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106-585: In late August 2001, the Howard government of Australia refused permission for the Norwegian freighter MV Tampa , carrying 433 rescued refugees (predominantly Hazaras of Afghanistan from a distressed fishing vessel in international waters) and 5 crew, to enter Australian waters. This triggered an Australian political controversy in the lead-up to the 2001 federal election , and a diplomatic dispute between Australia and Norway . When Tampa entered Australian waters,

212-470: A 20-metre wooden fishing boat , the Palapa 1 , with 438 (369 men, 26 women and 43 children) mainly Hazara , became stranded in international waters about 140 km north of Christmas Island. On 26 August, Rescue Coordination Centre (RCC) Australia, which had been aware of the vessel's distress, possibly through Coastwatch surveillance, requested all ships in the area to respond. Of the ships that acknowledged

318-716: A 45-seat majority in the House of Representatives. Howard announced his proposed ministry team on 8 March 1996, with the Governor-General swearing them into office on 11 March. The size of the Coalition victory gave John Howard great power within the Liberal party and he said he came to the office "with very clear views on where I wanted to take the country". In the first week of the new government, Howard sacked six department heads and chose new department heads himself and changes were made across

424-405: A bad state and collapsed when they came on deck to us. 10 to 12 of them were unconscious, several had dysentery and a pregnant woman suffered abdominal pains. During the rescue, Rinnan received a call from Jakarta advising him to disembark the passengers at the ferry port of Merak, Indonesia. About half an hour after Tampa had set sail toward Indonesia, a delegation of five asylum seekers visited

530-523: A columnist at Fairfax Media , said Prime Minister John Howard had been "a tricky chap" on immigration, by appearing "tough" on illegal immigration to win support from the working class, while simultaneously winning support from employers with high legal immigration. The issue also divided the Labor Party internally, with the Left faction of the party arguing strongly in favour of a "softer" approach, including

636-556: A deck officer with limited medical experience, regarding the deployment of medical supplies from Tampa , and the use of the limited supplies of water. In one incident, the ship's officer turned off the ship's water supply while rescuees were being washed after an outbreak of diarrhoea . Captain Rinnan anchored approximately four nautical miles off Christmas Island. Shortly afterwards the Prime Minister of Australia , John Howard , reported

742-724: A difficult sell during the election campaign which was considered a "referendum on the GST". Alexander Downer assumed the office of Minister for Foreign Affairs in the first term of the Howard government and remained in the post until 2007. Howard and Downer sought to shift the emphasis of the Keating government 's narrative on Australian foreign policy. In his 2010 biography Lazarus Rising , Howard wrote that he saw Keating's narrative as implying Australia had in some way to "show an overt preference for links with Asia over our ties with traditional allies such as

848-578: A four-part suspension bridge reaching 70 metres (230 ft) above sea level. This bridge would have a maximum span of 3 kilometers, around 50% longer than the current record holder, the 1915 Çanakkale Bridge . Construction was projected to begin in 2014 if funding of at least US$ 10 billion could be secured. An accord was signed in April 2012 with China Railway Construction Corporation for an $ 11 billion road and double track rail bridge. However, in November 2014

954-486: A government loss. A 4.6 percent swing away from the government translated into a two-party preferred vote of 49.02 per cent for the government to Labor's 50.98 per cent. Despite One Nation winning almost 1 million votes and its 8.4 percent first preference vote being larger than the National Party's, Pauline Hanson did not win her run for the House of Representatives seat of Blair. On election night, John Howard claimed

1060-603: A key issue canvassed by John Howard in the 1996 election campaign. On 1 January 1997, the majority of the provisions of the Workplace Relations Act 1996 came into effect. The Act substantially amended the Industrial Relations Act 1988 and, under the legislation, the jurisdiction of the Industrial Relations Court of Australia , established by the Keating government in 1994, was transferred to

1166-474: A large number of other coastal islands from Australia's migration zone, effectively meaning that any asylum seekers who did not reach the Australian mainland would not be able to apply for refugee status. The Labor party supported the excision of some islands that it viewed as acting as a "magnet for people smugglers", but not others, such as Melville Island , Northern Territory which it viewed as being too close to

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1272-545: A light cruiser and eleven destroyers , four heavy cruisers and a light aircraft carrier . The two Allied cruisers were sunk, while a Japanese minesweeper and a transport vessel were sunk by friendly fire. In the 1960s proposals were made for a bridge across the Sunda Strait, and in the 1990s further suggestions arose. A new plan was announced in October 2007. It would use the islands of Ular, Sangiang and Prajurit to create

1378-485: A number of election commitments, which Howard defended as "non-core promises". At the first Coalition government budget, the public service was "downsized", the Commonwealth Employment Service (CES) was privatised, and cuts were made to all departments with the exception of defence. $ 8 billion in spending cuts were made over the government's first two budgets. Industrial relations reform had been

