Cabinet Government

June 23, 1900, Australian National Government Building.

This was Arthur's third day back from the Isle of Wight and the planned final election day for the Cabinet Government.

For Australia, this was an extremely important day. Australia was about to establish its first official Cabinet Government, and Australia's transition from a colony to a duchy would also mark a significant success.

And for Arthur, this was also a very important day. After the official members of the Cabinet Government were finalized, the complete government could be established to formulate and implement plans for Australia's future development.

At eight in the morning, the vast majority of the parliament members had arrived at the entrance of the government building, quietly waiting for the doors to open.

For the lucky individuals among the parliament members who were selected as candidates, this day was certainly one to look forward to.

If they continued to be fortunate and succeeded in the upcoming vote, they would truly rise to the pinnacle of Australian politics in one leap.

Even those parliament members who failed in the first round of voting appeared quite expectant.

Although they were not eligible to run this time, they could later boast that they had cast their votes for the current Cabinet Government.

Click!

With a crisp sound from the wooden doors of the government building, this century-old structure was about to begin its day's work.

There were no guards to lead the way this time, but these parliament members were already very familiar with the building and quietly made their way to the meeting room on the top floor.

Some officials were already working in the government building, but because the core of the government, the cabinet, had not yet been formally established, the government's current responsibilities were limited to maintaining public order and stability, with no significant development plans.

As all the parliament members took their seats, Arthur entered, escorted by several guards, and sat in the center position.

"Everyone, I know you are all eagerly anticipating the official members of the Cabinet Government, and I am too. Now, let us officially begin the election of the cabinet members," Arthur said with a smile, surveying the expectant and excited faces around him.

"You each have a list of cabinet positions. Fill in the name of the candidate you believe is most suitable behind each position. Once completed, hand the list to the guards beside you," Arthur explained the rules.

"However, I must remind you that the cabinet election is crucial for Australia. I hope you will follow your conscience and not be swayed by personal interests," Arthur warned one last time before the cabinet voting officially commenced.

To prevent any unforeseen circumstances, Arthur chose to supervise the proceedings on-site, rather than granting the parliament members private space as he had during the first meeting.

This immediately dispelled the thoughts of some parliament members who had intended to discuss their ideas, causing them to frown and look bitterly at the list on their desks.

Due to Australia's recent establishment, its political landscape was far less chaotic than that of European countries.

This resulted in most Australian elections being quite pure, guided by one's inner thoughts rather than external influences.

However, for some parliament members, this was also the most challenging aspect. As ordinary individuals, they often lost their judgment or became lost when faced with such important decisions due to nervousness.

But for the majority of parliament members, they had already decided who to support long before today, and now they wrote with confidence, quickly completing the lists on their desks.

The rule for the first round of voting was that one could not write their own name. The rule for the second round of voting, in addition to only being able to write the names of candidates, also stipulated that candidates could not vote for themselves.

This rule was actually designed to prevent voting chaos. After all, in a situation where people were not familiar with each other, a significant number would likely choose themselves if they could.

After about half an hour, Arthur observed that most people had stopped writing and said with a smile, "Alright, it's been half an hour, and I believe most of you have finished filling out your lists. I'll give you a few more minutes to check your lists for any errors. If everything is correct, please hand them to the guards. The subsequent data tabulation will take a considerable amount of time, so let's aim to finalize the cabinet members before noon."

Upon hearing Arthur's words, some parliament members who had not yet decided on their candidates quickly began writing, without overthinking, simply choosing the candidates who appeared most appealing to them.

A few minutes passed quickly, and the guards began collecting the lists one by one.

The subsequent tabulation process was relatively simple but tedious. The guards needed to identify the individuals who received the highest number of votes for each position and then announce them as the final cabinet members.

Australia had pre-established ten departments: the Treasury Department, Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Civil Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Public Security, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Industry, and Ministry of Agriculture. There were a total of thirty candidates and one hundred and ninety-eight voters.

After more than an hour of diligent work, the guards finally compiled the results and handed them to Arthur.

The list surprised Arthur. It contained not only the names of many acquaintances but also several unfamiliar names, some of whom Arthur had never even heard of before.

This indeed indicated that the election had a high degree of randomness, and being in a high position or having a well-known reputation in politics did not guarantee success.

Holding the list, Arthur didn't prolong the suspense and announced, "Ladies and gentlemen, it is now time to announce the list. The recipient of the position of Minister of Agriculture for the Australian Cabinet Government is—Henris Klit!"

Yes, it was Henris, the same person Arthur had spoken with before. Arthur was somewhat surprised to see this name.

He hadn't expected this minor official from the city government to break through the ranks, not only entering the Lower House but also successfully being elected as the first Minister of Agriculture in the Cabinet Government.

"The position of Minister of Industry for the Australian Cabinet Government will be held by Pierre Silvio Berlusconi!" Arthur continued his announcement.

Pierre Silvio Berlusconi was the Governor of Western Australia and one of the more influential figures in Australia.

Arthur felt reassured entrusting the important position of Minister of Industry to him.

"The Minister of Transport will be Conradiano."

This was also a somewhat familiar name, the man who had been the first to speak with Arthur in the State Assembly.

First update, seeking all kinds of votes, recommendations, and collections!