When Did Australia Decide To Go To War

With the announcement of Prime Minister John Howard declared that Cabinet had commit troops to war with Iraq, questions arisen as to whether it is considered legal and valid for the government to be involve in the Australia’s armed force. Looking back at more than 100 years ago, it is evident that the Prime Ministers had been making decisions with regards to the deployment of troops were without Parliamentary approval. Before 1942, Australia’s war entitlement still lies with the Britain due to the Dominion between the British and Australia. The Commonwealth does not require parliamentary approval before deploying troops overseas, but since the war prerogative lies with the executive power, the governor-general will authorise any war decisions. However, Australia had been going through legal means in which they could go to war under the Defence Act 1903 (Cth) ‘DA’. …show more content…
At the outbreak of World War I, if part of the Empire was at war, the whole Empire including Australia must be at war. It seems that there is no allowance for independent decision making with regards to going to war was not contemplated. As expected, in 1939 when Britain again declared war, as PM Menzies said, “… Great Britain has declared war upon her and that, as a result, Australia is also at war.” Consequently, there is no formal declaration of war from Australia due to the British Dominion. As a result of the adoption of the Statute of Westminster, the Governor-General’s war prerogative was exercised reflected in the Westminster inheritance. Therefore, the decision was still one that will be made by the