163-584: Freedom of religion in Australia is allowed in practice and protected to varying degrees through the constitution and legislation at the Federal , state and territory level. Australia is a pluralist country with legislated principle of state neutrality and with no state religion . The nation has over 13.6 million people who identify as religious and over 9.8 million who identify with no religion . Relevant legislation protecting religious freedoms include sections of
326-479: A Mediterranean climate . The south-east ranges from oceanic (Tasmania and coastal Victoria) to humid subtropical (upper half of New South Wales), with the highlands featuring alpine and subpolar oceanic climates . The interior is arid to semi-arid . Driven by climate change , average temperatures have risen more than 1°C since 1960 . Associated changes in rainfall patterns and climate extremes exacerbate existing issues such as drought and bushfires . 2019
489-501: A Women's Weekly awards event in the month after the spill that it had prompted discussion on the "bullying, intimidation, harassment and coercion" by federal politicians and "unfair unequal treatment of women". She joined Turnbull in calling for "clarity" around Dutton's eligibility to sit in Parliament, and refused to say how she would vote in the event of a referral. Bishop announced she would quit politics and not re-contest her seat in
652-511: A belt of Brigalow grasslands lie between the coast and the mountains, while inland of the dividing range are large areas of grassland and shrubland. These include the western plains of New South Wales, and the Mitchell Grass Downs and Mulga Lands of inland Queensland. The northernmost point of the mainland is the tropical Cape York Peninsula . The landscapes of the Top End and
815-793: A large wave of immigration from across Europe , with such immigrants referred to as " New Australians ". This required a relaxation of the white Australia policy , which was justified to Australians using the slogan "populate or perish". A member of the Western Bloc during the Cold War , Australia participated in the Korean War and the Malayan Emergency during the 1950s and the Vietnam War from 1962 to 1972. During this time, tensions over communist influence in society led to unsuccessful attempts by
978-482: A leadership spill , which he narrowly won against Peter Dutton . Turnbull resigned three days later after losing the confidence of his party room. Scott Morrison declared himself a candidate for leadership and won the resultant spill, defeating Dutton and Julie Bishop . He became Australia's 30th Prime Minister. After an eleven-year run as Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party, Julie Bishop garnered just 11 votes out of
1141-513: A plebiscite on same-sex marriage in Australia , and his carbon emissions targets. Unable to secure passage of Abbott's bill to re-establish an anti-corruption watchdog for the construction industry, Turnbull initiated a double dissolution election. The election was held on 2 July, Under the slogan "jobs and growth," Turnbull then led the Coalition to the 2016 Election in which their majority in
1304-578: A bastion of freedom if religion were so defined as to exclude from its ambit minority religions out of the main streams of religious thought. In the 1941 the Commonwealth Government declared Jehovah's Witnesses to be a risk to national security, indicating they were believed to be "prejudicial to the defence of the Commonwealth" and the "efficient prosecution of the war " due to their following ideals of another Kingdom. Police occupied premises of
1467-546: A bill or charter of rights which include freedom and protection for religion, such as Section 14: Freedom of thought, conscience, religion and belief in: These legislated Acts are based on the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights , to which Australia was a signatory in 1966 despite no direct legislation to permit these freedoms. These Acts do not prevent the passing of laws that impede any rights mentioned (including religious freedoms), but they do create
1630-444: A bill to parliament with that aim. The Australian Greens and Labor opposition have further committed to revoking discrimination exemptions that also allow discrimination against teachers based on their sexual orientation, however the government has so far not indicated its position. The full recommendations of the review were subsequently leaked to Fairfax and reported on 12 October 2018. The Morrison government ultimately drafted
1793-522: A challenge against Abbott. Turnbull cited Newspoll results and "economic leadership" as reasons for mounting his challenge. on 14 September 2015, Malcolm Turnbull won a leadership ballot , 54 votes to 44, and the Turnbull government became the federal government of Australia. Turnbull appointed Scott Morrison as his Treasurer in an expanded ministry . The Turnbull government continued a number of Abbott government initiatives, maintaining Abbott's promise for
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#17328723432161956-461: A date which later became Australia's national day . Most early settlers were convicts , transported for petty crimes and assigned as labourers or servants to "free settlers" (willing immigrants). Once emancipated , convicts tended to integrate into colonial society. Convict rebellions and uprisings were suppressed under martial law, which lasted for two years following the 1808 Rum Rebellion , Australia's only successful coup d'état . During
2119-602: A foreign policy that was "less Geneva, more Jakarta.". " In office, the Abbott government removed the Rudd-Gillard era Resource Super Profits Tax and carbon tax. With Scott Morrison as Minister Immigration and Border Protection , the government halted the people smuggling trade ; concluded free trade agreements with China , Japan and South Korea ; established the National Commission of Audit to advise on restoring
2282-521: A hostile reception in the Senate and media. Partial deregulation of universities, and a $ 7 contribution to doctor visits were proposed, but blocked by the Senate. The second Budget emphasised stimulus for the small business sector. Internal dissatisfaction with Abbott's style and policy agenda emerged within a section of the Liberal Party room and coalesced around old rival Malcolm Turnbull , whom Abbott had replaced as Opposition Leader in 2009. In February 2015,
2445-884: A lifetime ban from coming to Australia. Due to the assassination of Jamal Khashoggi , the Australian government has pulled out of the Future Investment Initiative summit in Saudi Arabia. During the Wentworth by-election campaign, and following the announcement by the United States that it would relocate its embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem , Morrison announced he was reviewing whether Australia's embassy in Israel should move to Jerusalem. Indonesia responded by putting
2608-426: A member of the staff of an institution that is conducted in accordance with the doctrines, tenets, beliefs or teachings of a particular religion or creed, being a distinction, exclusion or preference made in good faith in order to avoid injury to the religious susceptibilities of adherents of that religion or that creed. Varying groups have argued that existing religious exceptions and exemptions go too far and impede
2771-590: A naval base on Manus Island with Papua New Guinea and a "pivot to the Pacific" involving the establishment of a $ 2 billion infrastructure bank for the Pacific to be known as the Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility, to issue grants and long-term loans for projects such as telecommunications, energy, transport and water development. Morrison also pledged to open diplomatic missions in Palau ,
2934-522: A plan of action to take the next steps in our relationship — from trade and investment to defence, counter-terrorism, maritime security, ocean sustainability and education, to name only some — and even today we add energy and the future of fuel sources for our nations to this long list." After taking office, Morrison appointed Angus Taylor as Minister for Energy, saying "I am going to be the Prime Minister for getting electricity prices down. Angus Taylor
3097-404: A process by which all legislation must be scrutinised for human rights implications, and must be accompanied by a statement of compatibility with human rights before they can be passed by the relevant Parliament. In cases where the legislation is not compatible, it may still be passed despite contradicting these human rights acts. Anti-discrimination laws addressing unfair treatment on the basis of
3260-582: A process of increasing autonomy from the United Kingdom, highlighted by the Statute of Westminster Adoption Act 1942 , and culminating in the Australia Acts of 1986. Australia is a federal parliamentary democracy and constitutional monarchy comprising six states and ten territories . Its population of more than 28 million is highly urbanised and heavily concentrated on the eastern seaboard. Canberra
