Australian Politics and Elections Archive 1856-2018
The University of Western Australia

State Government of Victoria beginning 19 March 1924 - period in office of Premier Lawson, Harry Sutherland Wightman ending on 28 April 1924

Period in office of premier (see Glossary entry for 'period in office' and related terms)

Parliamentary support during period

Number of ministers at beginning of period (this may vary during the period)

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Notes

Change in parliamentary support for premier (Lawson): Beginning of Lawson's third period in office; 'In January 1924 the National Party [Nationalists] objected when a country Party candidate contested a by-election for Dalhousie, a former Nationalist seat, which was won by Labor. The Country Party's cabinet members were reported to have undertaken either to persuade the Victorian Farmers' Union [the organizational wing of the Country Party] to agree to an electoral understanding or to withdraw from the ministry. The VFU conference of March 1924 refused to consider joining an electoral alliance, whereupon Lawson, having conferred with the [Nationalist] ministers, submitted the resignation of the whole ministry to the Governor on 14 March 1924. The Governor gave him a commission to form a new ministry which was drawn from the [Nationalist] Party only.

This change to the partisan composition of the Lawson ministry marked the beginning of Lawson's third period in office. Lawson was commissioned on 19 March 1924 as Premier of a minority Nationalist Party government.

Change of party leader (Lawson): 'In April 1924 talks were begun about the possibility of arranging another National-Country Party coalition, but Lawson's unpopularity amongst Country Party members proved an obstacle. A meeting of the National Party [Nationalists] on 23 April, while expressing its confidence in Lawson as Premier, at the same time assured him of its support if he wished to stand for the office of Speaker which was then vacant. On the 24th Lawson announced his willingness to resign and stand for the Speakership. Peacock was then elected leader of the National Party [Nationalists] and was commissioned to form the new ministry, which closely resembled its predecessor, most of the ministers having been requested by the Governor to retain their offices in the new administration. (Lawson was subsequently defeated in the ballot for the Speakership by a Country Party nominee [Bowser]).' Hughes and Graham, p121 (see 'Sources', below).

References: For a study of Lawson's periods in office, see Margaret Fitzherbert, 'Harry Lawson, Sure and Steady', in Strangio and Costar (editors) ch. 12 (see 'Sources', below). A survey of Lawson's career can be found in Donald S. Garden, 'Lawson, Sir Harry Sutherland Wightman (1875–1952)', Australian Dictionary of Biography, Volume 10, (Melbourne: Melbourne University Press, 1986), on line here [accessed 14 April 2014].

Sources

Colin Hughes and B D Graham (editors), A Handbook of Australian Government and Politics 1890-1964, (Canberra: Australian National University Press, 1968, SBN 708102700); Parliament of Victoria, One Hundred Years of Responsible Government 1856-1956, (Melbourne: Government Printer, 1957, Parliamentary Paper No. 40 of 1956-58); Paul Strangio and Brian Costar (editors), The Victorian Premiers 1856-2006, (Sydney: Federation Press, 2006, ISBN 9781862876019); Raymond Wright, A People's Counsel: A History of the Parliament of Victoria 1856-1990, (Melbourne: Oxford University Press, 1992, ISBN 0195533593). Victoria Hansard (Record of Parliamentary Debates) on line here .

In consulting these sources, note the difference between ministries and periods in office.