Australia

PHASE 2

Australia
First Seen:

Details

Australia in XP is characterised by a conservative and reactive ruling government, something that has been the case since 1996, while the general public typically sits to the left of what the federal government brings out.

The Australian response to the “mutant crisis” was initially informed by public health concerns, with the various state and federal health departments working together to identify mutants and form training and registration programs from the early 1990s onward. At times, this involved children being removed from school for a period for safety concerns or, as more and more mutants came into existence, dedicated training programs and, once available, use of inhibitor technology to allow people with unstable powers to participate in society. While some mutants were incorporated into the military, this was done on an ad-hoc basis without the key focus of Canada’s Department H.

In the 1990s and early 2000s under the Howard government’s conservative coalition, Australia was seen as a world class example in how to deal with the mutant problem.

Mutants were brought into the military in increasing numbers following the conservative militarisation push after September 11 and the Iraq invasion, largely in technical roles to support operations. Mutants were primarily engaged in search and rescue operations, Coral Sea naval patrols and domestic disaster relief work, in sharp contrast to roles they played in many European and North American militaries.

At the same time, the Howard government began to establish mutant specific prisons in remote Australia following the pattern created for asylum seekers who similarly faced remote detention before deportation. Where refugees faced external detention on Manus Island and Nauru, mutants were largely detained in the Pilbara and outside Woomera. As always, the poor and disenfranchised bore the brunt of this crack down, while the wealthy were able to avoid it. There were widespread protests however the detention centres were used as a last resort for mutants convicted of crimes where their detention in mainstream prisons would have adverse consequences.

The Howard Government was succeeded by a series of centre-right Labor governments who continued the training and registration programs and expanded the list of crimes and powers which required detention in mutant specific prisons. Under Labor, mutants holding dual citizenship were systematically deported following conviction for crimes. As under the Howard government, there were widespread protests against these measures.

Following the election of Tony Abbott in 2013 and the return to a more conservative government, mutant detention programs were expanded again, with mutants under remand now systematically denied bail and instead held in the mutant detention centres, frequently appearing in court - often thousands of kilometres away - via video link. In 2014, Peter Dutton imposed mandatory detention for mutants aged 10 to 18 who were on remand for violent crimes and serious property damage while also bringing in a push to incarcerate young people who would otherwise be released on community service orders. Again, there were protests but little was changed at a Federal level.

In 2015, as mutants across the country died during M-Day, 15 mutants in particular exploded across various New Year’s celebrations, including at the Sydney Field Day celebrations. Over 300 people died at the festival, with scores more injured and dying in various other explosions across the country. All of this was captured on camera and occupied the media for months.

The conservative government of the day responded by bringing in home detention programs for mutants, limiting their access to on site schooling and further increasing use of remote detention, dropping the age for that to 15 for children who could not be accommodated in home detention programs.

Protests increased over the years, as the memory of M-Day faded however none of the measures have been repealed. At present, mutant incarceration is still seen as a niche issue because the more draconian measures beyond home detention, registration and use of inhibitor tech largely focuses on mutants who have or are suspected to have criminal records.

There were widespread protests in 2018 when several wealthy families opted out of the testing programs and similarly widespread protests in 2019 when two mutant teens from North Shore Sydney were incarcerated at Woomera while on remand for possession of methamphetamine.

With a series of conservative prime ministers maintaining the status quo, counter-swings have eroded their mandate and in 2021 the Labor party was re-elected. How they respond to the public's protests remains to be seen.

Meta

The Australian players realised the need for a write up of the country as the way Australia has dealt with the mutant problem over the years differs markedly from the situation in America.