3423-425: A range of attributes, including religion, also apply at the state and federal level. These laws contribute to religious freedoms by allowing Australians to practice religion without fear of consequence from the executive, organisations or individuals. This is achieved by prohibiting detrimental treatment as a result of an individual's religious appearance, beliefs or observances. Some argue these laws are inconsistent at
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#17328723432163586-525: A rebate of $ 1,080, similar to the Labor Party 's proposals. The budget was criticised by the opposition for proposing to flatten the tax rates of all income earners between $ 45,000-$ 200,000 to 30% in the long-term, though the Treasurer argued that doing so would provide an "incentive [for] people to stay in work, to work longer, to work more." The government also promised $ 100 billion infrastructure funding over
3749-562: A religion: (i) That the collection of ideas and practices involved a belief in the supernatural (being something that could not be perceived by the senses); (ii) That 'the ideas relate to man's nature and place in the universe and his relation to things supernatural' ; (iii) That the adherents accept certain ideas as requiring them or encouraging them to observe particular codes of conduct or specific practices having some supernatural significance; (iv) The adherents themselves form an identifiable group or groups; (v) The adherents themselves see
3912-401: A royal commission would be held into aged care facilities, focusing on the quality of care in residential, home and community aged care. On 5 April 2019, Morrison announced another commission, this time to examine violence, abuse, neglect and exploitation within the disability sector. The commission is headed by former Federal Court judge Ronald Sackville and will last for three years. Morrison
4075-496: A senate motion ordering its release ahead of the by-election, the government refused to comply, claiming that a release would "harm the public interest" and interfere in cabinet consideration. The Prime Minister Scott Morrison suggested in an ABC Radio interview that the Ruddock review had recommended that people of different religions have the same protections as other attributes such as gender and race. On 9 October 2018, extracts of
4238-568: A settlement was established in Van Diemen's Land (present-day Tasmania ), and in 1813, Gregory Blaxland , William Lawson and William Wentworth crossed the Blue Mountains west of Sydney, opening the interior to European settlement. The British claim extended to the whole Australian continent in 1827 when Major Edmund Lockyer established a settlement on King George Sound (modern-day Albany ). The Swan River Colony (present-day Perth )
4401-495: A short distance off the north-east coast and extends for more than 2,000 km (1,200 mi). Mount Augustus , claimed to be the world's largest monolith, is located in Western Australia. At 2,228 m (7,310 ft), Mount Kosciuszko is the highest mountain on the Australian mainland. Even taller are Mawson Peak , at 2,745 m (9,006 ft), on the remote Australian external territory of Heard Island , and, in
4564-566: A small surplus in the 2019 Federal Budget , however the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic led to a dramatic increase in government expenditure and a brief recession by September 2020. Pandemic management became a core focus of the Morrison government, which instigated tight border controls, convened a National Cabinet to co-ordinate State and Territory government responses, and initiated a program of income support for business and workers. Two years into
4727-508: A statement to parliament in February 2019. In December 2018, the Liberal Party room voted for a change in Party rules regarding leadership spills, and announced that a sitting prime minister who has won an election could no longer be removed by the Party room unless there was a two-thirds majority calling for the change. Opposition Leaders could still be challenged with a simple majority. Morrison said
4890-513: A way to allow the speedy passage of Dean Smith's marriage bill and to postpone discussions of religious freedom. Proponents of the Ruddock Review argue it is necessary to ensure that religious freedoms are upheld in the wake of religious objection to same-sex marriage, whilst opponents highlight that further protections for religion are not necessary and will occur at the expense of an individual's right to be free from discrimination (particularly in
5053-411: A wide variety of landscapes, with tropical rainforests in the north-east, mountain ranges in the south-east, south-west and east, and desert in the centre. The desert or semi-arid land commonly known as the outback makes up by far the largest portion of land. Australia is the driest inhabited continent; its annual rainfall averaged over continental area is less than 500 mm. The population density
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5216-436: Is 3.4 inhabitants per square kilometre, although the large majority of the population lives along the temperate south-eastern coastline. The population density exceeds 19,500 inhabitants per square kilometre in central Melbourne. In 2021 Australia had 10% of the global permanent meadows and pastureland. Forest cover is around 17% of Australia's total land area. The Great Barrier Reef , the world's largest coral reef, lies
5379-413: Is a constitutional monarchy , a parliamentary democracy and a federation . The country has maintained its mostly unchanged constitution alongside a stable liberal democratic political system since Federation in 1901. It is one of the world's oldest federations, in which power is divided between the federal and state governments. The Australian system of government combines elements derived from
5542-540: Is a "very expensive undertaking". The Liberal and Labor parties voted for a bill which would enforce a wait of four years before new migrants could receive social security payments. In response to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse , Morrison delivered on 22 October 2018 a National Apology Address in the Australian Parliament to victims of child sexual abuse on behalf of
5705-598: Is designed to assist consumers who do not regularly change their power provider. Australian school students were inspired by Greta Thunberg to strike for three days after 28 November, ignoring the call of their Prime minister Scott Morrison who said in the parliament that "what we want is more learning in schools and less activism". According to the government's 2018 emissions projections report, Australia has already achieved its 2030 emissions reduction target of 26-28% less emissions than in 2005. The government expects Australia will exceed its 2030 target. As of February,
5868-448: Is governed by convention and their precise scope is unclear. The most notable exercise of these powers was the dismissal of the Whitlam government in the constitutional crisis of 1975 . Morrison government Member for Cook (2007–2024) Prime Minister of Australia ( International trips ) Royal Commissions Elections [REDACTED] The Morrison government
6031-556: Is in the context of "an act or practice of a body established for religious purposes that conforms to the doctrines, tenets or beliefs of that religion or is necessary to avoid injury to the religious sensitivities of adherents of that religion." In the case of the Australian Human Rights Commission Act 1986 , for example, an exemption is provided: Discrimination ... does not include any distinction, exclusion or preference: (d) in connection with employment as
6194-517: Is now Southeast Asia. It is uncertain how many waves of immigration may have contributed to these ancestors of modern Aboriginal Australians. The Madjedbebe rock shelter in Arnhem Land is possibly the oldest site showing the presence of humans in Australia. The oldest human remains found are the Lake Mungo remains , which have been dated to around 41,000 years ago. Aboriginal Australian culture
6357-609: Is one of only two pristine Archaean 3.6–2.7 Ga (billion years ago) crusts identified on the Earth. Having been part of all major supercontinents , the Australian continent began to form after the breakup of Gondwana in the Permian , with the separation of the continental landmass from the African continent and Indian subcontinent. It separated from Antarctica over a prolonged period beginning in
6520-460: Is one of the oldest continuous cultures on Earth. At the time of first European contact, Aboriginal Australians belonged to wide range of societies, with diverse economies spread across at least 250 different language groups . Estimates of the Aboriginal population before British settlement range from 300,000 to 3 million. Aboriginal Australians cultures were (and remain) deeply connected with
6683-572: Is the minister for getting electricity prices down and that is a core focus of my government..." Morrison committed to remaining in the Paris Agreement settled under the Abbott and Turnbull governments, but promised a greater focus on reduction of energy prices. He described coal as remaining "a key source of keeping electricity prices down and keeping the lights on, and I intend for it to stay there". The Morrison government did not commit to replacing
