1903 Australian federal election

Election for the 2nd Parliament of Australia April 2024 December 2022 1903 Australian federal election Australia 1903 parliamentary no 1901 Australian federal election 1901 1906 Australian federal election 1906 Members of the Australian House of Representatives, 1901–1903 Members of the Australian House of Representatives, 1903–1906 1,893,586 93.62% 739,402 (39.05%)Turnout in contested seats was 50.27%.(12.34 pp) All 75 seats in the House of Representatives38 seats were needed for a majority in the House19 (of the 36) seats in the Senate yes 1903 12 16 Image:Alfred_Deakin_crop.jpg 190x190px Alfred Deakin yes 1903 9 24 Protectionist Party Ballaarat (Vic.) 1.71% 32 seats 6 26 seatsThe total numbers include those elected into the minor affiliate party the National Liberal Union. 210,738 29.23% 6 Image:George Reid crop.jpg George Reid 11 May 1901 Free Trade Party East Sydney (NSW) 1.48% 25 seats 13 24 seats 228,721 31.73% 1 Image:ChrisWatsonBW_crop.jpg Chris Watson 20 May 1901 Labour DE3533 Bland (NSW) 11.53% 16 seats 22 22 seats 214,713 29.78% 6 Image:WMcWilliams.JPG William McWilliams 1903 FFDB58 Revenue Tariff Franklin (Tas.) 0.49% New party 38 1 seat 3,546 0.49% 1 IND N/A N/A Independents/OtherThe independents were James Wilkinson (Moreton, Qld) who was elected as an independent labour candidate and joined the Labour caucus in 1904, and Frederick Holder (Wakefield, SA).http://psephos.adamcarr.net/countries/a/australia/1903/1903repsqld.txt 1903 legislative election: House of Representatives, Queensland Adam Carr Psephos N/A 63,218 8.77% 12.24 2 seats 2 2 Independent politician 1903 Australian federal election.svg 350px Results by division for the House of Representatives, shaded by winning party's margin of victory. Prime Minister Subsequent Prime Minister Alfred Deakin Protectionist Party Alfred Deakin Protectionist Party The 1903 Australian federal election was held in Australia on 16 December 1903. All 75 seats in the House of Representatives, and 19 of the 36 seats in the Senate were up for election. The incumbent Protectionist Party minority government led by Prime Minister Alfred Deakin retained the most House of Representatives seats of the three parties and retained government with the parliamentary support of the Labour Party led by Chris Watson. The Free Trade Party led by George Reid remained in opposition. The election outcome saw a finely balanced House of Representatives, with the three parties each holding around a third of seats − the Protectionists on 26, the Free Traders on 24 and Labour on 22. This term of parliament saw no changes in any party leadership but did see very significant and prolonged debates, with three changes in government: the Protectionist minority government fell in April 1904 to be replaced by a minority Labour government, which lasted until August 1904, before falling in turn. Labour was replaced by a minority Free Trader government, which finally fell in July 1905 to be replaced by the Protectionists, who continued until the 1906 election and beyond. The Free Traders remained in opposition throughout this eventful period with the exception of Labour forming the opposition for the first time during the period of the Free Trader minority government. Additionally, the Watson government was the world's first Labour Party government at a national level. Despite a break in prime ministerships in 1904-1905 and 1908–1909, this is the first of three consecutive elections in which Deakin was the sitting prime minister. Issues The wreck of Petriana outside Port Phillip Bay in late November prompted the government's handling of the White Australia policy to become a campaign issue. Shipwrecked Asian sailors were denied entry to Australia and forced to stay on a crowded tugboat for several days, leading The Argus, Daily Telegraph and The Sydney Morning