COUNTRY PROFILE

Australia jumped into the global spotlight with the 2000 Sydney Olympics, but it has many other things on its mind as well. The introduction of a goods and services tax (GST) in July 2000 has consumed both politicians and the public. The vote on whether to turn Australia into a republic (and remove the British monarch as the head of state) and Australia's role in the 1999 East Timor crisis have been other points of debate. Despite some recent worries of a slowdown, the economy remains relatively strong. Growth continued during the Asian and world economic crisis in 1997 and 1998. Sluggish demand in its Asian markets and soft commodity prices hurt exports, but Australians managed to spend and invest enough at home to keep GDP growth buoyant. Australia is a secular state with religious freedom, but secularism has failed many Australians. Wealth, leisure and pleasure have not satisfied and with the negative attitudes towards authority, traditions and enthusiasm, it is hard for the average man to see the gospel as meaningful or relevant.

ELECTIONS

The Liberal Party was re-elected in the 1998 general election, returning John Howard as prime minister. The Liberal Party and the National Party formed a coalition government. The next elections are due in late 2001, when the lower house (House of Representatives) will be elected along with half of the upper house (Senate). Australia has been much less concerned with its neighbors, and much more with itself, since a coalition led by John Howard and his Liberal Party ended the five terms of Paul Keating's Labor Party in 1996. Labor's representation in the lower house was almost halved in the general election that year, and along with its numbers went its vision of a more integrated and mutually prosperous Asia Pacific led by Australia. Intervention in East Timor aside, the coalition government of the Liberal and National parties has chosen to concentrate on domestic issues including tax and financial system reform. The parties are extremely close on most areas of policy, a result of having operated as a coalition opposition during Labor's rule. Under pressure, Howard called early elections in October 1998, and the ruling coalition was re-elected with a smaller majority (12 seats against the previous 44). The far-right and anti-immigration One Nation Party, led by former chip-shop owner Pauline Hanson, won just one seat. Her party's miniscule tally was a relief to the political mainstream, which was worried about the party's potential to spoil. The party has been riddled with internal problems since. John Anderson succeeded Tim Fischer as deputy prime minister and Mark Vaile was appointed trade minister in the run-up to the World Trade Organization's (WTO) November 1999 meeting in Seattle. 

FACTS

Population: 18.9 million
Capital: Canberra
Major language: English
Major religion: Christianity
Form of government: federal commonwealth
Monetary unit: 1 Australian dollar = 100 cents 
Main exports: machinery and transport equipment, office machines and data-processing equipment
Head of government: Prime Minister
Head of state: Governor-General


FRIENDS AND RIVALS

Australia has tried hard, with mixed results, to integrate itself with its Asian neighbors over the years by fostering stronger trading ties and participating in regional forums such as Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC). Close links with the region are a matter of economic necessity - six of the country's top 10 trading partners are in Asia, as are seven of its 10 largest export markets. Unsurprisingly, Australia was the only country other than Japan to participate in all three bailout packages organized by the IMF for Indonesia, Thailand, and South Korea in the wake of the Asian financial crisis. Political engagement is another matter. Australia's leading role in marshalling the peacekeeping forces sent into East Timor and its subsequent criticism of Indonesia's policies has strained Canberra's relationship with Jakarta. Notwithstanding the emphasis on Asia, Australia's traditional allegiance lies with Europe. Despite popular opposition, the country maintains its links to the UK under the Commonwealth, and the Queen of England is the official head of state. The bond is strengthened by a common language and a cultural affinity, as well as continued high levels of immigration to Australia from the UK and Ireland. Europe is also the largest source of foreign investment in the country. 

LEADERS


Prime Minister:
John Howard

Nobody accuses John Howard of being colorful. The prime minister himself even admits to a certain lack of flair - he reportedly keeps his speeches restricted to no more than 20 minutes lest he bores himself, not to mention the audience. The bespectacled head of the Liberal Party, who lists watching cricket as a favorite hobby, led a coalition government to power in 1996 on a platform of economic reforms aimed at reining in the budget deficit. He has for the most part succeeded: Australia's budget returned to surplus in 1998, and the country is experiencing its longest period of economic expansion since World War II. First elected to public office in 1974, Howard is accustomed to political ups-and-downs. 

OBSTACLES TO MINISTRY

• Many see the gospel as meaningless to their lives.

• Decline in church attendance has caused considerable concern.

SPIRITUAL POWER POINTS

• The indigenous Aborigines have suffered much in their contacts with Western culture, and their political and land rights have become a major political issue.

• Muslims are doubling in numbers.

Special thanks to Patrick Johnstone's, "Operation World" publisher, ISBN# 0-310-40031-7; 
and country profiles by eCountries.com and the CIA world fact book