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6846-446: Is the nation's capital, while its most populous cities are Sydney and Melbourne , both with a population of more than 5 million. Australia's culture is diverse, and the country has one of the highest foreign-born populations in the world . It has a highly developed market economy and one of the highest per capita incomes globally . Its abundant natural resources and well-developed international trade relations are crucial to
7009-411: Is unique. About 85% of flowering plants, 84% of mammals, more than 45% of birds , and 89% of in-shore, temperate-zone fish are endemic . Australia has at least 755 species of reptile, more than any other country in the world. Besides Antarctica, Australia is the only continent that developed without feline species. Feral cats may have been introduced in the 17th century by Dutch shipwrecks, and later in
7172-400: The 2013 Election by Tony Abbott , however Malcolm Turnbull became Prime Minister by challenging Abbott in 2015. Turnbull then led the Coalition to a narrow victory at the 2016 Election , and resigned in the midst of a challenge to his leadership by Minister for Home Affairs Peter Dutton in 2018. Turnbull then quit Parliament, plunging the Coalition into minority government following
7335-672: The 2018 Wentworth by-election . Elected leader of the Liberals over Dutton in the 2018 spill, Morrison then restored the Coalition to majority government at the 2019 Election . With the commencement of the Morrison government, Josh Frydenberg replaced Julie Bishop as the Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party and replaced Morrison as Treasurer in the First Morrison Ministry , while Marise Payne took over from Bishop as Foreign Minister . Frydenberg and Payne remained in their posts in
7498-402: The 2019 Federal Budget would be brought forward a month to 2 April. "We will be handing down a budget and it will be a surplus budget. It will be a budget which is the product of the years of hard work of our government," Morrison said. Treasurer Josh Frydenberg handed down the budget in a speech to parliament on the night of 2 April. The budget forecast a small surplus of $ 7.1 billion in
7661-540: The Australian Christian Lobby and Christian Schools Australia , along with multiple conservatives within the party, pulling support for the bill, leading to it being shelved on December 2. State and Territory legislation prohibits unfavourable treatment on the basis of an individual's personal characteristics, but to varying degrees and with varying detail. Personal characteristics includes religious beliefs or activities in anti-discrimination legislation for
7824-645: The Australian Labor Party as the major Opposition party. Nationals Leader Michael McCormack was Deputy Prime Minister of Australia from the formation of the Morrison government until June 2021. He was replaced as Leader of the Nationals and Deputy Prime Minister by Barnaby Joyce . Scott Morrison was Treasurer in the Turnbull government and became Prime Minister following the resignation of Malcolm Turnbull in 2018. The Coalition had been led to government at
7987-731: The Colonial Office that it be formally adopted. In 1824, the Admiralty agreed that the continent should be known officially by that name. The first official published use of the new name came with the publication in 1830 of The Australia Directory by the Hydrographic Office . Colloquial names for Australia include " Oz ", " Straya " and " Down Under ". Other epithets include "the Great Southern Land", "the Lucky Country" (from
8150-497: The Constitution of Australia , Federal anti-discrimination laws and State/Territory-based human rights Acts and anti-discrimination laws. As these freedoms are not protected in a single piece of legislation, but rather appear as sections, clauses and exemptions in other Acts or laws, legal religious freedom protections are often a source of great debate and difficult to discern in Australia. The Constitution of Australia prohibits
8313-541: The Goods and Services Tax applied to feminine hygiene products, will be removed as of 1 January 2019. The Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation and Financial Services Industry was handed down in February, with 76 recommendations. There were only five remaining sitting days in Parliament, so there is little time for a legislative response before the election. Labor has indicated that it intends to work with
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#17328723432168476-579: The Gulf Country —with their tropical climate—include forest, woodland, wetland, grassland, rainforest and desert. At the north-west corner of the continent are the sandstone cliffs and gorges of The Kimberley , and below that the Pilbara . The Victoria Plains tropical savanna lies south of the Kimberley and Arnhem Land savannas, forming a transition between the coastal savannas and the interior deserts. At
8639-542: The Indian Ocean Dipole and the El Niño–Southern Oscillation , which is correlated with periodic drought , and the seasonal tropical low-pressure system that produces cyclones in northern Australia. These factors cause rainfall to vary markedly from year to year. Much of the northern part of the country has a tropical, predominantly summer-rainfall ( monsoon ). The south-west corner of the country has
8802-479: The Iraq War from 2003 to 2009. The nation's trade relations also became increasingly oriented towards East Asia in the 21st century, with China becoming the nation's largest trading partner by a large margin. In 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic , several of Australia's largest cities were locked down for extended periods and free movement across the national and state borders was restricted in an attempt to slow
8965-637: The Manus Regional Processing Centre ) and Nauru (in the Nauru Regional Processing Centre ), which was partly brought to fruition with the passing of the "Medevac bill" early in 2019. Turnbull's quitting of Parliament also contributed to the defection of two of the Coalition's MPs to the crossbenches , which reduced the Coalition to a minority on the floor of Parliament. National Party MP Kevin Hogan had threatened to move to
9128-760: The Marshall Islands , French Polynesia , Niue and the Cook Islands . The "pivot to the Pacific" has been read as a way of undermining Chinese influence in the region. At the Pacific Islands Forum in August 2019 the 'Pivot to the Pacific' was severely undermined by Morrison's intransigence on the topic of climate change. In the face of an existential threat to those Morrison refers to as "family", Morrison refused to offer more than tokenism. The "very insulting and condescending" behaviour offered by Morrison comes as
9291-585: The Menzies Government to ban the Communist Party of Australia , and a bitter split in the Labor Party in 1955. As a result of a 1967 referendum , the federal government gained the power to legislate with regard to Indigenous Australians, and Indigenous Australians were fully included in the census . Pre-colonial land interests (referred to as native title in Australia) was recognised in law for
9454-537: The Morrison government introduced the Religious Discrimination Bill 2021, ostensibly to better protect the rights of religious Australians. The bill sparked a lot of controversy, especially over the so-called "Folau Clause", named after footballer Israel Folau . The clause would have provided legal protection for persons against their employers when making statements of religious belief. Although this clause
9617-699: The Pacific Community ; the Commonwealth of Nations ; and the defence and security organisations ANZUS , AUKUS , and the Five Eyes . It is also a major non-NATO ally of the United States. The name Australia (pronounced / ə ˈ s t r eɪ l i ə / in Australian English ) is derived from the Latin Terra Australis ( ' southern land ' ), a name used for a hypothetical continent in
9780-520: The Permian and continuing through to the Cretaceous . When the last glacial period ended in about 10,000 BC, rising sea levels formed Bass Strait , separating Tasmania from the mainland. Then between about 8,000 and 6,500 BC, the lowlands in the north were flooded by the sea, separating New Guinea, the Aru Islands , and the mainland of Australia. The Australian continent is moving toward Eurasia at
9943-533: The Religious Discrimination Bill in response to the Ruddock Review. The bill was introduced to the lower house , where amendments to protect transgender students were passed when government back-benchers crossed the floor to vote with the opposition. The Morrison government ultimately shelved the bill in the final session of parliament, instead making it a 2022 Australian federal election promise to pass it. Following an election loss for Morrison,
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#173287234321610106-405: The Second Morrison Ministry , which was notable for including Ken Wyatt as Minister for Indigenous Australians – the first Aboriginal Australian to sit in Federal Cabinet – and seven women members, which was the largest number of women Cabinet members in Australian history. In economic affairs , after producing the lowest federal budget deficit in a decade, Treasurer Frydenberg predicted