Herald to accuse the government of cruelty and harming Australia's international reputation. The Age and The Bulletin sided with the government. The issue was "constantly raised" at election meetings, particularly in Victoria and Tasmania.Foster Leonie Shipwrecks and the White Australia policy The Great Circle The Australian Association for Maritime History 2014 36 2 68–84 24583070 Results thumb|#1E90FF Protectionist : 24 seats #E00000 Labour: 22 seats #ffd425 Free Trade: 24 seats #757875 Independent: 2 seats #1E90FF National Liberal Union : 2 seats #a1802e Revenue Tariff Party: 1 seat House of Representatives Results of the Australian federal election, 1903 (House of Representatives) +1903 Australian federal election: House of Representatives (Non-CV)http://elections.uwa.edu.au/elecdetail.lasso?keyvalue=687&summary=false House of Representatives election 1903 Australian politics and elections database The University of Western Australia 20 May 2019alt=|center|300x300px Party Votes % Swing Seats Change   Free Trade 228,721 31.73 −1.48 24 1   Labour 214,713 29.78 +11.53 22 6  Protectionist 166,176 23.05 −4.47 24 8  National Liberal Union 44,562 6.18 +6.18 2 2  Revenue Tariff 3,546 0.49 +0.49 1 1   Independents/OtherThe independents were James Wilkinson (Moreton, Qld) who was elected as an independent labour candidate and joined the Labour caucus in 1904, and Frederick Holder (Wakefield, SA).http://psephos.adam-carr.net/countries/a/australia/1903/1903repsqld.txt 1903 legislative election: House of Representatives, Queensland Adam Carr Psephos 63,218 8.77 −12.24 2  Formal votes 720,936 97.50  Informal votes 18,466 2.50  Total 75Seventeen members were elected unopposed – ten Protectionist, four Free Trade, two Labour and one National Liberal Union.  Registered voters / turnout 1,893,586 39.05 −12.34 Popular vote var(--background-color-interactive) 600px 410px Free Trade #ffd425 31.73 Labour Australian Labor Party 29.78 Protectionist #1E90FF 23.05 National Liberal Union #1E90FF 6.18 Revenue Tariff #FFDB58 0.49 Independent #777777 8.77 Parliament seats var(--background-color-interactive) 600px 410px Protectionist #1E90FF 34.67 Free Trade #ffd425 32.00 Labour Australian Labor Party 29.33 Revenue Tariff #FFDB58 1.33 Others #777777 2.67 Senate 1903 Australian Senate election +1903 Australian federal election: Senate 19 elected. (FPTP Block voting, each state elected three except Victoria which elected four) Party Votes % ± Seats Seatswon Seatsafter Seatchange   Free Trade 986,030 34.33 −5.11 4 12 3   Labour 784,859 27.33 +13.83 10 14 4  Protectionist 503,586 17.53 −27.33 3 8 3  National Liberal Union 136,727 4.76 +4.76 0 0  Socialist Labor 69,769 2.43 +1.41 0 0  Revenue Tariff 25,310 0.88 +0.88 1 1 1  Independent 365,851 12.74 −8.60 1 1 1  Formal votes 2,872,132  Total  Registered voters / turnout 1,893,586 46.86 Significance The election saw the Labour party make significant gains outside New South Wales and Victoria. As a result of Labour's gains, the numbers of the three parties in Parliament were very close to equal, leading to unstable governments: Alfred Deakin would describe it as a parliament of "three elevens" (three cricket teams). Although the Protectionists were able to retain their minority government with the qualified support of the Labour Party, the equal numbers would see a record three changes of government over the course of the Parliamentary term, with each of the three parties holding office at least once during the term of the Parliament. The three parties that contested the 1901 election also contested the 1903 election, with only the Protectionists changing leaders: Alfred Deakin was chosen as a result of Edmund Barton's appointment as an inaugural judge of the newly constituted High Court of Australia. The Free Trade Party was again led by George Reid, with the only significant difference in