Is Australia a Conservative Nation?

2. Arts and the issue of censorship
Throughout Australian history, policy-makers have actively promoted artistic creation. The best manifestation of this is the rich diversity displayed in the artistic field.
Literature, visual arts, cinema, music and drama reflect both prominent western trends and indigenous folklore.
The Sydney Opera House, the very symbol of the nation of Australia itself, is testament to the government's investment in arts.
Built in 1967 and approved in 1958 under the government of Joseph Cahill, the Opera House cost 102 million Australian $ (equivalent to 915 million $ in 2015 money, inflation considered).
Even more progressive measures have been taken on an institutional level in favor of the Aboriginals in 1992.

The Federal Parliament created the position of the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner whose role consisted in advocating the cause of the indigenous peoples and raising the debate about various social issues with more focus on their impact on Aboriginals.

The commisioner is also expected to deliver an annual report to the parliament on social justice issues and to take part in international discussions regarding the natives.
Progressive steps were however taken in this regard.
The 1967 referendum called by the Holt government brought forth two pivotal changes to the Constitution as to the perception and the treatment of Aboriginals in the law-making process.
It allowed the parliament to make special laws with regards to any race including the Aboriginal one (Section 51).
It also entirely removed Section 127 which read as follows "In reckoning the numbers of the people of the Commonwealth, or of a State or other part of the Commonwealth, aboriginal natives shall not be counted."

Originally, Section 51 of the Constitution of the Australian Commonwealth (1901) stipulated that the Parliament has the prerogative to make laws with respect to "The people of any race, other than the aboriginal race in any State."
The first Australian Prime Minister, Sir Edmund Barton, went as far as stating in 1898 that it was necessary for The Commonwealth to "regulate the affairs of the people of colored or inferior races."


Cultural Conservatism
The indigenous concern:
Since the early 1990s, the issue of the Aboriginals' rights witnessed a paradigm shift.
Prior to this shift, pre-colonization Australia was regarded as a terra nullius (no man's land). Thus, the question of the native peoples was not to be considered since the history-writing process did not recognize the existence of the Aboriginals.
Bibliography
Commonwealth of Australia Constitution Act
United Nations, International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
Australian Human Rights Commission
 Australian Academy of Science, Science in Australia Gender Equity
Australian Institute of Public affairs
Australian Classification Board
Encyclopaedia Brittanica
Conclusion
Seen from multiple angles, the Australian population and government are neither staunchly conservative nor fully progressive.

This can be understood in two ways :
Australia is either a nation that takes the "best of both worlds" and is politically and socially mature with a balanced attitude, or a nation that is torn between its past and present, its roots and its quest for progress.

Another proof of Australian conservatism is the number of electoral victories achieved by the conservative Coalition (the Liberal + National parties) compared to their opposing camp (the Labor Party).

Indeed The Coalition has achieved nearly twice as many electoral victories as its opposition (25 vs 13) since the 1925 elections.

Yet, the peculiarity of Australian elections is that a landslide victory has never been recorded. Indeed, the slight margins between both camps signal the prominence of a left-of-center parliamentary representation and electorate.
Though a surface reading of the Australian artistic situation indicates a liberal and encouraging stance from the government, the issue of censorship remains a hurdle in the way of certain forms of artistic expression.
The government's stance towards what is seen as disturbing or politically incorrect in the artistic sphere is rigid to say the least.
Institution like the Australian Classification Board and the Australian Communication and Media Authority remain staunch opponents of free artistic expression.
More than 1000 video game titles, for instance, are classified "RC" (Refused Classification). BANNED for comprising what is deemed inappropriate or suggestive content.
Socio-political Conservatism
1- Australia: A socially progressive nation
Sexual and religious minorities in Australia enjoy a plethora of rights and benefits .
The situation of the LGBT community has greatly improved since the two last decades to the point that LGBT couples enjoy rights nearly equal to their heterosexual counterparts. Anti-discrimination laws regarding the LGBT community, such as the Human Rights (Sexual Conduct) Act 1994, have been enacted after repealing the sodomy laws between 1975 and 1997 which prohibited homosexual activity.
Religious minorities in Australia also enjoy multiple fundamental rights as to their freedom to practice their faiths.
The 18th Article of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, adopted by the Australian government as is reflected in Australian legislation, stipulates that "Everyone shall have the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion" and that "No one shall be subject to coercion which would impair his freedom to have or to adopt a religion or belief of his choice."

The Australian law-makers established the Australian Human Rights Commission to monitor the extent to which the ICCPR is implemented in the Australian legal texts.


2- Australia: A politically conservative nation…to an extent
Although displaying a highly progressive attitude in the social sphere, the Australian government and population remains slightly shy of radical change.
Australians inherited the gradualist attitude of the British concerning political evolution.
The results 1999 Australian republic referendum testify to Australians' refusal of abrupt political change. All states and territories, with the exception of the Capital Territory, have voted against becoming a republic, although by a slight margin (54,87% vs 45,13%).


Definition of Key Terms
Conservatism is defined by the Oxford Online Dictionary as:
Commitment to traditional values and ideas with opposition to change or innovation.
The holding of political views that favour free enterprise, private ownership, and socially conservative ideas.
Introduction
Mostly understood as clinging to the past, the issue of conservatism remains problematic.
In the Australian context, conservatism is to be viewed in the light of the overall identity of a nation torn between its roots and its vision of the future.
Outline
Introduction
Definition of key terms
Cultural conservatism
Socio-political conservatism
Conclusion
Progressive as the aforementioned legal steps are, the current state of affairs regarding the natives of Australia leaves much to be desired.

Aboriginals today still suffer from de facto discrimination that is realized on many levels.

*Illicit drug use in the ranks of aboriginals is strikingly high. This results in high rates of contracting infectious diseases such as HIV and Hepatitis C.
*Their life expectancy is 10 years lower than the national average (71,4 years compared 81,4 years in 2012)
*Only 39% of aboriginal students pursued their education up to the 12th grade in high school compared to almost the double (75%) for non aboriginals.

Is Australia a Conservative Nation?
Carried out by: Mohamed Ali Slama, Nour Yengui and Iyadh Zaâbi
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