1484-432: A number of islands, many of which are volcanic in origin. They include: Sangiang (Thwart-the-Way), Sebesi , Sebuku , and Panaitan (Prince's). The 1883 eruption of Krakatau , one of these islands, had a profound effect on the area, both short and long term. Tsunamis and pyroclastic flows which floated on clouds of steam killed tens of thousands. Out of 3,000 people on nearby Sebesi at the time, not one survived. Some land

1590-493: A republic. Howard outlined his support for retaining the status quo on the basis that it had provided a long period of stability and whilst he said there was no question that Australia was a fully independent nation, he believed that the "separation of the ceremonial and executive functions of government" and the presence of a neutral "defender of constitutional integrity" was an advantage in government and that no republican model would be as effective in providing such an outcome as

1696-535: A series of "headland speeches", which dealt broadly with the philosophy of government. In contrast to Keating, he used these addresses to speak in favour of traditional Australian institutions and symbols like the Australian flag and ANZAC legacy . By the time of the 1996 Election, unemployment was high, but at a lower rate than at the previous 1993 Election, and interest rates were lower than they had been in 1990, but foreign debt had been growing. The Keating government

1802-540: A state of emergency and proceeded to enter Australian territorial waters without permission. The legality of this action has been the subject of debate, with the Australian government maintaining that it was illegal. The Australian government responded by dispatching Australian troops from the SAS led by squadron commander Major Vance Khan, under Colonel Gus Gilmore , to board the ship and prevent it from approaching any closer to Christmas Island. The SAS doctor later reported that

1908-551: A symbolic issue to decrease trade union influence. Initially, new workplace legislation was introduced in December 1996—following a deal with Democrats Leader Cheryl Kernot —to include a no-disadvantage test, increase employer's power to deal directly with workers, limit strike action, ban secondary boycotts, ban compulsory unionism, and introduce Australian Workplace Agreements (AWAs). Large fines were imposed on unions involved in illegal strike activity. An "Interventionist Strategy"

2014-552: A time of the government's choosing. On 23 May 2004, it was reported that most Afghan asylum seekers on Nauru recently granted refugee status were likely to be resettled in Australia. The Federal Government decided to grant refugee status to 92 Afghans detained on the Pacific island nation, while 11 applications were refused. Holders of a Temporary Protection Visa were not allowed multiple entrances into Australia and did not have access to

2120-490: A voting process, the Convention proposed that a Bi-partisan appointment republican model to be put to a referendum of the Australian nation in 1999. The Convention recommended that state parliaments also examine the issue of the republic, as each State has separate and individual constitutional links to the monarchy. Certain recommendations were made for a new Constitutional preamble which included introductory language along

2226-477: The 1987 election , which saw Labor returned. Peacock successfully challenged and replaced Howard prior to the 1990 election , which again returned Labor. The Liberals turned to two further leaders (John Hewson and Alexander Downer) before restoring Howard to the office to lead the Coalition against the Keating Labor government . Long-serving Labor Treasurer Paul Keating had successfully challenged Bob Hawke for

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2332-501: The Australian Labor Party rallying demonstrators from a podium. The initially peaceful protest deteriorated into the 1996 Parliament House riot which saw a breakaway group of protesters attack the entrance to Parliament. The Howard government made waterfront reform a key feature of the 'first wave' of its industrial relations agenda. Their goal was to lift exports and hence improve the economy, but also sought to use it as

2438-493: The Australian Republican Movement and Australians for Constitutional Monarchy . At the convention, Liberal-National delegates were permitted to advocate freely whether for or against change. Prime Minister Howard and Deputy Prime Minister Tim Fischer spoke in favour of the status quo in relation to the republic, while Treasurer Peter Costello supported change. The Labor opposition also advocated for change to

2544-529: The Australian constitutional monarchy . Tim Fischer said that the Australian Constitution had delivered one of the "oldest continuous federated democracies in the world" and that changing it would be a complex operation: "The case for changing our mighty Constitution which has helped modernise Australia remains distant, divided and ill-defined. I say: stay with a system that works and works well". Peter Costello also rejected any suggestion that Australia

2650-478: The Federal Court of Australia . Elements of the reforms were opposed by the Labor Party and Union movement. The Australian Council of Trade Unions called the "cavalcade to Canberra" rally to protest against the industrial relations reform agenda. The protest began with senior Australian Trade Union officials including ACTU President Jennie George and Assistant Secretary Greg Combet , as well as senior members of

2756-551: The International Monetary Fund to other nations in the region – notably Thailand, Korea and Indonesia – and lobbied The IMF and USA to ease demands placed on Indonesia. Through much of its first term, opinion polling had been disappointing for the government; at times many in the government feared being a "one-term wonder". The popularity of Pauline Hanson and her One Nation party and the new restrictions on gun ownership drew many traditionally Coalition voters away from