policy between the parties on trade issues: the Protectionists sought to protect Australian industry and agriculture by placing tariffs on imports. The Free Traders downgraded the view they had last election of having no tariffs to campaigning on minimal tariffs, while the other major party contesting the election was the Labour Party. This election also saw a minor party, the Tasmanian Revenue Tariff Party, gain an MHR and one Senator. Prior to the 1901 election, the Free Trade Party had been known as the Revenue Tariff Party in some states. However, in 1903 a separate Revenue Tariff Party competed against the FTP in Tasmania. Nevertheless, both of the Revenue Tariff Party members elected joined the Free Trade Party, when the new parliament began sitting. Like the 1901 election, voting was voluntary and candidates were elected by the first-past-the-post system. The Commonwealth Franchise Act 1902 gave women the vote and the right to stand for federal Parliament, leading to a significant increase in the number of votes cast in the 1903 federal election. Four women stood at the 1903 election – Selina Anderson (Dalley) in the House of Representatives and Vida Goldstein (Victoria), Nellie Martel (New South Wales), and Mary Moore-Bentley (New South Wales) in the Senate.https://www.aec.gov.au/Voting/indigenous_vote/indigenous.htm AEC.gov.au AEC.gov.au 25 October 2007 27 June 2010 All four stood as independents and all were unsuccessful. Electorates Candidates were contesting all 75 House of Representatives and 19 of the 36 Senate seats, a number unchanged from the 1901 election. The House of Representative seats were determined by the population of each state, giving 26 seats to New South Wales, 23 to Victoria, nine to Queensland, seven to South Australia and five to both Western Australia and Tasmania. In 1901, the South Australian and Tasmanian colonial parliaments had not legislated for single member electorates, so their House of Representative members were elected from a single statewide electorate. This had since changed and there were now single member electorates in both states. The newly created seats were Adelaide, Angas, Barker, Boothby, Grey, Hindmarsh and Wakefield (South Australia) and Bass, Darwin, Denison, Franklin and Wilmot (Tasmania). Each state elected six Senators regardless of population. The Senate was elected by bloc voting rather than the current single transferable vote system. Half the Senators retired as their terms expired, and there was one casual vacancy. Seats changing hands Seat Pre-1903 Swing Post-1903 Party Member Margin Margin Member Party Adelaide, SA new division 100.0 Charles Kingston Protectionist  Angas, SA new division 100.0 Paddy Glynn Free Trade  Barker, SA new division 100.0 Langdon Bonython Protectionist  Bass, Tas new division 6.7 David Storrer Protectionist  Boothby, SA new division 100.0 Lee Batchelor Labour  Brisbane, Qld  Protectionist Thomas Macdonald-Paterson 7.6 9.7 2.1 Millice Culpin Labour  Capricornia, Qld  Independent Alexander Paterson 1.0 8.6 9.6 David Thomson Labour  Corangamite, VIC  Protectionist Chester Manifold 22.2 35.2 2.2 Gratton Wilson Free Trade  Cowper, NSW  Protectionist Francis Clarke 2.4 15.4 13.0 Henry Lee Free Trade  Darwin, Tas new division 0.7 King O'Malley Labour  Denison, Tas new division 0.2 Philip Fysh Protectionist  Franklin, Tas new division 4.6 William McWilliams Revenue Tariff  Fremantle, WA  Free Trade Elias Solomon 10.3 21.6 11.3 William Carpenter Labour  Grey, SA new division 100.0 Alexander Poynton Labour  Gwydir, NSW  Protectionist George Cruickshank 12,9 24.3 11.4 William Webster Labour  Hindmarsh, SA new division 16.7 James Hutchison Labour  Hunter, NSW  Protectionist Edmund Barton 100.0 59.3 13.3 Frank Liddell Free Trade  Kalgoorlie, WA  Free Trade John Kirwan 14.1 30.7 26.6 Charlie Frazer Labour  New England, NSW  Protectionist