Australian Federation

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Federation is the joining of states to become one nation. The Australian government first considered federation in 1890 when premier Henry Parkes convinced other premiers to discuss federation in the Australasian Federation Convention. Australia finally federated in 1901 after many failed attempts at doing so. Australia finally federated because

This essay will discuss two advantages of Australia federating and two disadvantages of Australia doing so. The advantages that will be outlined and discussed in this essay will be that federation helped Australia’s economy & federation was essential for Australia so it would not be colonised by another country due to a stronger defence force. The disadvantages that will be shown and explained are: there was to be one uniform law system that fits all instead of having separate law systems to best suite each colony & federation was a way to make the perfect “white Australia”.

The first advantage towards Australia from federation that will be discussed in this essay is that federation helped Australia’s economy. Prior to federation the continent of Australia was broke up into six small economies, each a colony. Federation meant that Australia would become a bigger and better economy therefore other governments, particularly Brittan would be more willing to grant Australia loans and invest within it, opposed to doing so with smaller and separate colonies. Federation also had an effect on the tariffs. Prior to federation business people had to pay tariffs but under federation the tariffs would be abolished and free trade would make cheaper production costs and open up many more business opportunities. In this sense, Federation should have been a necessity for Australia due to all the finan...

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...t has free trade and is quite wealthy, federation also has helped our defence force take off and become a stronger, more efficient unit which worked much better than before to protect and maintain whatever it must. On the other hand federation also made it extremely hard for separate states to make their own laws to suite them best, and as result many difficulties and inconveniences have been suffered. Federation also was also quite a large racial movement made by Australia in a hope to become a white society. Federation has its pros and cons but it is what made the Australia we know today.

sources:

class notes

•https://www.123helpme.com/view.asp?id=23455

•http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_were_the_disadvantages_of_the_federation_of_australia

•http://www.kidcyber.com.au/topics/federation.htm

•http://australianpolitics.com/democracy/terms/federalism.shtml

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