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Ministry of Territories and the Diaspora established

Tuesday 19th January saw a new Cabinet Ministry created by Parliament to enable greater political participation for non-residential subjects and for the governors of uninhabited territories.

Lord Andrew Musgrave, newly appointed Minister of Territories and the Diaspora

Out of Austenasia’s population of one hundred and twenty one, only eighty five live in Austenasia itself. The other thirty six, known as non-residential subjects, form an Austenasian diaspora the majority of whom live in the United Kingdom, USA, Greece, and New Virginia.

Given non-residential subjects do not live in a Town, they are not represented in Parliament. Their comparatively limited ability to have their voices heard has been noted before, but Emperor Jonathan I and PM Lord John Gordon agreed to enact concrete steps towards enabling their greater political participation.

The newly-established Ministry of Territories and the Diaspora has therefore been tasked with creating a group for non-residential subjects which will allow them to have a greater involvement in Austenasian politics and culture. The exact form this group will take and the time-frame for its creation have not yet been confirmed, but membership will be voluntary.

The new ministry has also been given the responsibility of “relaying to Cabinet the concerns, requests or opinions of Governors”, that is, the officials that administer uninhabited Austenasian land claims, who have prior to this not automatically had any official means of having their voices heard in lawmaking or policy.

Lord Andrew Musgrave has been appointed the first Minister of Territories and the Diaspora. He is Austenasia’s longest serving Governor, having administered Corinium Terentium since December 2013.

About this article

Additional context relevant to this article.

Who is Jonathan Austen? Jonathan Austen, formerly Emperor Jonathan I Augustus, is the founder and fourth Emperor of Austenasia. He co-founded Austenasia with his family in 2008 and served for many years as Prime Minister before ascending to the throne in 2013. During his reign, Jonathan oversaw a substantial period of Austenasian expansion and development and played a major role in establishing its institutions and foreign relations. He abdicated on 29 September 2024 after more than eleven years as Emperor. Following a period of continued public service after his abdication, Jonathan resigned from his remaining government duties in 2025.
Who is Andrew Musgrave? Lord Andrew Musgrave is the Prime Minister of Austenasia and one of its longest-serving officials. He joined Austenasia in 2013 and has served as Governor of Corinium Terentium since December of that year. After holding several government positions, he became Deputy Prime Minister in February 2024 and was elected Prime Minister in September 2024. During the constitutional crisis and interregnum of 2025–26, Musgrave also served as Lord Protector and Regent to the Crown. He relinquished those powers upon the accession of Johannes Karl I Augustus in July 2026 and continues to serve as Prime Minister.
Austenasia and New Virginia Austenasia does not maintain friendly relations with the Commonwealth of New Virginia. Relations broke down in 2025 following failed diplomatic negotiations and a series of disputes involving officials and citizens of both nations. The Austenasian Government subsequently ended efforts to establish closer relations and has stated that it will not work with New Virginia, citing repeated hostility towards Austenasia and its officials.