1908 Victorian state election

Australian state election June 2020 July 2019 1908 Victorian state election Victoria 1901 parliamentary no 1907 Victorian state election 1907 1911 Victorian state election 1911 All 65 seats in the Victorian Legislative Assembly33 seats needed for a majority yes 1908 12 29 125px George Prendergast 1904 Australian Labor Party (Victorian Branch) North Melbourne 34.78 1.85% 14 seats 21 seats 7 132px John Murray 1908 Liberal F7E894 Warrnambool 33.94 33.94% Did not exist 18 seats 18 112px Thomas Bent 1907 United Liberal 8EB5D1 Brighton 19.98 31.38% 49 seats 24 seats 25 Premier Thomas Bent United Liberal John Murray Liberal The 1908 Victorian state election was held in the Australian state of Victoria on 29 December 1908 to elect 40 of the 65 members of the state's Legislative Assembly.http://elections.uwa.edu.au/elecdetail.lasso?keyvalue=885 Australian Politics and Elections Database: 29 December 1908 University of Western Australia 4 September 2016 11 April 2021 https://web.archive.org/web/20210411163036/https://elections.uwa.edu.au/elecdetail.lasso?keyvalue=885 dead The other 25 seats were uncontested. The election was in single-member districts, using first-past-the-post voting. Background The National Citizens' Reform League, led by Thomas Bent, had disbanded shortly after the 1904 state election, leading to the majority of Liberals and Conservatives sitting separately again for around three years.1900-1919: turbulent years https://www.vec.vic.gov.au/voting/learn-to-vote/history-of-elections-in-victoria/turbulent-years Victorian Electoral CommissionA Union of Farmers https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/169875067 The Advocate 9 July 1904 en Bent formed the United Liberal Party in February 1907, two years before the federal Commonwealth Liberal Party was founded. However, after only a single year, Liberals John Murray and Alexander Peacock successfully moved a no confidence motion against him.Parliament in Exile: Aspects of the Victorian Parliament at the Exhibition Building, 1901 to 1927 https://www.aspg.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/6-Isaacs-PARLIAMENT-IN-EXILE.pdf Australasian Study of Parliament Group This led to the ULP splitting and the Liberal Party forming. The Labor side of politics was controlled by the Political Labor Council. In 1904, George Prendergast became the first leader of the Parliamentary Labor Party. Results Results of the 1908 Victorian state election (Legislative Assembly) Despite winning the highest number of seats, the United Liberal Party was defeated. John Murray would be chosen as Premier on 6 January 1909 following a conference of both Murray's and Bent's supporters. 25 seats were uncontested. + Legislative Assembly (FPTP) Party Votes % Swing Seats Change   Labor 30,605 34.78 +0.38 21 7   Liberal 29,866 33.94 +33.94 18 18   United Liberal 17,578 19.98 −31.38 24 25   Independent Liberal 5,455 6.20 +6.20 2 2   Independent Ministerialist 539 0.61 −8.86 0 1   Victorian Socialist 167 0.19 +0.19 0   Independent 3,785 4.30 +1.94 0 1  Formal votes 87,995 99.47  Informal votes 0.53  Total 87,995 65  Registered voters / turnout 263,876 53.64 Aftermath On 8 January 1909, John Murray successfully moved a motion of no-confidence in Bent's government and succeeded him as Premier. Four months later, the federal Commonwealth Liberal Party was formed, into which the Liberals merged. 25 May 1909 Federal Fusion. Conference Between Leaders. https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=lL5f5cZgq8MC&dat=19090525&printsec=frontpage&hl=en The Sydney Morning Herald 26 May 1909 Federal Fusion. Negotiations Concluded. https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=lL5f5cZgq8MC&dat=19090526&printsec=frontpage&hl=en The Sydney Morning Herald 27 May 1909 Fusion Fixed. A United Body. https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=lL5f5cZgq8MC&dat=19090527&printsec=frontpage&hl=en The Sydney Morning Herald See also Members of the Victorian Legislative Assembly, 1908–1911 References Category:1908 elections in Australia Category:Elections in Victoria (state) Category:1900s in Victoria (state) Category:December 1908 in Australia Category:1908 Victorian state election