2862-504: The Keating government in relation to the separation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families. The government adopted most of the recommendations of the report, though pointedly did not agree that a national "apology" from the Parliament would be an appropriate response. A Constitutional Convention was called by the Howard government in February 1998 to consider

2968-719: The Krakatoa Archipelago consists of the islands of Lang (Panjang or Rakata Kecil), Verlaten (Sertung), and most recently, Anak Krakatau , which emerged in 1927 from the original Krakatoa's shattered remains. On March 1, 1942, the Battle of Sunda Strait —part of the larger Battle of the Java Sea —took place when the Allied cruisers HMAS Perth and USS Houston encountered a Japanese amphibious landing force near Bantam , commanded by Rear Admiral Kenzaburo Hara. That force included

3074-549: The Liberal – National Coalition , which won a majority of seats in the House of Representatives at four successive elections. The Howard government commenced following victory over the Keating government at the 1996 federal election . It concluded with its defeat at the 2007 federal election by the Australian Labor Party , whose leader Kevin Rudd then formed the first Rudd government . It

3180-635: The Prime Minister ordered the ship be boarded by Australian special forces . This brought censure from the government of Norway, which said the Australian government failed to meet its obligations to distressed mariners under international law at the United Nations . Within a few days, the government introduced the Border Protection Bill into the House of Representatives , saying it would confirm Australian sovereignty to "determine who will enter and reside in Australia". The government introduced

3286-561: The Sunda Kingdom , which ruled the western portion of Java (an area covering the present day West Java , Jakarta , Banten , and some of western Central Java ) from 669 to around 1579. The name also alludes to the Sundanese people native to West Java and Banten. Extending in a roughly southwest/northeast orientation, with a minimum width of 24 km (15 mi) at its northeastern end between Cape Tua on Sumatra and Cape Pujat on Java,

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3392-714: The " Pacific Solution ", whereby the asylum seekers were taken to Nauru where their refugee status was considered, rather than in Australia. In the years leading up to 2001, increasing numbers of people attempted to travel to Australia by boat to seek asylum as refugees . Many of these arrived off Christmas Island , an Australian territory in the Indian Ocean, 2,000 km off the north-west coast of Australia and 500 km south of Jakarta , Indonesia. Hundreds of people arrived on tightly packed, unseaworthy vessels, and many paid large amounts of money to people smugglers for their passage to Australia. At dawn on 24 August 2001,

3498-500: The 2004 election, the Coalition won control of the Senate for all but the first nine months of its fourth term, and was able to pass legislation without the support of minor parties. The government also faced internal problems and tension, with the loss of numerous ministers during its first term due to the introduction of a ministerial code of conduct and ongoing leadership rivalry between John Howard and Peter Costello. Significant issues for

3604-481: The Asian Financial Crisis, in which regional economies had fallen into recession, while Australia stood out as the economic "strong man of Asia": Labor left us, despite all the protestations of Mr Beazley and Mr Keating, a deficit of $ 10.5 billion and we turned that into a surplus a year ahead of schedule. Howard credited his government with having reduced debt and unemployment and outlined his case for

3710-517: The Australians sent commando troops on board. This created a very high tension among the refugees. After an hour of checking the refugees, the troops agreed to give medical assistance to some of them… The soldiers obviously didn't like their mission. Late on the night of 29 August, the Prime Minister introduced an emergency bill entitled the "Border Protection Bill 2001". This Bill would have provided

3816-562: The Dole was first proposed by the Liberal Party of Australia in 1987, and was enacted on a trial basis a year after it gained power at the 1996 federal election in their traditional coalition . Despite mixed feelings among younger people, at whom the program was aimed, there was little mainstream opposition when it was launched. On 1 July 1998, all job seekers aged 18–24 that had been claiming benefits for six months or more were required to join

3922-498: The Dole was expanded to include those aged 35–39. Additionally, those aged 40–49 could volunteer themselves for the scheme for the first time. A broad-based goods and services tax (GST) had previously been proposed by both the Labor Party and the Coalition as a means of reducing the reliance of the Commonwealth on income tax, by increasing the tax on consumption. The existing wholesale sales tax only applied to certain products, while

4028-571: The High Court decision determined that Native Title could co-exist with pastoral leases, which caused farmers to fear they would lose their land. The government announced a "Ten Point Plan" to deal with the uncertainty that had the effect of weakening the Native Title Act. The legislation termed the " Native Title Amendment Act 1998 " was introduced into Parliament in September 1997, but was opposed by

4134-406: The Howard government included implementation of substantial spending cuts in its first term of office and completely paying off government debt; gun control; the popularity of Pauline Hanson and her One Nation party; industrial relations reforms, including the 1998 waterfront dispute and the introduction of WorkChoices ; the 1999 Australian republic referendum ; reconciliation and native title;