10269-451: The Territory of Papua and New Guinea in 1949 and gained independence from Australia in 1975. In 1914, Australia joined the Allies in fighting the First World War, and took part in many of the major battles fought on the Western Front . Of about 416,000 who served, about 60,000 were killed and another 152,000 were wounded. Many Australians regard the defeat of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) at Gallipoli in 1915 as
10432-403: The Torres Strait Islands . The Dutch charted the whole of the western and northern coastlines and named the island continent " New Holland " during the 17th century, and although no attempt at settlement was made, a number of shipwrecks left men either stranded or, as in the case of the Batavia in 1629, marooned for mutiny and murder, thus becoming the first Europeans to permanently inhabit
10595-519: The bombing of Darwin and other Japanese attacks on Australian soil , led to a widespread belief in Australia that a Japanese invasion was imminent , and a shift from the United Kingdom to the United States as Australia's principal ally and security partner. Since 1951, Australia has been allied with the United States under the ANZUS treaty. In the decades following World War II, Australia enjoyed significant increases in living standards, leisure time and suburban development. Governments encouraged
10758-426: The emu and the kookaburra . Australia is home to many dangerous animals including some of the most venomous snakes in the world. The dingo was introduced by Austronesian people who traded with Indigenous Australians around 3000 BCE . Many animal and plant species became extinct soon after first human settlement, including the Australian megafauna ; others have disappeared since European settlement, among them
10921-479: The governor-general at the federal level and by the governors at the state level, who by section 63 of the Constitution and convention act on the advice of their ministers. Thus, in practice the governor-general acts as a legal figurehead for the actions of the prime minister and the Cabinet. The governor-general may in some situations exercise reserve powers : powers exercisable in the absence or contrary to ministerial advice. When these powers may be exercised
11084-419: The interior and tropical rainforests along the coast . The ancestors of Aboriginal Australians began arriving from south-east Asia 50,000 to 65,000 years ago, during the last glacial period . By the time of British settlement, Aboriginal Australians spoke 250 distinct languages and had the oldest living culture in the world. Australia's written history commenced with Dutch exploration of most of
11247-483: The "baptism of fire" that forged the new nation's identity . The beginning of the campaign is commemorated annually on Anzac Day , a date which rivals Australia Day as the nation's most important. From 1939 to 1945, Australia joined the Allies in fighting the Second World War. Australia's armed forces fought in the Pacific , European and Mediterranean and Middle East theatres . The shock of Britain's defeat in Singapore in 1942, followed soon after by
11410-503: The "island continent" and is sometimes considered the world's largest island . Australia has 34,218 km (21,262 mi) of coastline (excluding all offshore islands), and claims an extensive exclusive economic zone of 8,148,250 square kilometres (3,146,060 sq mi). This exclusive economic zone does not include the Australian Antarctic Territory . Mainland Australia lies between latitudes 9° and 44° south , and longitudes 112° and 154° east . Australia's size gives it
11573-428: The 18th century by European settlers. They are now considered a major factor in the decline and extinction of many vulnerable and endangered native species. Seafaring immigrants from Asia are believed to have brought the dingo to Australia sometime after the end of the last ice age—perhaps 4000 years ago—and Aboriginal people helped disperse them across the continent as pets, contributing to the demise of thylacines on
11736-524: The 1964 book of the same name ), "the Sunburnt Country", and "the Wide Brown Land". The latter two both derive from Dorothea Mackellar 's 1908 poem " My Country ". Indigenous Australians comprise two broad groups: Human habitation of the Australian continent is estimated to have begun 50,000 to 65,000 years ago, with the migration of people by land bridges and short sea crossings from what
11899-668: The 1983 judgment of the High Court in Church of the New Faith v Commissioner for Pay-Roll Tax (Vic) , the court was primarily concerned with whether Scientology was a religion (and therefore entitled to tax exempt status). In judgement, the Court found that Scientology was a religion and argued that the definition of religion must be flexible, but also remain sceptical of false claims. Justices Ronald Wilson and William Deane set out five " indicia " of
12062-529: The 2018 Environmental Performance Index . There are more than 1,800 animals and plants on Australia's threatened species list, including more than 500 animals. Paleontologists discovered a fossil site of a prehistoric rainforest in McGraths Flat , in South Australia, that presents evidence that this now arid desert and dry shrubland / grassland was once home to an abundance of life. Australia
12225-460: The 2019 election, widely attributed to the low chances of the Morrison government being re-elected. Morrison had been Treasurer in the Turnbull government, and was succeeded by Josh Frydenberg in the role. In September, Treasurer Frydenberg announced that the government would deliver a smaller budget deficit than forecast for 2017–18, and that the budget was on track to return to balance by 2019–20. The Final Budget Outcome deficit of $ 10.1 billion
12388-527: The 85-member party room, and quit her position as Foreign Minister to go to the backbench. Dutton committed to serving in and supporting the Morrison government, while Turnbull and Bishop were disaffected by the results of the leadership challenge. A week after losing the leadership, Turnbull formally tendered his resignation from federal parliament. He became a trenchant critic of his successor Scott Morrison and backed independent candidates to replace Liberals in subsequent by-elections and elections. Bishop told
12551-457: The ABC reported that "tensions between the Prime Minister and the colleagues campaigning to oust him are heading to a showdown." A spill called by two WA backbenchers failed to raise the numbers for a change in leadership, however leaking and backgrounding against Abbott continued, though polling for the Coalition began to improve. In September 2015, Malcolm Turnbull ended speculation by launching
12714-635: The Australian Antarctic Territory, Mount McClintock and Mount Menzies , at 3,492 m (11,457 ft) and 3,355 m (11,007 ft) respectively. Eastern Australia is marked by the Great Dividing Range , which runs parallel to the coast of Queensland, New South Wales and much of Victoria. The name is not strictly accurate, because parts of the range consist of low hills, and the highlands are typically no more than 1,600 m (5,200 ft) in height. The coastal uplands and
12877-545: The Australian mainland. The first ship and crew to chart the Australian coast and meet with Aboriginal people was the Duyfken , captained by Dutch navigator Willem Janszoon . He sighted the coast of Cape York Peninsula in early 1606, and made landfall on 26 February 1606 at the Pennefather River near the modern town of Weipa on Cape York. Later that year, Spanish explorer Luís Vaz de Torres sailed through and navigated
13040-640: The Australian people, the parliament and his government. He also announced the establishment of a National Redress Scheme for victims of child sexual abuse; an Office of Child Safety within the Department of Social Services; and a National Centre of Excellence to raise awareness and understanding of the impacts of child sexual abuse, to deal with the stigma, to support help seeking and guide best practice for training and other services. Morrison brought forward aged care funding by $ 90 million, mainly focusing on regional areas. On 16 September 2018, Morrison revealed that
13203-609: The Australia–Indonesia Business Forum and met with President Joko Widodo on his first overseas visit as prime minister. The Morrison government and Indonesia announced the substantive conclusion of negotiations on the Indonesia -Australia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (IA-CEPA) on 31 August 2018. Morrison has signalled that his government could accept New Zealand's offer to accept refugees detained by Australia on Manus and Nauru if they were subject to
13366-679: The Budget to surplus; instituted the Royal Commission into trade union governance and corruption ; founded the Medical Research Future Fund ; produced White Papers on Developing Northern Australia and the Agricultural Competitiveness ; and promised a referendum to recognise indigenous Australians in the Constitution. Treasurer Joe Hockey delivered two Budgets, the first focused on expenditure reduction measures, but faced
