Speech and the Australian Constitution

May 8, 1900, Sydney.

Today is Queen Victoria's last day in Australia. Early tomorrow morning, the fleet will set sail again for its true destination: the Isle of Wight in New Zealand.

In recent days, Queen Victoria's complexion had indeed improved considerably with the company of Arthur and Princess Beatrice. However, it was visibly apparent that after enduring severe blows, the Queen's health was far from what it used to be, requiring assistance even to walk.

As the departure date of the fleet drew nearer, Arthur gradually felt a sense of reluctance and heartache.

Since ascending the throne in her youth, Queen Victoria had been bound to a seemingly free throne. She had experienced the loss of many close loved ones and even in death, she still cherished their memory.

After fulfilling her wish on the Isle of Wight, the reason that had sustained Queen Victoria for so long would likely vanish. Perhaps the next time she saw Queen Victoria, it would be on her deathbed.

Although Arthur wished to persuade Queen Victoria to stay, Her Majesty the Queen's resolve to leave was firm, so he could only give up.

In the central square on the streets of Sydney.

This square was originally used by the old colonial government to station troops. After several expansions of the city, it became a public square.

Now, this square had a glorious new mission: to host Arthur's coronation speech.

Australia, as a Duchy, was different from countries that had established independent nations. Monarchies generally calculated their founding dates from the monarch's coronation.

Arthur's coronation date was January 10, 1900. This meant that the Duchy of Australia had already been established on January 10, 1900, and Arthur was merely preparing a coronation speech.

As the various colonies had begun the process of reforming into states a week prior, upon hearing the news that Arthur would be holding his coronation speech in Sydney, not only the residents of New South Wales but also those from the neighboring states of South Australia, Victoria, and Queensland were spontaneously heading to Sydney.

As the morning sun bathed the land, the birds in the trees chirped as if urging time forward.

Ding! Ding! Ding!

With three chimes from the clock tower, announcing the arrival of eight o'clock. The crowd in the square began to stir, all eyes fixed on the high platform in the center of the square, looking up in anticipation, as if waiting for something.

Not long after, Arthur arrived at the platform, escorted by a troop of guards. Behind him were several members of the interim cabinet, who also served as interim governors.

"Good morning, ladies and gentlemen!" Arthur stepped forward, greeting everyone with a slight smile.

Fortunately, the loudspeaker had already been invented by this time; otherwise, it would have been quite difficult for everyone in the square to hear Arthur's voice.

Upon hearing Arthur's greeting, the square fell silent. Everyone listened intently to the first public speech of their future ruler.

"I know that most of you do not know me yet. Please allow me to give a brief self-introduction. I am Arthur of Connaught, Duke of Australia. Please do not concern yourselves with where I come from or my background. For from now on, we will all share a common identity: that of great and noble Australians!" Arthur said with a smile.

"Long live His Highness! Long live Australia!"

Arthur's speech was clearly met with the approval of most. After centuries of division, almost all Australians dreamed of living in a unified and prosperous Australia.

Now, with Arthur's arrival, the goal of unification had been achieved. All Australians were anticipating whether this new monarch could lead this nascent nation to prosperity.

"I believe you have all heard about the constitution promulgated a week ago. What we need most now is to break down the autonomy and isolation that the states maintained during the colonial period. People from any state are great Australians and should live freely and without restraint in any part of the country. The states can trade freely; we can sell our goods to any state in Australia and buy what we need from any state, without worrying about the policies of any state."

The Labour Party, the only party in Australia at the moment, was founded with the goal of protecting workers' interests and promoting free trade in Australia.

Arthur's statement indicated that his policies were aligned with the goals of the Labour Party, indirectly seeking to win over its members.

As the sole political party in Australia, the Labour Party, though still nascent compared to the major parties in Britain, was already a behemoth in the Australian political landscape.

The Labour Party was bound to hold a significant number of seats in future Lower House elections. Although Arthur was not worried about the Labour Party vying for power, it was best to keep this force under his control.

"Australia is a treasure trove. We have vast arable land, as well as rich minerals and resources. When this land was still a colony, both immigrants and Australians faced high taxes and exploitation. As the Duke of Australia, I do not wish to see this happen. Therefore, I have decided to reduce the taxes for all Australians, so that all Australians can first live a prosperous life!" Arthur continued to stir the hearts of the people, his words being extremely tempting.

According to the tax rates of the former colonies, one-third of an Australian's annual income became tax revenue, which was then transferred to Britain.

However, with Arthur's reduced tax rates, Australians would only need to pay one-seventh of their annual income, a reduction of more than half.

Bear in mind that the annual tax revenue from the Australian region alone amounted to over two million Pounds Sterling. After the reduction, the tax revenue would be fortunate to exceed one million Pounds Sterling.

Was Arthur so rich that he had too much money and was acting foolishly? Not at all.

Firstly, a significant reduction in taxes would quickly win the hearts and minds of the Australian people, which would be beneficial for Arthur to establish a stable autocratic monarchy and implement a series of reform plans in Australia.

Secondly, Australia in later generations was known as a country riding on a minecart. Annually, merely by selling its abundant mineral resources, it could generate substantial foreign exchange income.

Under such circumstances, the taxes from these Australians were merely a drop in the bucket. It was better to proactively reduce them to gain everyone's favor.

For all ordinary citizens, a government tax reduction was definitely cause for celebration.

Moreover, the tax reduction this time was not a small one; it was more than halved.

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