4240-532: The Howard government. Also controversial had been the large spending cuts, the waterfront dispute and industrial changes, and the government's commitment to a GST. On 20 September 1998, at the Riverside Theatre in Parramatta, Howard delivered a conspicuously "no frills" policy launch in which he said that "economic competence" should be the major issue of the election, at a time of economic uncertainty following

4346-668: The Howard government: Tim Fischer until July 1999, followed by John Anderson until July 2005 and then Mark Vaile . Decisions of the Executive were made either by the Cabinet or by the appropriate Minister . For the first three terms of government, and part of the fourth term, the Howard government did not have control of the Senate . Legislation needed the support of the Opposition or minor parties for that legislation to be passed and become law. In

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4452-627: The Java coast. For centuries, the strait was an important shipping route, especially during the period when the Dutch East India Company used it as the gateway to the Spice Islands of Indonesia (1602–1799). However, its narrowness, shallowness, and lack of accurate charting make it unsuitable for many modern, large ships, most of which use the Strait of Malacca instead. The strait is dotted with

4558-517: The Labor party in the Senate. A deal announced on 3 July 1998 between Independent Senator Brian Harradine and the prime minister saw the legislation pass the Senate. The legislation meant that 120 agreements and permits in doubt due to the "Wik decision" were now valid. On 26 May 1997, John Howard tabled the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission's Bringing Them Home Report , a report commissioned by

4664-515: The MUA. The MUA and Patricks reached a new workplace and productivity agreement, which was adopted in June 1998, that included halving the permanent workforce, casualisation and contracting, the MUA retaining the right to represent maritime workers, and changing work practices to what the company originally sought. The government did not have a majority in the Senate , and thus had to negotiate legislation through

4770-781: The Mahatir and Howard governments, when Howard criticised Mahatir's treatment of Mahatir's former Deputy Anwar Ibrahim and when Mahatir became a trenchant critic of Australian military operations in East Timor and later Iraq. Howard selected Indonesia and Japan for his first foreign visits and went to China in early 1997 at the invitation of President Jiang Zemin . Howard then visited the United States to meet with US President Bill Clinton and on to Britain to meet with UK Prime Minister Tony Blair in July of that year. Australia-Indonesia relations were on

4876-623: The Senate with either the Australian Democrats or the independents. The Senate modified government legislation, including the partial privatisation of the government-owned telecommunications company, Telstra ; increases in university fees; large funding cuts in the 1996 and 1997 budgets; a 30% private health insurance rebate; and the Wik 10 Point Plan , giving extinguishment of native title on pastoral leases . During this first term, only two pieces of legislation were rejected outright by

4982-578: The Senate, being the Workplace Relationships Amendment Bill 1997 and the Telstra (Transition to Full Private Ownership) Bill 1998. A " work for the dole " system was introduced that required able-bodied social security recipients to participate in activities aimed at improving their social and work skills. The coalition campaigned on a policy of "clean government" as a contrast to the previous government. A "Code of Ministerial Conduct"

5088-450: The United States and Britain, especially the latter", whereas in Howard's view, Australia "did not have to choose between her history and her geography". Howard summarised this policy emphasis as "Asia first, not Asia only". Soon after taking office, Howard met with Malaysian Prime Minister Mahatir , to smooth relations in the aftermath of former Prime Minister Keating's falling out with Mahatir. Relations subsequently deteriorated between

5194-519: The abolition of mandatory detention. The party leadership's compromise stance was pilloried by the Liberals as being wishy-washy and uncertain. In July 2007, an unauthorised biography of John Howard claimed that he had received advice from the Attorney-General's Department that refusing the asylum seekers entry into Australia would breach international law, but that he did so to gain public support in

5300-482: The action as "a fightback by the people of Australia against the inefficiency of the wharves." Over the following months, a bitter and sometimes violent dispute took place at port locations. The Maritime Union of Australia (MUA) took the case to the Federal Court and after an appeals process, and an interim injunction instructing the company to reinstate the 1,400 workers, the High Court ultimately found in favour of

5406-461: The assistance of these organisations. Captain Rinnan received the highest civil honour in Norway as a result of his handling of this difficult incident. Rinnan has been a sailor since 1958, and a captain for 23 years. He said of the incident: I have seen most of what there is to see in this profession, but what I experienced on this trip is the worst. When we asked for food and medicine for the refugees,

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5512-499: The asylum seekers as "queue-jumpers" falsely claiming to be refugees, and criminals who "hijacked" Tampa to gain illegal entry into the country. There were concerns of a security risk involving a "floodgates" where people smugglers would deliberately target Australia as a perceived "soft target". Some public commentators, including then-Minister for Defence Peter Reith , suggested that groups of asylum seekers arriving by boat could harbour terrorists. In 2003, economist Ross Gittins ,

5618-567: The asylum seekers in the case of an emergency. The Australian government refused permission for the ship to enter Australia's territorial waters, and threatened to prosecute Captain Arne Rinnan as a people smuggler if it did so. The Australian government denied any obligation under international law as Christmas Island lies within a zone designated as Indonesia's responsibility for rescue according to an agreement made in 1990 between Australia and Indonesia. Indonesia had also accepted co-ordination of

