1908 Victorian state election
{{Short description|Australian state election}}
{{Use Australian English|date=June 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}}
{{Infobox election
| election_name = 1908 Victorian state election
| country = Victoria
| flag_year = 1901
| type = parliamentary
| ongoing = no
| previous_election = 1907 Victorian state election
| previous_year = 1907
| next_election = 1911 Victorian state election
| next_year = 1911
| seats_for_election = All 65 seats in the Victorian Legislative Assembly
33 seats needed for a majority
| election_date = {{Start date|df=yes|1908|12|29}}
| image1 = 125px
| leader1 = George Prendergast
| leader_since1 = 1904
| party1 = Australian Labor Party (Victorian Branch)
| leaders_seat1 = North Melbourne
| percentage1 = 34.78
| swing1 = {{increase}} 1.85%
| last_election1 = 14 seats
| seats1 = 21 seats
| seat_change1 = {{increase}} 7
| image2 = 132px
| leader2 = John Murray
| leader_since2 = 1908
| party2 = Liberal
| colour2 = F7E894
| leaders_seat2 = Warrnambool
| percentage2 = 33.94
| swing2 = {{increase}} 33.94%
| last_election2 = Did not exist
| seats2 = 18 seats
| seat_change2 = {{increase}} 18
| image3 = 112px
| leader3 = Thomas Bent
| leader_since3 = 1907
| party3 = United Liberal
| colour3 = 8EB5D1
| leaders_seat3 = Brighton
| percentage3 = 19.98
| swing3 = {{decrease}} 31.38%
| last_election3 = 49 seats
| seats3 = 24 seats
| seat_change3 = {{decrease}} 25
| title = Premier
| before_election = Thomas Bent
| before_party = United Liberal
| after_election = John Murray
| after_party = 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.{{cite web | url=http://elections.uwa.edu.au/elecdetail.lasso?keyvalue=885 | title=Australian Politics and Elections Database: 29 December 1908 | publisher=University of Western Australia | accessdate=4 September 2016}} 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.{{cite web |title=1900-1919: turbulent years |url=https://www.vec.vic.gov.au/voting/learn-to-vote/history-of-elections-in-victoria/turbulent-years |publisher=Victorian Electoral Commission}}{{cite news |title=A Union of Farmers |url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/169875067 |work=The Advocate |date=9 July 1904 |language=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.{{cite web |title=Parliament in Exile: Aspects of the Victorian Parliament at the Exhibition Building, 1901 to 1927 |url=https://www.aspg.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/6-Isaacs-PARLIAMENT-IN-EXILE.pdf |publisher=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
{{main|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.
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:right; margin-bottom:0"
|+ Legislative Assembly (FPTP) ! style="width:10px;" colspan=3 | Party ! style="width:70px;"| Votes ! style="width:40px;"| % ! style="width:40px;"| Swing ! style="width:40px;"| Seats ! style="width:40px;"| Change |
| {{Australian party style|Labor|width:1px}} |
| style="text-align:left;" colspan="2"| Labor | style="width:70px;"| 30,605 | style="width:40px;"| 34.78 | style="width:45px;"| +0.38 | style="width:40px;"| 21 | style="width:55px;"| {{increase}} 7 |
| {{Australian party style|liberal vic 1908|width:1px}} |
| style="text-align:left;" colspan="2"| Liberal | style="width:70px;"| 29,866 | style="width:40px;"| 33.94 | style="width:45px;"| +33.94 | style="width:40px;"| 18 | style="width:55px;"| {{increase}} 18 |
| {{Australian party style|united liberal|width:1px}} |
| style="text-align:left;" colspan="2"| United Liberal | style="width:70px;"| 17,578 | style="width:40px;"| 19.98 | style="width:45px;"| −31.38 | style="width:40px;"| 24 | style="width:55px;"| {{decrease}} 25 |
| {{Australian party style|australian liberal|width:1px}} |
| style="text-align:left;" colspan="2"| Independent Liberal | style="width:70px;"| 5,455 | style="width:40px;"| 6.20 | style="width:45px;"| +6.20 | style="width:40px;"| 2 | style="width:55px;"| {{increase}} 2 |
| {{Australian party style|ministerial}}|
| style="text-align:left;" colspan="2"| Independent Ministerialist | 539 | 0.61 | −8.86 | 0 | {{decrease}} 1 |
| {{Australian party style|Victorian Socialist}}|
| style="text-align:left;" colspan="2"| Victorian Socialist | 167 | 0.19 | +0.19 | 0 | {{steady}} |
| {{Australian party style|independent|width:1px}} |
| style="text-align:left;" colspan="2"| Independent | style="width:70px;"| 3,785 | style="width:40px;"| 4.30 | style="width:45px;"| +1.94 | style="width:40px;"| 0 | style="width:55px;"| {{decrease}} 1 |
| colspan="3"| Formal votes
| 87,995 | 99.47 | | | |
|---|
| colspan="3"| Informal votes
| | 0.53 | | | |
| colspan="3"| Total
| 87,995 | | | 65 | |
| colspan="3"| 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.{{cite news |last= |first= |date=25 May 1909 |title=Federal Fusion. Conference Between Leaders. |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=lL5f5cZgq8MC&dat=19090525&printsec=frontpage&hl=en |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |location= |access-date=}}{{cite news |last= |first= |date=26 May 1909 |title=Federal Fusion. Negotiations Concluded. |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=lL5f5cZgq8MC&dat=19090526&printsec=frontpage&hl=en |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |location= |access-date=}}{{cite news |last= |first= |date=27 May 1909 |title=Fusion Fixed. A United Body. |url=https://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=lL5f5cZgq8MC&dat=19090527&printsec=frontpage&hl=en |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |location= |access-date=}}
See also
References
{{reflist}}
{{Victorian elections}}
Category:1908 elections in Australia
Category:Elections in Victoria (state)
Category:1900s in Victoria (state)
Category:1908 Victorian state election
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