17 Chapter 17: Election Results

After listening to Arthur's speech, the surrounding crowd erupted into enthusiastic cheers and applause, with Martin and Henris naturally being no exception.

People in this era naturally didn't know about drawing a big pie, and unconsciously, they were eating the big pie drawn by Arthur with a sense of entitlement and gratitude.

However, Arthur indeed had the ability to make everything he planned come true, and the big pie would soon turn into reality.

"Gentlemen, I know that many of you who are running for office do not have a clear purpose for running. Perhaps like Martin, you want to participate more fully in the development and construction of our country, and improve the living standards and economic income of all our compatriots. Some, like Henris, have witnessed the miserable conditions of the poor in this country and want to make an effort and change for the better. No matter what your purpose is, being a member of the House of Commons is a very important and powerful position. I hope that after you succeed in winning the election, you will not forget your original intention and seek benefits for the country, government, and all Australians. Of course, those who fail in the election should not be discouraged. There will be elections every two years, and as long as you learn from your experience and lessons, you will always succeed." Arthur looked solemnly at the onlooking crowd and said.

"Yes, Your Highness!"

The crowd seemed to respond to Arthur in unison, very neatly and in harmony.

"Of course, it's not just becoming a member of the country's parliament that allows one to contribute to the development and construction of the country. Even as an ordinary citizen, as long as we all work hard and abide by the law, we are making a contribution to the development and construction of our country, aren't we? As long as all Australians unite as one, Australia will be the greatest country, and Australians will be the greatest nation." Arthur said with a smile.

Such a speech, tinged with nationalism, was welcomed and respected by all Australians.

Although Australians were born as a new nation from the mixing of Western immigrants and indigenous people, it doesn't mean that Australians see themselves as inferior.

What Australia has always lacked is a leader with great ambition and vision. Now that Arthur is here, Australians are sure to show their true colors.

"Of course, all of this cannot be achieved only by your participation and change. Both the royal family and the government must make changes in order for the country to become stronger and the people's living standards to improve significantly." Arthur threw out his final ace and declared loudly, "So, as your monarch, after learning that there are many impoverished Australians who cannot afford medical care or education, I have decided to take action: With immediate effect, the Royal Assistance Committee will be established, with a group of officials loyal to the royal family and the people appointed, and I will personally supervise them. They will be responsible for assisting low-income Australians who cannot afford medical care or education. I will invest 5 million pounds as the operating funds for the Assistance Committee and promise to allocate at least one million pounds annually to the committee. I hope that all Australians can be protected from the cold, hunger, and diseases, and be able to afford clothing, food, medical care, and education. Although Australia's rise at present only seems like empty talk, I am still willing to make every effort for it. All Australians, are you willing to join your Duke in building this great country and making both the Australian people and Australia stand at the forefront of the world?"

Arthur's words were like a stone that stirred up a thousand waves. In this country where the average annual income is less than 10 pounds, the 5 million pounds invested by Arthur is undoubtedly a huge sum.

More importantly, in the eyes of Australians, Arthur is definitely a monarch who respects and loves all Australians and is the perfect Duke in their hearts.

"We're willing! We're willing!"

For a while, the cheers of the crowd broke through the sky, making it hard to tell whether this was the scene of the Lower House election or Arthur's speech.

Subsequently, the crowd's cheers gradually turned into "Long live Duke! Long live Australia!"

With the Duke in front and Australia behind, it's evident how much these Australians love and adore their monarch, even though Arthur has only been crowned for a few months.

Unknowingly, Arthur's reputation among the people of Australia had far surpassed that of the former Prime Ministers of several colonies, who are now the governors of several states.

This is a good thing for the development of Australia, after all, a country's development only needs one voice, and with Arthur's foresight and vision that will last for many years, Australians won't need someone to sing a different tune.

"Alright, gentlemen, continue with your elections! On the day when the results are officially announced by the Lower House, I look forward to some of you becoming formal members of the nation." Arthur was very satisfied with the crowd's reaction. Amid their cheers, he left the parliament.

After a long while, the crowd gradually resumed order and continued with what should have been a smooth election.

Compared with before, the enthusiasm of the crowd to participate in the election and vote has greatly increased. Everyone's faces are full of excitement and excitement, which is enough to show that Arthur's speech just now was indeed very successful.

May 25, 1900, Sydney, New South Wales Parliament.

After a brief yet long seven-day Election Day, the first election of the Australian House of Commons was finally completed relatively smoothly.

However, Arthur's speech was spread throughout Australia by newspapers, causing all Australians' enthusiasm for participating in elections and voting to increase significantly, and the data was harder to count than expected.

With the help of many officials working overtime for several days, the final results of the first House of Commons election were finally counted.

Today is May 25th, the planned day for the announcement of the election results.

Early in the morning, before dawn, the entrance to the State Parliament was already surrounded by people waiting for the announcement of the results. As time went by, the crowd was growing rapidly, even causing some traffic congestion at the entrance of the State Parliament.

Everyone is looking forward to the final list of members, even though many people know that they probably failed in the election, they still hold a little hope, just in case today the Goddess of Luck gives them a little extra favor.

At eight o'clock in the morning, the door of the State Parliament finally opened.

Two guards came out of the door with a list, looked at the crowd, and said loudly, "Gentlemen, the results of the election are here. After I read all the names, officials from the City Council will go to inform each successful candidate. Now, please be quiet so that everyone can hear the names of all the members."