5724-460: The bill; nor would the Greens , Democrats or independent Senator Brian Harradine . The bill quickly passed the lower House of Representatives , but was rejected by the Senate later that same sitting day. The Government attacked the Opposition for refusing to pass the legislation, but indicated it would not reintroduce it at that stage. The government subsequently acted to excise Christmas Island and

5830-498: The boarding of the ship to the Australian Parliament . The Australian troops instructed Captain Rinnan to move the ship back into international waters; he refused, claiming the ship was unsafe to sail until the asylum seekers had been offloaded. The ship-owners said they agreed with his decision, and the Norwegian government warned the Australian government not to seek to force the ship to return to international waters against

5936-494: The bridge to demand passage to Australian territory, specifically Christmas Island , or any western country. The group was quite aggressive and agitated and Rinnan agreed to alter course for Christmas Island . When interviewed by UK newspaper The Observer , Rinnan explained: "A delegation of five men came up to the bridge. They behaved aggressively and told us to go to Australia. They said they had nothing to lose." Although Rinnan reported that he did not feel threatened and there

6042-618: The captain's will. The Australian government tried to persuade Indonesia to accept the asylum seekers; Indonesia refused. Norway also refused to accept the asylum seekers and reported Australia to the United Nations, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees , and the International Maritime Organization for alleged failure to obey its duties under international law , though it did not ask for

6148-526: The crisis. In the federal election following the arrival of Tampa , the Liberal Party campaigned on the issue, with John Howard's statement "we decide who comes into this country and the circumstances in which they come." The Australian electorate largely supported the Government. Some television news polls in Australia showed as much as 90 percent support for the Australian government's actions. Many viewed

6254-513: The cusp of a volatile period, with the approaching collapse of the Suharto government and independence for East Timor. During the course of the Howard government, trade with China was to grow exponentially, and Howard was to cultivate close working relationships with Clinton's replacement, George W. Bush of the United States and UK Prime Minister Tony Blair. The emergence of the 1997 Asian financial crisis shifted regional dynamics, and contributed to

6360-469: The demise of the Suharto administration and Indonesia's transition to democracy, through which the Howard government negotiated bilateral relations. In one of the Howard government's most significant foreign policy initiatives, Australia contributed assistance to the region as part of an international bail-out. The Australian economy avoided the downturn and, along with Japan, offered supplementary help to that of

6466-515: The disclosure that he was a shopping centre landlord whilst he was responsible for commercial tenancy provisions of the Trade Practices Act 1974 . John Sharp , David Jull and Peter McGauran resigned in September 1997 over irregularities in the use of ministerial travel allowances in what became known in the media as the "Travel Rorts Affair". John Moore and Warwick Parer survived revelations about his shareholdings. Parer however

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6572-478: The following 12 months. The Coalition Tax Reform Package was launched on 13 August 1998 and included a 10 percent GST with the proceeds to be distributed to the states. Income tax would be lowered and the wholesale sales tax abolished, along with certain taxes on financial transactions. Over that fortnight, the proposal received a generally positive response and on 30 August the Prime Minister announced an early election for 3 October 1998. The GST, however, proved to be

6678-439: The government with the power to remove any ship in the territorial waters of Australia (s 4), to use reasonable force to do so (s 5), to provide that any person who was on the ship may be forcibly returned to the ship (s 6), that no civil or criminal proceedings may be taken against the Australian government or any of its officers for removing the ship or returning people to it (s 7), that no court proceedings are available to prevent

6784-433: The hope that the asylum seekers would not notice. About half an hour into the turn, however, they did notice and again became agitated. Captain Rinnan, concerned that if the ship continued to sail to Indonesia the asylum seekers could jump overboard or riot and harm the crew, decided to head back towards Christmas Island. As the ship approached the boundary of Australia's territorial waters (12 nautical miles (22 km) from

6890-603: The introduction of a goods and services tax ; the 1999 Australian-led intervention in East Timor ; blocking boats of refugees from seeking asylum in Australia; the "War on Terror"; the intervention in Northern Territory Indigenous communities ; and an economy that experienced sustained growth throughout the government's term of office. John Howard became Leader of the Opposition on 30 January 1995, replacing Alexander Downer , who resigned in his favour. Downer took

6996-480: The introduction of a Goods and Services Tax, describing the existing taxation system as "broken", and saying that the Coalition's tax reform proposals would introduce a new economy wide tax to be dedicated to the funding of the States, while at the same time reducing or eliminating a range of inefficient existing taxes: And it is only through having a goods and services tax as part of our plan that we can actually guarantee

