1917 Gloucester state by-election

Election result for Gloucester, New South Wales, Australia August 2020 August 2020 A by-election was held for the New South Wales Legislative Assembly electorate of Gloucester on 10 November 1917 because Richard Price (Independent) was expelled from Parliament for abusing parliamentary privilege by making baseless allegations against William Ashford, the Secretary for Lands.Mr Richard Atkinson Price (1864–1936) 1133 Yes 10 May 2019 Background Price made an allegation in Parliament in December 1916 that Ashford acted corruptly in relation to £80,000 spent on a deviation of the railway line between Dubbo and Werris Creek.New South Wales Legislative Assembly 13 December 1916 3629 3631 Price, Richard Richard Price (New South Wales politician) Loan estimates https://api.parliament.nsw.gov.au/api/hansard/search/daily/searchablepdf/HANSARD-290296563-3835 pdf 14 September 2020 The following year Price made further allegations against Ashford, including that saw mills were being bought at excess values, salaries were being paid that were not authorised by Parliament and that the government had sold land at £4 per acre and then later resumed it for returned soldiers at a price of £8 5s, an excess cost of £36,000.New South Wales Legislative Assembly 5 September 1917 7047 7050 Price, Richard Richard Price (New South Wales politician) Supply: Secretary for Lands https://api.parliament.nsw.gov.au/api/hansard/search/daily/searchablepdf/HANSARD-290296563-3857 pdf 14 September 2020 John Storey (Labor NSW), the Leader of the Opposition, stated that he did not take much notice of statements made by Price, but that if the Minister did not take action against Price "the public will have a right to assume that something wrong is going on". The response of the government was to appoint Montgomerie Hamilton, a Judge of the District Court,hamilton-hugh-montgomerie-6538 Hamilton, Hugh Montgomerie (1854–1930) H T E Holt 1983 14 September 2020 to conduct a Royal Commission into Price's allegations.It has subsequently been questioned whether the Royal Commission was "a place out of Parliament" and potentially inconsistent with Article 9 of the Bill of Rights 1689 which provides "That the freedom of speech and debates or proceedings in Parliament ought not to be impeached or questioned in any court or place out of Parliament".https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/researchpapers/Documents/parliamentary-privilege-major-developments-and-c/ParliamentaryPrivelige07.pdf Parliamentary Privilege: Major Developments and Current Issues Gareth Griffith Background Paper No 1/07 82 April 2007 NSW Parliamentary Library Research Service 978-0731318025 1325-4456 14 September 2020 The Royal Commission concluded that "the charges made by Mr Price against Mr Ashford were made wantonly and recklessly, and without any foundation whatsoever". The report of the Royal Commission was read in the Legislative Assembly and the contents published in Hansard, which then held, by a vote of 46 to 11, that Price was "guilty of conduct unworthy of a member of Parliament and seriously reflecting upon the honor and dignity of this House". The house then resolved, by a vote of 35 to 20, that Price be expelled from the Legislative Assembly. Being expelled from Parliament however was not a barrier to re-election and Price re-contested the seat. The Labor Party did not nominate a candidate and the Taree Branch of the Labor Party supported Price to embarrass the government. Dates Date Event 13 December 1916 Richard Price made allegations about deviations on the Dubbo to Werris Creek railway line. 5 September 1917 Richard price makes further allegations concerning the purchase of saw mills, payment of salaries and purchase of land for soldiers. 20 September 1917 Judge Montgomerie Hamilton was appointed Royal Commissioner.https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article226219962 Appointment of Royal Commission Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales 166 21 September 1917 14 September 2020 5248 Trove 12 October 1917 Judge Montgomerie Hamilton published the report of the Royal Commission. 17 October 1917 Richard Price was expelled from Parliament.New South Wales Legislative Assembly 17 October 1917 1732 1786 Privilege: charges made by Mr R A Price https://api.parliament.nsw.gov.au/api/hansard/search/daily/searchablepdf/HANSARD-290296563-3872 pdf 14 September 2020 19 October 1917 Writ of election issued by the Speaker of the Legislative Assembly.https://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article226221031 Writ of election: Gloucester Government Gazette of the State of New South Wales 188 19 October 1917 14 September 2020 5763 Trove 27 October 1917 Nominations 10 November 1917 Polling day 24 November 1917 Return of writ Result [[1917 Gloucester state by-election|1917 Gloucester by-election]]Saturday 10 November1917 Gloucester by-election 1917 Gloucester_1 14 September 2020 Independent Richard Price (re-elected) 3,740 59.6 +3.6 Nationalist Lewis Martin 2,999 40.4 -3.6 6,275 100.0 +0.3 0 0.0 -0.3 6,275 62.7Estimate based on a roll of 10,015 at the 1917 election.1917 Gloucester 14 September 2020 -5.6 Independent +3.6 Richard Price (Independent) was expelled from Parliament for abusing parliamentary privilege by making baseless allegations against William Ashford, the Secretary for Lands. See also Electoral results for the district of Gloucester List of New South Wales state by-elections Notes References expanded Category:1917 elections in Australia Category:New South Wales state by-elections Category:1910s in New South Wales