State Government of Tasmania beginning 14 August 1923 - period in office of Premier Lee, Walter Henry ending on 25 October 1923
Period in office of premier (see Glossary entry for 'period in office' and related terms)
Parliamentary support during period
Coalition partner 1
Number of ministers at beginning of period (this may vary during the period)
Assembly elections contested as premier or after which became premier (see Glossary entry for 'after election')
| Election | Premier at election | Premier's party | Premier after election | Premier's party |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TAS 9 June 1934 | Walter Henry Lee | Nationalist Party | Albert George Ogilvie | Australian Labor Party |
| TAS 10 June 1922 | Walter Henry Lee | Nationalist Party | Walter Henry Lee | Nationalist Party |
| TAS 31 May 1919 | Walter Henry Lee | Nationalist Party | Walter Henry Lee | Nationalist Party |
| TAS 25 March 1916 | John Earle | Australian Labor Party | Walter Henry Lee | Liberal Party |
Previous period in this series for TAS | Next period in this series for TAS
Notes
Change of party leader: Beginning of Lee's second period in office: 'In August [1923] there was a government crisis involving administration of the State railways. Hayes invited the ministerial caucus to indicate its attitude to the Government, and, on hearing members' views, stated that he would resign. A meeting of Nationalist and Country [parliamentary] party members on 13 August chose [J C] Newton, over [former Premier] Lee and [A T] Marshall, as the new leader. However, Newton proved unable to form a ministry as Lee and other former Ministers refused to serve under him, and a second meeting on the 14th elected Lee. Hayes then tendered his resignation, Lee was commissioned, and announced his ministry at once', Hughes and Graham, p. 259, (see 'Sources', below). Lee was Premier of a Nationalist Party minority government.
Defeat in parliament: In October 1923 Lee introduced a program of substantial cuts to government expenditure. 'It included public service retrenchment, abolition of the agent-general's office, a reduction in the number of members of parliament, introduction of fees for high school students and the abolition of dental clinics and medical inspections for schoolchildren. Many taxes were to be increased. Though Lee survived a Labor no confidence motion, he was defeated on a move to consider the proposals in committee. His government had survived for ten weeks', Bennett, (see 'References', below). Lee asked for a dissolution but Joseph Lyons was called upon to form a minority Labor government supported by several dissident Nationalists; see Hughes and Graham, pp. 259-260, (see 'Sources', below).
References: For a description of the style of parliamentary government in this period, see John Reynolds, 'Premiers and Political Leaders', in F C Green (editor), Tasmania: A Century of Responsible Government 1856-1956, pp 208-215, (Hobart: L G Shea, Government Printer, [1956]), and note Terry Newman, Tasmanian Premiers 1856-1988: A Biographical Handbook, (Hobart: Tasmanian Parliamentary Library, [1988]).
For a survey of Lee's career, see Scott Bennett, 'Lee, Sir Walter Henry (1874 - 1963)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 10, pp 52-53, (Melbourne: Melbourne University Press, 1986), on line at: http://www.adb.online.anu.edu.au/biogs/A100049b.htm
Sources
'Ministries: Names of the Members of Successive Ministries which have held Office in Tasmania since the inauguration of Responsible Government, together with the Dates of Appointment and Retirement', Journal of House of Assembly, Second Session of the Forty-Fifth Parliament of Tasmania, Anno LIII and LV Eliz II; Session 2 of the 45th Parliament, Volume 251, 2004-2006, (Hobart: Government Printer, Tasmania); Colin A Hughes and B D Graham, A Handbook of Australian Government and Politics 1890-1964, (Canberra: Australian National University Press, 1968, SBN 708102700), and the website of the Parliament of Tasmania, http://www.parliament.tas.gov.au/