7102-422: The island), Captain Rinnan pleaded for permission for the ship to dock at Christmas Island. He reported that several of the asylum seekers were unconscious, and others were suffering from dysentery , statements subsequently supported by the Special Air Service (SAS) physician, but later disputed by Australian authorities. The Australian government provided medical assistance and food, but still refused permission for

7208-399: The lead up to the 1996 election that a GST would "never ever" be Coalition policy, which was repeated in August 1996 once in government. In May 1997, the Prime Minister shocked his party and created headlines when he unilaterally indicated a GST might be proposed as part of broader changes to the tax system. In August of that year, the Prime Minister announced that the government would contest

7314-418: The leadership of the Labor Party and the prime ministership in 1991. Despite Australia suffering a deep recession in the early 1990s, Labor had increased its lead over the Coalition at the 1993 election , which had seen the Liberals under Hewson offer an ambitious program of economic reform called Fightback! , which proposed a Goods and Services Tax as its centrepiece. As opposition leader, Howard delivered

7420-401: The levels of government services and the levels of welfare support that all decent minded Australians believe should be available in a modern, civilised and compassionate Australian community. The Kim Beazley -led Labor opposition opposed the GST outright. On 3 October 1998, the Howard government won a second term with its March 1996 majority of 45 seats reduced to 12. Exit polls had predicted

7526-413: The lines of "we the Australian people", and referencing "Almighty God", custodianship and occupancy of Australia by Indigenous Australians , as well as affirmations of the law, cultural diversity, unique land and environment and democratic political system of Australia. The 457 visa was the Temporary Business (Long Stay) and was introduced soon after John Howard became prime minister in 1996 Work for

7632-419: The mainland to justify excision. The other parties opposed excision of any islands. Internationally, Australia was criticised by several countries, particularly Norway, which accused it of evading its human rights responsibilities. Domestically, the government's line attracted strong support, especially in the aftermath of the 11 September attacks . The Australian government's popularity rating rose throughout

7738-473: The mayday call: "We are on a voyage from Fremantle to Singapore via Sunda Strait … We have changed course and are headed for position of distress… Please advise further course of action. A Rinnan, Master." After an hour of setting course for the vessel, Rinnan received a direction from RCC apparently attempting to disown the rescue operation: "Please note that Indonesian search and rescue authorities have accepted co-ordination of this incident." Tampa reached

7844-421: The mooted GST would apply to all products and services equally. In 1981 Treasurer John Howard proposed an indirect consumption tax to Cabinet, a mid-1980s proposal advocated by then treasurer Paul Keating was stopped within the Labor Party, and the Coalition's loss of the "unlosable" 1993 Federal Election was widely attributed to their GST proposal. In reference to his long-held support for a GST, John Howard said in

7950-485: The naval attaché David Ramsay to visit Basarnas. By this time, Australian surveillance had observed that the ship's passengers had fashioned signs that read "SOS" and "HELP" on the ship's deck and, in response, further attempts were made to contact Basarnas, first by fax and then through the defence attaché in Jakarta. At this time, DIMA called RCC "asking if vessels that respond to Australian search and rescue broadcast can tow

8056-402: The next election offering a GST with extensive compensatory cuts in income and sales taxes. A long-held conviction of Howard's, the tax reform proposal was credited with boosting his confidence and direction, which had appeared to wane early in the government's second year. The Treasurer was charged with forming and running a special confidential working group to devise the details of the plan over

8162-505: The ownership of semi-automatic rifles , semi-automatic shotguns , pump-action shotguns , and introduced uniform firearms licensing. It was implemented with bipartisan support by the Commonwealth, States and Territories. The government stated that the previous Keating government had left them with an unexpected $ 7.6 billion "black hole" budget deficit. The new treasurer, Peter Costello , and Finance Minister, John Fahey worked at reducing Commonwealth expenditure. This involved reneging on

8268-460: The partial sale of Telstra . He also promised to restore the prime minister's attendance at question time in parliament (which Keating had reduced in his final term). The 1996 Election brought to an end 13 years of the Hawke-Keating Labor government . The Liberal-National Coalition won the federal election on 2 March 1996 against the incumbent Keating Labor government . The coalition had

8374-548: The plan became public (Peter Reith denied knowledge of the plan) and the union movement was able to stop the Dubai training; the training was finished in Australia with the assistance of the National Farmers' Federation . At 11 pm 7 April 1998, Corrigan, with the assistance of security guards with dogs, sacked the union workforce of 1,400 across the country, and replaced it with the alternate non-union labour. John Howard described

8480-507: The position of Shadow Minister for Foreign Affairs, and Peter Costello retained his position as Deputy Leader of the Liberal Party and Shadow Treasurer. Howard had had a long Parliamentary career, having entered Parliament in 1974 and serving as Treasurer in the Fraser government from 1977 to 1983. He replaced Andrew Peacock as leader of the Opposition in 1985 and challenged the Hawke government at