13529-476: The Commonwealth from establishing laws which create, force or prohibit any religion. It also restricts the Commonwealth from using religion as a qualifier or test in order to hold public office. Section 116 of Chapter V. The States in the Australian Constitution reads: The Commonwealth shall not make any law for establishing any religion, or for imposing any religious observance, or for prohibiting
13692-445: The Constitution. Jehovah's Witnesses have since continued to practice in Australia unhindered. The absence of a Federal Bill of Rights (or Human Rights Act) which provide a guarantee of religious and other freedoms in almost all other western democracies, has been noted as a primary failure to solidify the current de facto and de jure rights to freedom of religion in Australia. The Australian Human Rights Commission has criticised
13855-854: The Deputy PM tells an Australian business group that Pacific Islanders will survive "because many of their workers come here to pick our fruit". The Indonesia–Australia Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (IA-CEPA) was signed by the Trade Minister Simon Birmingham in March 2019. Australia ratified the agreement in November 2019 (alongside CEPAs with Peru, Hong Kong and China) and Indonesia followed suit in February 2020, with its provisions coming into effect in April 2020. The agreement secured greater access for Australian agriculture and education into
14018-635: The House of Representatives was reduced to one seat. Turnbull's ousting of Abbott had divided the Liberal Party rank and file and tensions continued in the parliamentary Party. In April 2018, the government reached the 30-consecutive-Newspoll-losses benchmark Turnbull had used to unseat Abbott. The government suffered by-election losses in July 2018. Dissent from conservative MPs over issues such as energy prices grew during Turnbull's final months. On 21 August, ahead of his 39th consecutive Newspoll loss, Turnbull announced
14181-457: The Indonesian market. In an historic address to the Australian Parliament following the ratification of the agreement, Indonesian President Joko Widodo welcomed the pact and said that Australia is Indonesia's closest friend, while calling on the two democracies to battle against identity politics, improve human rights, foster greater tolerance and stop terrorism. Morrison said in reply "We now have
14344-591: The Liberal candidate. The seat of Wentworth also returned to the Liberals with the election of former diplomat Dave Sharma . Morrison was sworn in as prime minister on 24 August 2018, by the Governor-General, Sir Peter Cosgrove , in a ceremony at Government House . The newly elected Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party Josh Frydenberg was the only other minister sworn in, as Treasurer . Morrison told
14507-543: The Morrison government announced that it was taking its energy bill to the election, as it would likely be amended to prevent government funding of new coal-fired power stations. Morrison has allocated $ 2bn over 10 years to the Abbott government-era Emissions Reduction Fund, renaming it the Climate Solutions Fund. A project that is expected to benefit from the Climate Solutions Fund is the Tasmanian Battery of
14670-637: The Morrison government concluded free trade agreements with Indonesia , the United Kingdom and India . In the Indo-Pacific region, Morrison launched the Pacific Step-Up initiative to increase engagement with Pacific Island nations, and revived the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue with Japan, India and United States. He also signed the AUKUS trilateral security pact with the United Kingdom and
14833-590: The Nation hydro-electric project. The government has endorsed the Snowy 2.0 hydro-electric project, a proposal of the Turnbull government. Morrison changed the age at which Australians can receive the age pension back to 67, from an age of 70, which had been government policy since the 2014 Australian federal budget . In September 2018, the base Newstart rate was raised by $ 2.20 per week, but further increases to Newstart have been ruled out by Morrison, who has stated that it
14996-509: The Queensland Criminal Code. The method of funding non-government schools was changed from using census data to using parental tax information; to take effect in 2020. On 20 September, Morrison announced a $ 4.6 billion funding deal over 10 years starting from 2020 for Catholic and Independent schools as a peace deal with two non-government sectors, after they bitterly opposed the Coalition's 2017 school funding changes. The agreement
15159-539: The Russian attack. Morrison called the 2022 federal election on 10 April 2022, to be held on 21 May. After the majority of votes had been counted on election night, it became clear that the Coalition had no path to forming government. Morrison conceded the election, also announcing he would step down as leader of the Liberal Party. Labor leader Anthony Albanese was sworn in as the 31st Prime Minister of Australia on 23 May 2022. The Liberal-National Coalition won office under
15322-696: The Southern Hemisphere since ancient times. Several 16th-century cartographers used the word Australia on maps, but not to identify modern Australia. When Europeans began visiting and mapping Australia in the 17th century, the name Terra Australis was applied to the new territories. Until the early 19th century, Australia was best known as New Holland , a name first applied by the Dutch explorer Abel Tasman in 1644 (as Nieuw-Holland ) and subsequently anglicised. Terra Australis still saw occasional usage, such as in scientific texts. The name Australia
15485-567: The United States to increase defence co-operation. The period was marked by a deterioration in bilateral relations with the increasingly autocratic Xi Jinping government in China, with Australia calling for an independent inquiry into the origins of COVID-19 and China responding with trade sanctions. Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Morrison committed Australian military, diplomatic and humanitarian aid to support Ukraine's efforts to repel
15648-443: The ability of states to legislate laws that may impede religious freedoms: the 1944 Australian Post-War Reconstruction and Democratic Rights referendum and 1988 Australian referendum . Both failed to achieve a majority of support amongst the states and therefore did not pass into law. In theory, Australian State and Territory Governments can therefore pass laws impeding religious freedoms. Some states and territories have implemented
15811-484: The ability to fire teachers who do not align with the institution's religious beliefs for any reason. This occurred in the case of the Perth South Coast Baptist College and teacher Craig Campbell who was sacked for coming out as homosexual in 2017. Following the passage of same-sex marriage legislation in Australia in 2017, a federal review was commissioned by the Turnbull government to examine
15974-611: The basis of their gender or sexual orientation since 2013, however the Ruddock report recommended that schools additionally be required to hold a publicly available policy and put the best interests of the child first. Following further media coverage and public pressure, the Labor opposition announced their support would be lent to the government should it seek to repeal the discrimination law exemptions already in existence which allow religious schools to ban students based on their sexuality. The Morrison government subsequently agreed to introduce
16137-412: The bill's future is uncertain under the new Labor Albanese government . Albanese made news for mentioning the religious discrimination bill again in March 2024 saying that there must be bipartisanship and that "now is not the time to have a divisive debate". Australia Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia , is a country comprising the mainland of the Australian continent ,
16300-536: The case of same-sex marriages). Groups such as the Victorian Aids Council and Australian Human Rights Commission have argued that a comprehensive Bill of Rights -rather than an exclusive religious freedoms law- should be implemented as this would also give full effect to Australia's obligations and commitments under the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights by enshrining all fundamental rights. Turnbull's government indicated it would not release
16463-610: The centre and Phanerozoic sedimentary basins , metamorphic and igneous rocks in the east. The Australian mainland and Tasmania are situated in the middle of the tectonic plate and have no active volcanoes, but due to passing over the East Australia hotspot , recent volcanism has occurred during the Holocene , in the Newer Volcanics Province of western Victoria and south-eastern South Australia. Volcanism also occurs in
16626-428: The coastline in the 17th-century. British colonisation began in 1788 with the establishment of the penal colony of New South Wales . By the mid-19th century, most of the continent had been explored by European settlers and five additional self-governing British colonies were established, each gaining responsible government by 1890. The colonies federated in 1901, forming the Commonwealth of Australia. This continued
