet Government
June 23, 1900 — Australian National Administration Building.
It was Arthur's third day back from Whakaari Island, and it was also the scheduled day for the final cabinet election.
This was a monumental day for Australia. The first official cabinet government would be born, and the reform from colonial rule to a ducal dominion would reach a major milestone.
For Arthur, it was no less significant. Once the cabinet members were confirmed, he could begin building a fully functional government and initiate the next phase of national development.
By 8 a.m., most of the members of parliament had gathered outside the administration building, quietly waiting for the doors to open.
For those lucky enough to have made it onto the candidate list, today was a day filled with promise.
If they managed to win this final vote, they would ascend to the highest echelon of Australian politics.
Even those who had failed in the first round still appeared eager.
Though they could no longer run themselves, they could proudly claim in the future that they had helped vote in Australia's first cabinet government.
Click!
With a crisp creak of the wooden doors, the century-old building opened, ready for another day of history-making.
There were no guards guiding the way this time, but the parliament members were already familiar with the route and quietly made their way to the top-floor conference room.
Although some government officials were already working in the building, its core—the cabinet—had yet to be finalized.
Thus, the government's role had so far been limited to maintaining order, with no official plans for development.
Once all the members were seated, Arthur entered with a small group of guards and took his seat at the center.
"Gentlemen, I know you're all eagerly awaiting the final announcement of the cabinet members—and so am I. Let's begin the voting process," Arthur said with a smile after observing the expressions of excitement and anticipation on everyone's faces.
"You each have a list of cabinet positions. Please write down the name of the candidate you believe is most suitable for each one. When you're finished, hand the form to the guard beside you."
Arthur explained the rules clearly.
"But let me remind you once more—this cabinet will be crucial for Australia's future. I hope you will vote according to your conscience, not personal interests."
With that final note, the vote officially began.
To ensure no foul play, Arthur chose to remain in the room for supervision, unlike during the first session when he had given the members privacy.
This instantly silenced any whispering or scheming, and many of the more politically minded members frowned at their now-useless strategies.
Australia's political scene was still young and far less chaotic than in Europe.
As a result, most of the voting was done sincerely, based on genuine evaluation rather than external manipulation.
However, for some members—many of whom were still new to politics—this sincerity posed a challenge.
Lacking experience, they easily became nervous or indecisive in the face of such an important choice.
But for the majority, decisions had been made long before today.
Pens moved swiftly as names were written with certainty and conviction.
The first-round rule had barred members from writing their own names.
For the second round, the same applied—candidates were not allowed to vote for themselves.
This rule was meant to prevent chaotic vote splitting. In unfamiliar environments, many would simply vote for themselves if permitted.
About thirty minutes later, Arthur looked around and saw that most had stopped writing.
He smiled and said,
"Alright, it's been half an hour. I believe most of you have finished.
You now have a few final minutes to double-check your ballots. Once you're ready, submit them to the guards. The tallying will take a while, but we'll have the final list ready before noon."
Upon hearing this, the remaining undecided voters began scribbling quickly, jotting down the most familiar names they could recall.
Within minutes, the guards began collecting the ballots one by one.
The vote counting process was relatively simple but time-consuming.
The guards had to determine which candidate received the most votes for each of the ten cabinet positions, then present the results to Arthur for confirmation.
The ten ministries included: Treasury, Defense, Civil Affairs, Foreign Affairs, Public Security, Education, Health, Transport, Industry, and Agriculture.
There were thirty candidates, and 198 voting members.
After over an hour of counting, the guards finally submitted the final list to Arthur.
The results surprised Arthur. Among the winners were familiar names—but also some he had never heard before.
It was clear that the election had produced unpredictable outcomes. High office or political fame hadn't guaranteed success.
Holding the list, Arthur didn't keep them in suspense. He stood and announced:
"Gentlemen, the time has come to reveal the results.
The Minister of Agriculture in Australia's first cabinet government will be... Henris Critt!"
Yes, it was the very same Henris who had once spoken with Arthur.
Seeing his name on the list surprised Arthur—he hadn't expected this minor city official to not only win a seat in the Lower House, but also rise to become the first Minister of Agriculture.
"The Minister of Industry will be Pierre Silvio Berlusconi!"
Arthur continued.
Pierre Silvio Berlusconi was the Governor of Western Australia and a man of considerable reputation.
Assigning him to the crucial role of Industry Minister put Arthur at ease.
"The Minister of Transport will be Conlet Diano."
Another familiar name—this was the very man who had been the first to speak with Arthur during the State Parliament registration.
(End of Chapter)
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