8586-484: The public service. On 28 April 1996, eight weeks into the new government's term, 35 people were shot dead by a lone gunman in Port Arthur , Tasmania. John Howard led a push to significantly increase restrictions on gun ownership, which divided the cabinet and inflamed some rural voters who were an important part of the Coalition's core constituency. The new National Firearms Program Implementation Act 1996 restricted

8692-649: The question of Australia becoming a republic and consider other alterations to the Australian Constitution which might be appropriate for the coming centenary of the Federation of Australia in 2001. The convention had been promised in Opposition by Alexander Downer in response to the republican proposals of the Keating government . Consisting of 152 delegates, the Convention comprised both appointed and elected delegates. Appointees included 40 national parliamentarians and elected delegates included representatives of

8798-488: The request, Tampa was closest to the site and began to proceed towards the distressed Palapa 1 . According to international law, survivors of a shipwreck are to be taken to the closest suitable port on the vessel's intended course for medical treatment. Such a port was 12 hours away in Merak , Indonesia. Christmas Island was six or seven hours closer, but it did not have the ability to receive large shipping freighters and neither

8904-522: The rescue, and the closest suitable port was Merak in Indonesia. The Minister for Foreign Affairs , Alexander Downer explained to parliament that "It is important that people understand that Australia has no obligation under International law to accept the rescued persons in to Australian territory." Australian ambassador David Stuart said in the United Nations that "the rescue by the MV Tampa occurred outside

9010-452: The rescuees were generally dehydrated, malnourished and unhappy. Many were suffering from dehydration, exhaustion and minor ailments including sixty one cases of scabies , forty six cases of head lice and twenty six cases of gastroenteritis , among other conditions. They also attended to four pregnant women. There were some disputes between the SAS and the ship's medical officer Christian Maltau,

9116-464: The same services as normally recognised refugees (for example, free English language lessons and help with job search). Another small group was later accepted by New Zealand. The crew of Tampa received the Nansen Refugee Award for 2002 from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) for their involvement in the events. Captain Arne Rinnan was also named captain of the year by

9222-526: The scheme. From 19 April 1999, job seekers aged 17 or 18 and who had left Year 12 had to join the scheme after three months of job seeking. During the 2000 Summer Olympic Games , all those of an eligible age who had been unemployed for three months or more and lived in Sydney were required to participate. This temporary change was made to encourage people to take up casual work during the Games. In December 2000, Work for

9328-469: The search and rescue region designated as being the responsibility of Australia." Although Tampa had responded to a broadcast by an Australian rescue agency, on 30 August, Downer stated in parliament that the survivors were picked up "at the direction of the Indonesian search and rescue authorities." Faced with Australia's threats of prosecution, Captain Rinnan agreed to turn slowly back towards Indonesia in

9434-500: The ship from being removed and from people being returned to it (s 8), and that no asylum applications may be made by people on board the ship (s 9). The bill was intended to enter into force at 9:00 Australian Eastern Standard Time, 29 August 2001 (s 2); thus making the bill retroactive . It also attempted to ensure actions taken prior to legislation passage to remove ship and return people to it would have been treated as legal. The Opposition Labor Party announced they would not support

9540-491: The ship to enter Australian territorial waters. The Australian government sent military personnel to Christmas Island, ostensibly to be ready to provide this assistance to the ship. On 29 August, Captain Rinnan, having lost patience with the Australian authorities, increasingly concerned for the safety of the asylum seekers and the ship's crew, and also possibly acting under direction of the Norwegian Government, declared

9646-531: The shipping newspaper Lloyd's List and the Nautical Institute in London. Howard government Prime Minister of Australia Term of government (1996–2007) Ministries Elections [REDACTED] The Howard government refers to the federal executive government of Australia led by Prime Minister John Howard between 11 March 1996 and 3 December 2007. It was made up of members of

9752-495: The strait is part of the Java Sea. It is essentially triangular in shape, with two large bays on its northern side. It is also very broad and deep at its southwestern end, but as it narrows to the northeast it becomes much shallower, with a minimum depth of only 20 m (66 ft) in parts of its northeastern end. The strait is notoriously difficult to navigate because of this shallowness, very strong tidal currents, sandbanks, and man-made obstructions such as oil platforms off

9858-457: The stranded vessel to Indonesia". A call to shipping was broadcast at 12:48 Canberra time: Subject: Distress Relay. A 35-metre Indonesian type vessel with 80 plus persons on board adrift in the vicinity of 09.32.5 south 104.44 east… vessel has SOS and HELP written on the roof. Vessels within 10 hours report best ETA and intentions to this station. Captain Arne Rinnan of MV Tampa responded to

9964-818: The then upcoming election. In 2019, former opposition leader Phil Goff stated that New Zealand's decision to take 131 of the Tampa refugees was one of the best decisions made by the Fifth Labour Government . The refugees from Tampa were loaded onto a Royal Australian Navy vessel, HMAS  Manoora , which transported them to the small island country of Nauru , where most were held in two detention camps, State House and Topside . They were eventually joined by hundreds of other asylum seekers, under Australia's " Pacific Solution ". Approximately 150 people were diverted to New Zealand , where they were subsequently granted asylum and progress to citizenship. In 2004, following

