Chapter 241: Chapter 225: The Candidate is Chosen

On June 10, 1907, the election for the Kingdom of Australasia’s Cabinet Government officially began.

This election was much grander and more formal than the previous two elections.

Moreover, as it was the first election since the establishment of the kingdom and an election for the Prime Minister’s succession, it not only caused a huge sensation in the political arena, but also attracted the attention of many Australasians.

Australasians were looking forward to who the new government members would be and what specific administrative policies there would be.

However, despite their anticipation, not a single Australasian showed a nervous state of mind.

The reason for this was that everyone knew Arthur was the highest authority. As long as Arthur was still the King of Australasia, the various welfare policies in Australasia would not disappear, but would only increase.

Under such a premise, the choice of government officials became less important. The focus of Australasians on the election was, in fact, more about their approval of the previous government and their support for the Kingdom Government.

In comparison with the previous Cabinet election, only the House of Representatives participated in this election.

However, as the number of members in the House of Representatives had already exceeded two hundred, this election was much larger than the previous two, and the vast majority of people and political parties were eager to challenge the highest echelons of the Australasia political arena.

This time, the election participants included 212 Members of the House of Representatives, the current cabinet’s 11 members, and responsible supervisors of the Royal Parliament, Election Federation, and Arthur.

The supervising Royal Parliament, Election Federation, and Arthur did not have the right to vote, but were merely supervisors and witnesses of the election.

The rest of them were participants in the election, theoretically eligible to run for any position in the Cabinet.

This election was more dramatic compared to the previous two, and it was very possible that there would be major changes in the Cabinet Government members.

Over these four years, the scale of political parties had also experienced significant expansion. While not as noticeable among the lower-class citizens, the current parties already occupied more than 70% of the seats in the House of Representatives, significantly reducing the number of individual candidates.

Of course, this was not good news for those who wanted to run for election. It meant that their competitors had changed from weak individual candidates to political parties, greatly increasing the difficulty of the election.

The election would last for one week, during which the candidates would have to give speeches andcampaign, significantly increasing the election time.

Such an election was more formal, after all, it was also necessary for all candidates to introduce themselves.

During this week, Arthur only appeared on the first day and the last day, with the rest of the time being supervised by the Royal Parliament and the Election Federation.

As for Arthur, staying at the scene would only make the candidates’ performances unusual, so it would be better for him to return to the Sydney Palace and spend his honeymoon with Queen Mary, while also discussing the human body structure.

After Arthur had been busy for several days, this Cabinet Government election was declared successful.

In fact, before the Cabinet Government election began, all the intelligence materials of the candidates had already been placed on Arthur’s desk.

Especially those with a high probability of being elected as Cabinet Ministers, their information was even more detailed, even including their ancestors, friends, and other details.

Speaking of which, the expansion of the Royal Security Intelligence Agency must be praised.

Currently, the number of intelligence personnel in the Royal Security Intelligence Agency has exceeded 700, spread across regions such as Australasia, East Asia, Europe, and the United States.

Among them, Australasia is one of the regions with the largest investment, currently having more than 300 intelligence personnel, helping Arthur to control everything in Australasia.

Being able to grasp such detailed information before the election started also showed the ability and efficiency of the Royal Security Intelligence Agency at present.

Arthur glanced through the names on the list, focusing especially on those who were likely to become Cabinet Ministers.

Among these people, the names of the Unity Party and the Rural Party were frequently mentioned. The leaders of the Unity Party and the Rural Party, in particular, were likely to be one of the Cabinet Minister candidates.

The Unity Party and the Rural Party were also the two most powerful parties in Australasia, occupying 24% and 21% of the seats in the House of Representatives, respectively.

On June 16, 1907, the last day of the election, Arthur arrived at the meeting room where the election was being held. Looking at the eager faces of the Members of Parliament, he smiled and said, “Ladies and gentlemen, I am delighted to witness the birth of the third Cabinet Government of Australasia once again. There are familiar faces in the Cabinet, and I am happy that you can continue to stay in this position. Those who have not been successful in the election should not be discouraged; everyone, whether as cabinet members, members of parliament, or even just common people, can contribute to the development and construction of the kingdom in various different positions, and make their own efforts for the rise of our great country.”

The crowd applauded excitedly.

“After the cabinet members take office, there will be numerous positions available in each department. All those who have not been elected can, based on the future government announcements, apply for specific positions according to the process,” Arthur continued.