Tasmanian state election, 1913
Encyclopedia
A general election for the House of Assembly
was held in the Australia
n state
of Tasmania
on 23 January 1913 (a Thursday, as the convention of holding elections on a Saturday did not become common until the 1920s).
, triggered by an early dissolution of parliament
. The Liberals held only a small majority in the House of Assembly, and Premier Albert Solomon
was dependent on the support of Norman Cameron to maintain that majority. In addition, Solomon was under threat from the same Liberal unrest that had unseated his predecessor, Sir Elliott Lewis
. Labor sought to capitalise on Solomon's tenuous grasp on government, and moved a series of no-confidence motions
against him, including a censure
motion over the Mount Lyell disaster
. In an attempt to secure his position, Solomon requested an early dissolution from the Governor of Tasmania, and an early election was called.
was coming under question. Solomon lost a no-confidence motion in April 1914, and the Governor denied his request for another dissolution, calling upon John Earle
to form a Labor government.
Tasmanian House of Assembly
The House of Assembly, or Lower House, is one of the two chambers of the Parliament of Tasmania in Australia. The other is the Legislative Council or Upper House...
was held in the Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n state
States and territories of Australia
The Commonwealth of Australia is a union of six states and various territories. The Australian mainland is made up of five states and three territories, with the sixth state of Tasmania being made up of islands. In addition there are six island territories, known as external territories, and a...
of Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
on 23 January 1913 (a Thursday, as the convention of holding elections on a Saturday did not become common until the 1920s).
Background
The 1913 election was called less than a year after the previous election in 1912Tasmanian state election, 1912
A general election for the House of Assembly was held in the Australian state of Tasmania on 30 April 1912 .-Background:...
, triggered by an early dissolution of parliament
Dissolution of parliament
In parliamentary systems, a dissolution of parliament is the dispersal of a legislature at the call of an election.Usually there is a maximum length of a legislature, and a dissolution must happen before the maximum time...
. The Liberals held only a small majority in the House of Assembly, and Premier Albert Solomon
Albert Solomon
Albert Edgar Solomon was an Australian politician. He was Premier of Tasmania from 14 June 1912 to 6 April 1914....
was dependent on the support of Norman Cameron to maintain that majority. In addition, Solomon was under threat from the same Liberal unrest that had unseated his predecessor, Sir Elliott Lewis
Elliott Lewis
Sir Neil Elliott Lewis, KCMG , Australian politician, was Premier of Tasmania on three occasions. He was also a member of the first Australian federal ministry, led by Edmund Barton....
. Labor sought to capitalise on Solomon's tenuous grasp on government, and moved a series of no-confidence motions
Motion of no confidence
A motion of no confidence is a parliamentary motion whose passing would demonstrate to the head of state that the elected parliament no longer has confidence in the appointed government.-Overview:Typically, when a parliament passes a vote of no...
against him, including a censure
Censure
A censure is an expression of strong disapproval or harsh criticism. Among the forms that it can take are a stern rebuke by a legislature, a spiritual penalty imposed by a church, and a negative judgment pronounced on a theological proposition.-Politics:...
motion over the Mount Lyell disaster
1912 North Mount Lyell Disaster
The 1912 North Mount Lyell Disaster refers to a fire that broke out on 12 October 1912 at the Mount Lyell Mining and Railway Company operations on the West Coast of Tasmania...
. In an attempt to secure his position, Solomon requested an early dissolution from the Governor of Tasmania, and an early election was called.
Results
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Aftermath
Solomon achieved what he had hoped by calling an early election: Norman Cameron lost his seat which was picked up by the Liberals, giving them a more favourable two-seat majority in the house. This advantage, however, was short-lived. The Liberals lost a seat in a by-election, and the erratic behaviour of MHA Joshua WhitsittJoshua Whitsitt
Joshua Thomas Hoskins Whitsitt was an Australian politician. Born in Ireland, where he was educated, he migrated to Tasmania as a youth, becoming a bank officer and farmer at Cooee. In 1909 he was elected to the Tasmanian House of Assembly as one of the members for Darwin, representing the...
was coming under question. Solomon lost a no-confidence motion in April 1914, and the Governor denied his request for another dissolution, calling upon John Earle
John Earle (Australian politician)
John Earle was an Australian politician and the first Labor Premier of Tasmania.- Early life :Born into a farming family of Cornish descent in Bridgewater, Tasmania, Earle left home at 17 to work as a blacksmith's apprentice in a Hobart foundry...
to form a Labor government.
External links
- Assembly Election Results, 1913, Parliament of TasmaniaParliament of TasmaniaThe Parliament of Tasmania consists of the Tasmanian Legislative Council, Tasmanian House of Assembly and the Monarch represented by the Governor of Tasmania....
. - Report on General Election, 1913, Tasmanian Electoral Commission, 8 July 1913.