10070-404: The vessel, guided by Australian Coastwatch de Havilland Dash-8 aircraft, at about 2 pm. The first child was lifted to safety at 2:30pm and the rescue operation continued all afternoon. Rinnan recounted in an interview with Norway Today : They sent a plane to direct us to the sinking boat. When we arrived it was obvious to us that it was coming apart. Several of the refugees were obviously in

10176-740: The war in Afghanistan and invasion of Iraq , the New Zealand government began to reunite their families. When those refugees not claimed by New Zealand arrived on Nauru, many of them refused to leave the boat after several additional weeks on board waiting for temporary shelters to be constructed, recognising they were to be held in detention camps pending the adjudication of their cases. Those eventually found to be refugees were granted three-year temporary protection visas , under which they could be returned to their places of origin in Afghanistan and Iraq at

10282-549: The win as a mandate for the GST, and in surprising and apparently impromptu remarks, he committed the government to reconciliation with Australia's indigenous peoples. Simultaneously with the federal election, a referendum on statehood was held in the Northern Territory , with the Howard government promising to grant statehood if it passed. The "No" vote won with 51.9 percent of the vote, a margin of just over 3,500 votes. Sunda Strait The strait takes its name from

10388-576: Was devised in March 1997 between Industrial Relations Minister, Peter Reith , Transport Minister John Sharp , and Patrick Corporation managing director Chris Corrigan whereby Patrick's would replace the existing current unionised labour with non-unionised labour using the government's new industrial relations legislation . The government agreed to the company's request to fund redundancy payments later announced to be $ 150 million. The company secretly trained an alternate workforce in Dubai. In December 1997,

10494-523: Was introduced in fulfilment of this pledge. The code required ministers to divest shares in portfolios that they oversaw and to be truthful in parliament. The code eventually led to seven cabinet ministers resigning following breach of the code. Jim Short and Brian Gibson both resigned in October 1996 as both held shares in companies that were within their ministerial portfolios. Bob Woods resigned in February 1997 over questionable ministerial expense claims. Geoff Prosser resigned in July 1997 following

10600-475: Was it on the vessel's route. The Australian rescue authorities had been the first to become aware of the vessel's distress, and for some time attempted to contact the relevant Indonesian authorities to attend to the rescue. RCC sent a fax to the Indonesian Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) on the night of 25 August but received no response. On Sunday, 26 August, Australian EST, the Australian embassy sent

10706-401: Was never resettled and became Ujung Kulon National Park . The Krakatoa eruption drastically altered the topography of the strait, with as much as 18–21 km of ignimbrite being deposited over an area of 1.1 million km around the volcano. However, the population has recovered and much of the coastline is now very densely populated. Aside from Krakatoa's sole remaining peak, Rakata ,

10812-474: Was no risk of him losing his ship, he was conscious of the fact that there was now insufficient safety equipment or rations for all persons on board. The ship requested the Australian government's permission to unload the asylum seekers at Christmas Island, arguing that the ship could not sail to Indonesia, because it was unseaworthy — the ship was not designed for 438 people, only its 27 crew; and there were no lifeboats or other safety equipment available for

10918-486: Was not already an independent nation, but said that, while the Australian Constitution works "remarkably well", it was the institution of monarchy that was the crux of his argument for change: " The temper of the times is democratic; we are uncomfortable with an office that appoints people by hereditary. In our society in our time we prefer appointment by merit". The Convention reached "in principle" support for an Australian republic and examined three models for change. After

11024-554: Was not reappointed to the Second Howard Ministry. In early 1999, the government announced that ministers would no longer be required to divest themselves of shareholdings. On 23 December 1996, the High Court recognised the Wik people 's native titles rights, and that pastoral and mining leases would not extinguish native title as had been assumed after the 1992 Mabo decision and subsequent Native Title Act 1993 . Rather,

11130-655: Was projecting a small budget surplus. Following the election, an $ 8 billion deficit was confirmed. Delivering his Policy Launch Speech at the Ryde Civic Centre in Sydney on 18 February 1996, Howard emphasised that Labor had been in office a long time, and cited high inflation , a poor current account deficit and high national debt as evidence of bad economic management. He called for industrial relations reform to increase flexibility and improve productivity and offered tax relief for families. He proposed increased spending on environmental challenges, to be in part funded by

11236-475: Was the second-longest government under a single prime minister, with the longest having been the second Menzies government (1949–1966). Two senior ministers served in single roles for the duration of the government; Peter Costello as Treasurer and Alexander Downer as Minister for Foreign Affairs . The leader of the National Party served as Deputy Prime Minister . Three men served in this capacity during

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