Federal elections were 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 led by Prime Minister of Australia Alfred Deakin defeated the opposition Free Trade Party led by George Reid.
Independent: Frederick Holder (Wakefield, SA), James Wilkinson (Moreton, Qld)
Independent: William Trenwith (Vic)
The election saw the Labo...
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Federal elections were 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 led by Prime Minister of Australia Alfred Deakin defeated the opposition Free Trade Party led by George Reid.
Independent: Frederick Holder (Wakefield, SA), James Wilkinson (Moreton, Qld)
Independent: William Trenwith (Vic)
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...
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