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 on contentious issues − the Protectionist minority government fell in April 1904 to Labour, while the Labour minority government fell in August 1904 to the Free Traders, while the Free Trader minority government fell in July 1905 back to the Protectionists, which 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.
The wreck of SS 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.[1]
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.[4] All four stood as independents and all were unsuccessful.
ElectoratesEdit
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.
^Seventeen members were elected unopposed – ten Protectionist, four Free Trade, two Labour and one Liberal.
ReferencesEdit
^Foster, Leonie (2014). "Shipwrecks and the White Australia policy". The Great Circle. The Australian Association for Maritime History. 36 (2): 68–84. JSTOR 24583070.
^"House of Representatives election 1903". Australian politics and elections database. The University of Western Australia. Retrieved 20 May 2019.
^Carr, Adam. "1903 legislative election: House of Representatives, Queensland". Psephos.
^"AEC.gov.au". AEC.gov.au. 25 October 2007. Retrieved 27 June 2010.
October 17, 2023
1903, australian, federal, election, held, australia, december, 1903, seats, house, representatives, seats, senate, were, election, incumbent, protectionist, party, minority, government, prime, minister, alfred, deakin, retained, most, house, representatives, . 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 1903 Australian federal election 1901 16 December 1903 1903 12 16 1906 outgoing memberselected members All 75 seats in the House of Representatives38 seats were needed for a majority in the House19 of the 36 seats in the SenateRegistered1 893 586 93 62 Turnout739 402 39 05 a 12 34 pp First party Second party Leader Alfred Deakin George ReidParty Protectionist Free TradeLeader since 24 September 1903 1903 09 24 11 May 1901Leader s seat Ballaarat Vic East Sydney NSW Last election 32 seats 25 seatsSeats won 26 seats 24 seatsSeat change 6 1Popular vote 210 738 228 721Percentage 29 23 31 73Swing 1 71 1 48 Third party Fourth party Leader Chris Watson William McWilliamsParty Labor Revenue TariffLeader since 20 May 1901 1903Leader s seat Bland NSW Franklin Tas Last election 16 seats New partySeats won 22 seats 1 seatSeat change 6 1Popular vote 214 713 3 546Percentage 29 78 0 49 Swing 11 53 Results by division for the House of Representatives shaded by winning party s margin of victory Prime Minister before electionAlfred DeakinProtectionist Subsequent Prime Minister Alfred DeakinProtectionistThe 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 on contentious issues the Protectionist minority government fell in April 1904 to Labour while the Labour minority government fell in August 1904 to the Free Traders while the Free Trader minority government fell in July 1905 back to the Protectionists which 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 Contents 1 Issues 2 Results 2 1 House of Representatives 2 2 Senate 3 Significance 4 Electorates 4 1 Seats changing hands 4 2 Post election pendulum 5 See also 6 Notes 7 ReferencesIssues EditThe wreck of SS 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 1 Results Edit nbsp Protectionist 24 seats Labour 22 seats Free Trade 24 seats Independent 2 seats Liberal 2 seats Revenue Tariff Party 1 seatHouse of Representatives Edit Further information Results of the Australian federal election 1903 House of Representatives 1903 Australian federal election House of Representatives Non CV 2 nbsp Party Votes Swing Seats Change Free Trade 228 721 31 73 1 48 24 nbsp 1 Labour 214 713 29 78 11 53 22 nbsp 6 Protectionist 166 176 23 05 4 47 24 nbsp 8 Liberal 44 562 6 18 6 18 2 nbsp 2 Revenue Tariff 3 546 0 49 0 49 1 nbsp 1 Independents Other b 63 218 8 77 12 24 2 nbsp Formal votes 720 936 97 50 Informal votes 18 466 2 50 Total 75 c Registered voters turnout 1 893 586 39 05 12 34Popular voteFree Trade 31 73 Labour 29 78 Protectionist 23 05 Liberal 6 18 Revenue Tariff 0 49 Independent 8 77 Parliament seatsProtectionist 34 67 Free Trade 32 00 Labour 29 33 Revenue Tariff 1 33 Others 2 67 Senate Edit 1903 Australian federal election Senate FPTP BV nbsp Party Votes SeatsSeatswon Seatsheld Seatchange Free Trade 986 030 34 33 5 11 4 12 nbsp 5 Labour 784 859 27 33 13 83 3 8 nbsp 5 Protectionist 503 586 17 53 27 33 3 8 nbsp 3 Liberal 136 727 4 76 4 76 0 0 nbsp Socialist Labor 69 769 2 43 1 41 0 0 nbsp Revenue Tariff 25 310 0 88 0 88 1 1 nbsp 1 Independent 365 851 12 74 8 60 1 1 nbsp 1 Formal votes 2 872 132 Total Registered voters turnout 