16789-437: The collection of ideas, beliefs and practices as constituting a religion. In this judgement Section 116 was interpreted more broadly than in previous cases. The justices held that Section 116 provides fundamental guarantees to freedom of religion: The development of the law towards complete religious liberty and religious equality... would be subverted and the guarantees in s. 116 of the Constitution would lose their character as
16952-477: The colonies was achieved after a decade of planning, constitutional conventions and referendums , resulting in the establishment of the Commonwealth of Australia as a nation under the new Australian Constitution . After the 1907 Imperial Conference , Australia and several other self-governing British settler colonies were given the status of self-governing dominions within the British Empire. Australia
17115-807: The continent. In 1770, Captain James Cook sailed along and mapped the east coast, which he named " New South Wales " and claimed for Great Britain. Following the loss of its American colonies in 1783, the British Government sent a fleet of ships, the First Fleet , under the command of Captain Arthur Phillip , to establish a new penal colony in New South Wales . A camp was set up and the Union Flag raised at Sydney Cove , Port Jackson , on 26 January 1788,
17278-583: The convict system culminated in its abolition in the eastern colonies by the 1850s. Initially a free colony, Western Australia practised penal transportation from 1850 to 1868. The six colonies individually gained responsible government between 1855 and 1890, thus becoming elective democracies managing most of their own affairs while remaining part of the British Empire . The Colonial Office in London retained control of some matters, notably foreign affairs. In
17441-702: The country's economy. It ranks highly for quality of life, health, education, economic freedom, civil liberties and political rights. Australia is a middle power , and has the world's thirteenth-highest military expenditure . It is a member of international groups including the United Nations; the G20 ; the OECD ; the World Trade Organization ; Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation ; the Pacific Islands Forum ;
17604-526: The crossbench if Turnbull was ousted as Prime Minister. On 27 August 2018, three days after Morrison succeeded Turnbull as leader, Hogan confirmed that he would sit on the crossbench, while remaining a member of the National Party and providing confidence and supply to the government. The loss of Turnbull's seat together with the subsequent defection of the Liberal Member for Chisholm Julia Banks to
17767-441: The crossbench on 27 November, reduced the government's numbers to 73. Banks made the announcement while Morrison was announcing a timetable for Budget surplus in 2019. She told Parliament her former Party had "changed largely due to the actions of the reactionary and regressive right wing who talk about and to themselves rather than listening to the people." The Guardian reported that the move undercut Morrison's efforts to stabilise
17930-464: The crossbench to extend the sitting days for Parliament, however, Christopher Pyne, speaking for the government, has pointed out that these laws are complex and should not be rushed through. Morrison said the government would "continue to consolidate the budget", but its priorities for spending included additional school and hospital funding, affordable medicines and the national disability insurance scheme. In November, Morrison and Frydenberg announced
18093-408: The decade and offered one-off payments for nearly 4 million welfare recipients to cover the cost of energy prices, which Labor supported. Labor's budget reply differed from the government most notably with a $ 2.3 billion proposal to cover medical imaging, consultation and medicines' costs for cancer patients. Overall, Labor had approximately $ 200 billion more funding than the Coalition to utilise over
18256-462: The decade; as it proposed more revenue raising, including scaling back negative gearing and abolishing cash refunds for excess franking credits , policies which were vociferously opposed by the government. Morrison shifted Marise Payne from the Defence Portfolio to the role of Minister for Foreign Affairs , following the resignation of Julie Bishop from the role. He visited Jakarta for
18419-459: The early 2010s after the 2000s Australian drought . Although most of Australia is semi-arid or desert, the continent includes a diverse range of habitats from alpine heaths to tropical rainforests . Fungi typify that diversity—an estimated 250,000 species—of which only 5% have been described—occur in Australia. Because of the continent's great age, extremely variable weather patterns, and long-term geographic isolation, much of Australia's biota
18582-501: The existing renewable energy target with anything when it expires in 2020, stating that it will not be needed to meet emissions reduction targets. The government has implemented the Australian Competition & Consumer Commission 's review recommendations into electricity prices by asking energy retailers to introduce a default market offer for households and small businesses, which would be standard across all retailers. This
18745-755: The first time when the High Court of Australia held in Mabo v Queensland (No 2) that Australia was neither terra nullius ( ' land belonging to no one ' ) or "desert and uncultivated land" at the time of European settlement. Following the abolition of the last vestiges of the White Australia policy in 1973, Australia's demography and culture transformed as a result of a large and ongoing wave of non-European immigration, mostly from Asia. The late 20th century also saw an increasing focus on foreign policy ties with other Pacific Rim nations. The Australia Acts severed
18908-416: The floor of the House of Representatives earlier in the year when it rejected holding a vote on a commission. In relation to disability funding, the government announced price increases of up to 22 per cent for NDIS service providers, though it was criticised for a $ 1.6 billion under-spend on the scheme in the budget. Labor argued the under-spend was due to the government's desire for a surplus budget, though
19071-592: The free exercise of any religion, and no religious test shall be required as a qualification for any office or public trust under the Commonwealth. The section is based on the First Amendment to the United States Constitution . The article does not prohibit the states of Australia from implementing such laws, meaning legislation at the state level could provide for restriction or enforcement of religion. Two referendums were held on whether to restrict
19234-513: The free trade agreement on hold, though it was eventually signed in Jakarta in March 2019. In December 2018, Morrison announced Australia has recognised West Jerusalem as the capital of Israel but will not immediately move its embassy from Tel Aviv. Ahead of the 2018 APEC Forum in PNG , the Morrison government announced increased defence co-operation with Pacific nations including a plan to jointly develop
19397-425: The government and project a plan for the next election. Banks promised confidence and supply to the government. She told Fairfax Media that she was prepared to refer Turnbull's challenger Peter Dutton to the High Court over his eligibility to sit in Parliament, a move that would further reduce the government's numbers on the floor of the House. Banks ran as an independent in the subsequent 2019 Election, but lost to
19560-406: The government countered that by arguing no one who needed care would be neglected and that the scheme was responding to actual demand. In response to the 2018 Australian strawberry contamination , Morrison announced an increase in the maximum jail term for the federal offence relating to contaminating food from 10 to 15 years. However, when a woman was arrested for the crime, she was charged under
19723-412: The heart of the country are the uplands of central Australia . Prominent features of the centre and south include Uluru (also known as Ayers Rock), the famous sandstone monolith, and the inland Simpson , Tirari and Sturt Stony , Gibson , Great Sandy, Tanami , and Great Victoria deserts, with the famous Nullarbor Plain on the southern coast. The Western Australian mulga shrublands lie between
19886-470: The interior deserts and Mediterranean-climate Southwest Australia . Lying on the Indo-Australian Plate , the mainland of Australia is the lowest and most primordial landmass on Earth with a relatively stable geological history. The landmass includes virtually all known rock types and from all geological time periods spanning more than 3.8 billion years of the Earth's history. The Pilbara Craton
20049-511: The island of Tasmania and numerous smaller islands . Australia has a total area of 7,688,287 km (2,968,464 sq mi), making it the sixth-largest country in the world and the largest country by area in Oceania . It is the world's oldest, flattest, and driest inhabited continent, with some of the least fertile soils. It is a megadiverse country , and its size gives it a wide variety of landscapes and climates including deserts in