William Sawers 0.6 2.5 1.9 Edmund Lonsdale Free Trade  Riverina, NSW  Protectionist John Chanter 3.5 3.5 0.0 Robert Blackwood Free Trade  Wakefield, SA new division 100.0 Frederick Holder Independent  Wilmot, Tas new division 4.9 Edward Braddon Free Trade  Members listed in italics did not contest their seat at this election. Post-election pendulum Government seatsProtectionist/Labour CoalitionMarginalDenison (Tas)Philip FyshPROT00.2 vs FTMelbourne (Vic)Malcolm McEacharnPROT00.2 vs LABDarwin (Tas)King O'MalleyLAB00.7 vs PROTWimmera (Vic)Pharez PhillipsPROT01.0 vs FTBendigo (Vic)John QuickPROT01.1 vs LABBourke (Vic)James Hume CookPROT01.8 vs LABBrisbane (Qld)Millice CulpinLAB02.1 vs PROTS. Melbourne (Vic)James RonaldLAB02.1 vs INDOxley (Qld)Richard EdwardsPROT02.3 vs LABMoira (Vic)Thomas KennedyPROT04.0 vs FTCorio (Vic)Richard CrouchPROT04.4 vs FTBoothby (SA)Lee BatchelorLAB04.6 vs FTBland (NSW)Chris WatsonLAB05.4 vs FTFairly safeBass (Tas)David StorrerPROT06.7 vs FTMelbourne Ports (Vic)Samuel MaugerPROT06.8 vs LABHerbert (Qld)Fred BamfordLAB07.8 vs PROTDarling (NSW)William SpenceLAB08.2 vs FTCapricornia (Qld)David ThomsonLAB09.6 vs PROTSafeHume (NSW)William LynePROT10.0 vs FTWide Bay (Qld)Andrew FisherLAB11.2 vs PROTFremantle (WA)William CarpenterLAB11.3 vs FTGwydir (NSW)William WebsterLAB11.4 vs FTMernda (Vic)Robert HarperPROT12.1 vs FTNewcastle (NSW)David WatkinsLAB12.5 vs FTEchuca (Vic)James McCollPROT13.3 vs FTKalgoorlie (WA)Charlie FrazerLAB16.6 vs FTHindmarsh (SA)James HutchisonLAB16.7 vs PROTKennedy (Qld)Charles McDonaldLAB19.7 vs PROTYarra (Vic)Frank TudorLAB19.7 vs PROTWest Sydney (NSW)Billy HughesLAB19.9 vs FTVery safeN. Melbourne (Vic)H. B. HigginsPROT20.3 vs LABRichmond (NSW)Thomas EwingPROT22.6 vs FTPerth (WA)James FowlerLAB22.8 vs FTLaanecoorie (Vic)Carty SalmonPROT24.6 vs FTMaranoa (Qld)Jim PageLAB25.0 vs PROTBarrier (NSW)Josiah ThomasLAB32.0 vs INDAdelaide (SA)Charles KingstonPROTunopposedBalaclava (Vic)George TurnerPROTunopposedBallaarat (Vic)Alfred DeakinPROTunopposedBarker (SA)Langdon BonythonPROTunopposedCanobolas (NSW)Thomas BrownLABunopposedCoolgardie (WA)Hugh MahonLABunopposedCorinella (Vic)James McCayPROTunopposedDarling Downs (Qld)Littleton GroomPROTunopposedEden-Monaro (NSW)Austin ChapmanPROTunopposedGippsland (Vic)Allan McLeanPROTunopposedGrey (SA)Alexander PoyntonLABunopposedIndi (Vic)Isaac IsaacsPROTunopposedSwan (WA)John ForrestPROTunopposed Non-government seatsFree Trade PartyMarginalRiverina (NSW)Robert BlackwoodFT00.0 vs PROTNew England (NSW)Edmund LonsdaleFT01.9 vs PROTCorangamite (Vic)Gratton WilsonFT02.2 vs PROTGrampians (Vic)Thomas SkeneFT02.6 vs PROTKooyong (Vic)William KnoxFT02.8 vs PROTWannon (Vic)Arthur RobinsonFT02.9 vs PROTMacquarie (NSW)Sydney SmithFT04.0 vs PROTFlinders (Vic)James GibbFT04.5 vs PROTWilmot (Tas)Edward BraddonFT04.9 vs PROTFairly safeSouth Sydney (NSW)George EdwardsFT06.0 vs LABSafeLang (NSW)Elliot JohnsonFT12.0 vs INDCowper (NSW)Henry LeeFT13.0 vs PROTHunter (NSW)Frank LiddellFT13.3 vs INDRobertson (NSW)Henry WillisFT13.5 vs INDEast Sydney (NSW)George ReidFT14.4 vs LABWerriwa (NSW)Alfred ConroyFT18.7 vs LABVery safeWentworth (NSW)Willie KellyFT21.8 vs PROTParkes (NSW)Bruce SmithFT27.8 vs PROTDalley (NSW)William WilksFT28.6 vs INDParramatta (NSW)Joseph CookFT30.1 vs INDAngas (SA)Paddy GlynnFTunopposedIllawarra (NSW)George FullerFTunopposedNorth Sydney (NSW)Dugald ThomsonFTunopposedOthersFranklin (Tas)William McWilliamsREV TAR04.6 vs FTMoreton (Qld)James WilkinsonIND LAB05.8 vs PROTWakefield (SA)Frederick HolderIND SPEAKERunopposed See also Candidates of the Australian federal election, 1903 Members of the Australian House of Representatives, 1903–1906 Members of the Australian Senate, 1904–1906 First Deakin Government Notes References Category:Federal elections in Australia Category:1903 elections in Australia Category:December 1903 in Australia