1 893 586 46 86Significance EditThe 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 4 All four stood as independents and all were unsuccessful Electorates EditCandidates 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 Edit Seat Pre 1903 Swing Post 1903Party Member Margin Margin Member PartyAdelaide 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 Edit Government seatsProtectionist Labour CoalitionMarginalDenison Tas Philip Fysh PROT 00 2 vs FTMelbourne Vic Malcolm McEacharn PROT 00 2 vs LABDarwin Tas King O Malley LAB 00 7 vs PROTWimmera Vic Pharez Phillips PROT 01 0 vs FTBendigo Vic John Quick PROT 01 1 vs LABBourke Vic James Hume Cook PROT 01 8 vs LABBrisbane Qld Millice Culpin LAB 02 1 vs PROTSouthern Melbourne Vic James Ronald LAB 02 1 vs INDOxley Qld Richard Edwards PROT 02 3 vs LABMoira Vic Thomas Kennedy PROT 04 0 vs FTCorio Vic Richard Crouch PROT 04 4 vs FTBoothby SA Lee Batchelor LAB 04 6 vs FTBland NSW Chris Watson LAB 05 4 vs FTFairly safeBass Tas David Storrer PROT 06 7 vs FTMelbourne Ports Vic Samuel Mauger PROT 06 8 vs LABHerbert Qld Fred Bamford LAB 07 8 vs PROTDarling NSW William Spence LAB 08 2 vs FTCapricornia Qld David Thomson LAB 09 6 vs PROTSafeHume NSW William Lyne PROT 10 0 vs FTWide Bay Qld Andrew Fisher LAB 11 2 vs PROTFremantle WA William Carpenter LAB 11 3 vs FTGwydir NSW William Webster LAB 11 4 vs FTMernda Vic Robert Harper PROT 12 1 vs FTNewcastle NSW David Watkins LAB 12 5 vs FTEchuca Vic James McColl PROT 13 3 vs FTKalgoorlie WA Charlie Frazer LAB 16 6 vs FTHindmarsh SA James Hutchison LAB 16 7 vs PROTKennedy Qld Charles McDonald LAB 19 7 vs PROTYarra Vic Frank Tudor LAB 19 7 vs PROTWest Sydney NSW Billy Hughes LAB 19 9 vs FTVery safeNorthern Melbourne Vic H B Higgins PROT 20 3 vs LABRichmond NSW Thomas Ewing PROT 22 6 vs FTPerth WA James Fowler LAB 22 8 vs FTLaanecoorie Vic Carty Salmon PROT 24 6 vs FTMaranoa Qld Jim Page LAB 25 0 vs PROTBarrier NSW Josiah Thomas LAB 32 0 vs INDAdelaide SA Charles Kingston PROT unopposedBalaclava Vic George Turner PROT unopposedBallaarat Vic Alfred Deakin PROT unopposedBarker SA Langdon Bonython PROT unopposedCanobolas NSW Thomas Brown LAB unopposedCoolgardie WA Hugh Mahon LAB unopposedCorinella Vic James McCay PROT unopposedDarling Downs Qld Littleton Groom PROT unopposedEden Monaro NSW Austin Chapman PROT unopposedGippsland Vic Allan McLean PROT unopposedGrey SA Alexander Poynton LAB unopposedIndi Vic Isaac Isaacs PROT unopposedSwan WA John Forrest PROT unopposedNon government seatsFree Trade PartyMarginalRiverina NSW Robert Blackwood FT 00 0 vs PROTNew England NSW Edmund Lonsdale FT 01 9 vs PROTCorangamite Vic Gratton Wilson FT 02 2 vs PROTGrampians Vic Thomas Skene FT 02 6 vs PROTKooyong Vic William Knox FT 02 8 vs PROTWannon Vic Arthur Robinson FT 02 9 vs PROTMacquarie NSW Sydney Smith FT 04 0 vs PROTFlinders Vic James Gibb FT 04 5 vs PROTWilmot Tas Edward Braddon FT 04 9 vs PROTFairly safeSouth Sydney NSW George Edwards FT 06 0 vs LABSafeLang NSW Elliot Johnson FT 12 0 vs INDCowper NSW Henry Lee FT 13 0 vs PROTHunter NSW Frank Liddell FT 13 3 vs INDRobertson NSW Henry Willis FT 13 5 vs INDEast Sydney NSW George Reid FT 14 4 vs LABWerriwa NSW Alfred Conroy FT 18 7 vs LABVery safeWentworth NSW Willie Kelly FT 21 8 vs PROTParkes NSW Bruce Smith FT 27 8 vs PROTDalley NSW William Wilks FT 28 6 vs INDParramatta NSW Joseph Cook FT 30 1 vs INDAngas SA Paddy Glynn FT unopposedIllawarra NSW George Fuller FT unopposedNorth Sydney NSW Dugald Thomson FT unopposedOthersFranklin Tas William McWilliams REV TAR 04 6 vs FTMoreton Qld James Wilkinson IND LAB 05 8 vs PROTWakefield SA Frederick Holder IND SPEAKER unopposedSee also EditCandidates of the Australian federal election 1903 Members of the Australian House of Representatives 1903 1906 Members of the Australian Senate 1904 1906 First Deakin GovernmentNotes Edit Turnout in contested seats was 50 27 The 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 3 Seventeen members were elected unopposed ten Protectionist four Free Trade two Labour and one Liberal References Edit Foster Leonie 2014 Shipwrecks and the White Australia policy The Great Circle The Australian Association for Maritime History 36 2 68 84 JSTOR 24583070 House of Representatives election 1903 Australian politics and elections database The University of Western Australia Retrieved 20 May 2019 Carr Adam 1903 legislative election House of Representatives Queensland Psephos AEC gov au AEC gov au 25 October 2007 Retrieved 27 June 2010 Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title 1903 Australian federal election amp oldid 1179948589, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