20212-417: The island of New Guinea (considered geologically as part of the Australian continent), and in the Australian external territory of Heard Island and McDonald Islands . Seismic activity in the Australian mainland and Tasmania is also low, with the greatest number of fatalities having occurred in the 1989 Newcastle earthquake . The climate of Australia is significantly influenced by ocean currents, including
20375-453: The lack of protections for religious freedom alongside other de facto freedoms and has recommended the introduction of a Bill of Rights to formally protect the rights of people. Others have highlighted that religion and religious freedoms are already well-protected, including with exemptions to anti-discrimination legislation. Frequently highlighted examples include religious schools having rights not extended to other institutions, including
20538-620: The land and the environment, with stories of The Dreaming maintained through oral tradition , songs , dance and paintings. Certain groups engaged in fire-stick farming , fish farming , and built semi-permanent shelters . These practices have variously been characterised as " hunter-gatherer ", " agricultural ", "natural cultivation" and "intensification". Torres Strait Islander people first settled their islands at least 2,500 years ago. Culturally and linguistically distinct from mainland Aboriginal peoples, they were seafarers and obtained their livelihood from seasonal horticulture and
20701-494: The leadership of Tony Abbott in the 2013 Australian federal election in which Abbott defeated the second Rudd government and ended six years of Labor government . Abbott had sought election on a platform promising to: restore stability after Labor infighting; reduce wasteful spending and restore Budget surpluses; abolish the Labor government's carbon and mining taxes; halt the seaborne people smuggling of asylum seekers; build infrastructure; prioritise indigenous affairs; and run
20864-545: The location for the future federal capital of Canberra . While it was being constructed, Melbourne served as the temporary capital from 1901 to 1927. The Northern Territory was transferred from the control of South Australia to the Commonwealth in 1911. Australia became the colonial ruler of the Territory of Papua (which had initially been annexed by Queensland in 1883) in 1902 and of the Territory of New Guinea (formerly German New Guinea ) in 1920. The two were unified as
21027-448: The mainland. Australia is also one of 17 megadiverse countries. Australian forests are mostly made up of evergreen species, particularly eucalyptus trees in the less arid regions; wattles replace them as the dominant species in drier regions and deserts. Among well-known Australian animals are the monotremes (the platypus and echidna ); a host of marsupials , including the kangaroo , koala , and wombat , and birds such as
21190-575: The majority of states, and as such these laws may be seen to support religious freedom by prohibiting unfair treatment using religion as a basis. Further, religious beliefs and activities are protected through anti-discrimination Acts in some states including: Two other state Acts apply narrower protection to ' religious appearance or dress ' ( Equal Opportunity Act 1984 , South Australia ) and ' Ethno-religious or national origin ' ( Anti-Discrimination Act 1977 , New South Wales ). It has been suggested that both states update their laws in order to align to
21353-466: The mid-19th century, explorers such as Burke and Wills charted Australia's interior. A series of gold rushes beginning in the early 1850s led to an influx of new migrants from China , North America and continental Europe, as well as outbreaks of bushranging and civil unrest; the latter peaked in 1854 when Ballarat miners launched the Eureka Rebellion against gold license fees. The 1860s saw
21516-488: The move was in response to public disgust at the repeated rolling of Prime Ministers over the preceding decade. Turnbull's resignation necessitated the 2018 Wentworth by-election . The Turnbull government had won the 2016 federal election with a single seat majority in the House of Representatives (76 seats out of 150). Turnbull nevertheless refused to campaign for his successor Liberal candidate Dave Sharma . The by-election
21679-602: The next two decades, social and economic reforms, together with the establishment of a Legislative Council and Supreme Court , saw the penal colony transition to a civil society. The indigenous population declined for 150 years following European settlement, mainly due to infectious disease. British colonial authorities did not sign any treaties with Aboriginal groups . As settlement expanded, tens of thousands of Indigenous people and thousands of settlers were killed in frontier conflicts while settlers dispossessed surviving Indigenous peoples of most of their land. In 1803,
21842-440: The pandemic, Australia had achieved one of the lowest death rates and highest vaccination rates in the world. In February 2022, the Morrison government announced a re-opening of borders to international tourist travel. By the fourth Frydenberg Budget in March 2022 ahead of the 2022 Election , Australia’s unemployment rate was at 4% and projected to drop to 3.75%, its lowest figure in 50 years. In trade and international affairs,
22005-428: The political systems of the United Kingdom (a fused executive , constitutional monarchy and strong party discipline ) and the United States ( federalism , a written constitution and strong bicameralism with an elected upper house), resulting in a distinct hybrid. Federal government power is partially separated between three groups: Charles III reigns as King of Australia and is represented in Australia by
22168-612: The press that his government would return stability and unity to the country. National Party Leader Michael McCormack continued as Deputy Prime Minister. On 26 August, Morrison announced that Senator Marise Payne would succeed the resigning Julie Bishop as Foreign Minister . Peter Dutton retained his job as Home Affairs Minister , but had his responsibilities split to separate out the Immigration portfolio, with that job going to David Coleman . Turnbull supporter Christopher Pyne replaced Senator Payne as Defence Minister and Steve Ciobo
22331-572: The protection of threatened species. Numerous protected areas have been created under the National Strategy for the Conservation of Australia's Biological Diversity to protect and preserve unique ecosystems; 65 wetlands are listed under the Ramsar Convention , and 16 natural World Heritage Sites have been established. Australia was ranked 21st out of 178 countries in the world on
22494-475: The rate of 6 to 7 centimetres a year. The Australian mainland's continental crust , excluding the thinned margins, has an average thickness of 38 km, with a range in thickness from 24 km to 59 km. Australia's geology can be divided into several main sections, showcasing that the continent grew from west to east: the Archaean cratonic shields found mostly in the west, Proterozoic fold belts in
22657-543: The religious group, prompting a lawsuit heard by the High Court in which Jehovah's Witnesses argued their rights granted under Section 116 of the Constitution were infringed. The court held that the National Security (Subversive Organisations) Regulations 1940, under which the Government had taken action, did not infringe against Section 116, but that the government had exceeded their "defence power" in section 51(vi) of
22820-533: The remaining constitutional ties between Australia and the United Kingdom while maintaining the monarch in her independent capacity as Queen of Australia . In a 1999 constitutional referendum , 55% of voters rejected abolishing the monarchy and becoming a republic. Following the September 11 attacks on the United States, Australia joined the United States in fighting the Afghanistan War from 2001 to 2021 and
22983-657: The report received in May 2018 until it had been considered in full by the government. Following the deposition of Malcolm Turnbull as Prime Minister, his replacement Scott Morrison indicated his government would not release the report or form a full response to it before the end of 2018. This drew criticism from Michael Kirby and Kerryn Phelps given the timing of the Wentworth by-election , as voters would not have an understanding of any changes to religious law potentially instituted by Australia's first Pentecostal Prime Minister. Despite
23146-419: The resources of their reefs and seas. Agriculture also developed on some islands and villages appeared by the 1300s. By the mid-18th century in northern Australia, contact, trade and cross-cultural engagement had been established between local Aboriginal groups and Makassan trepangers , visiting from present-day Indonesia. The Dutch are the first Europeans that recorded sighting and making landfall on
23309-457: The rest of the States and Territories. General religious exception or exemption clauses exist within the various federal and state human rights Acts with the aim to ensuring religious activities or observances are not impacted or inhibited by the protections provided by each Act. These exemptions therefore protect freedom of religion by permitting what would otherwise be considered discrimination if it
23472-448: The review were leaked to Fairfax Media , which reported that schools affiliated with a religion "would be guaranteed the right to turn away gay students and teachers under changes to federal anti-discrimination laws" recommended by the review. The Prime Minister initially defended this, but stated that the media coverage of the leaked report was "confused". Religious schools have held the right to discriminate against teachers and students on
23635-409: The rights of individuals, whilst others argue the correct balance has been struck, and yet others petition for wider-reaching religious exemption clauses. There have been few tests involving religious freedom put before the High Court of Australia . Judgements from the Court are generally considered to interpret the primary piece of legislation relating to religious freedom, Section 116, narrowly. In
23798-491: The rise of blackbirding , where South Sea Islanders were coerced or abducted into indentured labour, mainly by Queensland colonists. From 1886, Australian colonial governments began removing many Aboriginal children from their families and communities, justified on the grounds of child protection and forced assimilation policies. The Second Boer War (1899–1902) marked the largest overseas deployment of Australia's colonial forces . On 1 January 1901, federation of
23961-709: The spread of the SARS-CoV-2 virus . Surrounded by the Indian and Pacific oceans, Australia is separated from Asia by the Arafura and Timor seas, with the Coral Sea lying off the Queensland coast, and the Tasman Sea lying between Australia and New Zealand. The world's smallest continent and sixth-largest country by total area , Australia—owing to its size and isolation—is often dubbed
24124-428: The state level and may be limited at the federal level. The Australian Human Rights Commission Act 1986 defines discrimination as: (a) any distinction, exclusion or preference made on the basis of race, colour, sex, religion , political opinion, national extraction or social origin that has the effect of nullifying or impairing equality of opportunity or treatment in employment or occupation; In November 2021,
24287-413: The suitability of current religious freedom protections, specifically within the context of the new Marriage Amendment (Definition and Religious Freedoms) Act 2017 . The Religious Freedom Review was chaired by Philip Ruddock , the former Attorney-General for Australia at the time same-sex marriage was banned by the Howard government in 2004, and had no associated terms of reference. The review panel
24450-406: The thylacine. Many of Australia's ecoregions, and the species within those regions, are threatened by human activities and introduced animal, chromistan , fungal and plant species. All these factors have led to Australia's having the highest mammal extinction rate of any country in the world. The federal Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 is the legal framework for
24613-401: The upcoming financial year (2019–20), though it was technically in deficit as the existing financial year came to a close. The leading statements made were a cash rebate targeted toward lower and middle-income earners, with the Coalition promising to double the low and middle income tax offset it offered workers in the previous year's budget, giving voters on incomes between $ 50,000 and $ 90,000
24776-474: Was $ 19.3bn smaller than predicted, and the smallest recorded since the Global Financial Crisis . The result had been assisted by larger tax intakes and less spending on social security than expected. The Treasurer credited the result to the Coalition's economic management with real spending growth down to its lowest level in half a century. In October 2018, The Economist described Australia as possessing "the world’s most successful economy". The " tampon tax ":
24939-615: Was Australia's warmest recorded year, and the 2019–2020 bushfire season was the country's worst on record . Australia's greenhouse gas emissions per capita are among the highest in the world. Water restrictions are frequently in place in many regions and cities of Australia in response to chronic shortages due to urban population increases and localised drought. Throughout much of the continent, major flooding regularly follows extended periods of drought, flushing out inland river systems, overflowing dams and inundating large inland flood plains, as occurred throughout Eastern Australia in
25102-470: Was composed of Ruddock alongside Jesuit priest Frank Brennan , former judge Annabelle Bennett , Human Rights Commission president Ros Croucher and constitutional lawyer Nicholas Aroney. The expert review panel first met on 10 January 2018, and on 18 May the final review was handed to the Turnbull government. The Government has declined to release the review in full pending cabinet discussion on its recommendations. The Ruddock review has been interpreted as
25265-411: Was emotional at the announcement of the commission, paying tribute to his brother-in-law who has multiple sclerosis . The announcement was met with praise from Labor leader Bill Shorten , whose party had supported the idea in the past, as well as from Greens senator Jordon Steele-John , who had spent the previous year agitating for the government to support the policy and had heckled the government on
25428-413: Was established in 1829, evolving into the largest Australian colony by area, Western Australia . In accordance with population growth, separate colonies were carved from New South Wales: Tasmania in 1825, South Australia in 1836, New Zealand in 1841, Victoria in 1851, and Queensland in 1859. South Australia was founded as a free colony—it never accepted transported convicts. Growing opposition to
25591-414: Was held on 20 October 2018, and independent candidate Kerryn Phelps was elected, with a swing of almost twenty percent away from the Liberals . It was the first time since the inaugural 1901 election that the seat had not been represented by the Liberals, its predecessors, or party defectors. One of Phelps' campaign promises was to bring more humane treatment of asylum seekers held on Manus Island (in
25754-416: Was one of the founding members of the League of Nations in 1920, and the United Nations in 1945. The Statute of Westminster 1931 formally ended the ability of the UK to pass federal laws without Australia's consent. Australia adopted it in 1942, but it was backdated to 1939 to confirm the validity of legislation passed during World War II. The Australian Capital Territory was formed in 1911 as
25917-418: Was popularised by the explorer Matthew Flinders , who said it was "more agreeable to the ear, and an assimilation to the names of the other great portions of the Earth". The first time that Australia appears to have been officially used was in April 1817, when Governor Lachlan Macquarie acknowledged the receipt of Flinders' charts of Australia from Lord Bathurst . In December 1817, Macquarie recommended to
26080-467: Was removed in the latest iteration of the bill, the bill as a whole created concern that it would allow employers and schools to discriminate against LGBTQI+ employees and students. Key members of the moderate faction within the Liberal party pushed for - and won - the repeal of Section 38.2 of the separate Sex Discrimination Act 1984 , which allows religious schools to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. This change resulted in
26243-438: Was selected for the Defence Industry role. Simon Birmingham took over Mr Ciobo's former job as Trade Minister. Melissa Price was promoted into Cabinet and as Environment Minister. Angus Taylor was given the Energy portfolio. Dan Tehan became Education Minister. Deposed Nationals leader Barnaby Joyce , who had been previously ousted by Turnbull, was appointed as Special Envoy for Drought Assistance and Recovery. The Ministry
26406-566: Was sworn in on 28 August 2018. On 17 December 2018, Andrew Broad resigned over a sex scandal. On 19 January 2019, Kelly O'Dwyer , Minister for Women, Jobs and Industrial Relations, announced that she would not be contesting the upcoming election as her two children would be approaching primary school age and she wanted to give her and her husband the best opportunity for a third child. Within one week, Human Services Minister Michael Keenan and Indigenous Affairs Minister Nigel Scullion also announced that they would not recontest their seats at
26569-452: Was the federal executive government of Australia , led by Prime Minister Scott Morrison of the Liberal Party of Australia , between 2018 and 2022. The Morrison government commenced on 24 August 2018, when it was sworn in by the Governor-General of Australia . It was composed of members of the Liberal – National Coalition and succeeded the Abbott (2013–2015) and Turnbull (2015–2018) coalition governments in office, competing against
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