Free Trade Party

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Free Trade Party
Free Trade and Liberal Association
Leader
Deputy LeaderJoseph Cook (1904–1908)
FoundedApril 1889; 136 years ago (1889-04)[1]
DissolvedMay 1909; 115 years ago (1909-05)
Merger of
  • Liberal Political Association
  • Free Trade Association
Merged intoLiberal
HeadquartersHunter Street, Sydney, New South Wales[1]
Ideology
Political positionCentre-right[4] to right-wing[3][5]
Colours  Yellow
House of Representatives
28 / 75
(1901–1903)
Senate
17 / 36
(1901–1903)
New South Wales Legislative Assembly
79 / 124
(1887–1889)
This article is part of a series on
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The Free Trade Party (FTP), officially known as the Free Trade and Liberal Association and also referred to as the Revenue Tariff Party in some states, was an

Australian political party. It was formally organised in 1887 in New South Wales, in time for the 1887 New South Wales colonial election
, which the party won.

The party advocated the abolition of protectionism, especially protective tariffs and other restrictions on trade, arguing that this would create greater prosperity for all. However, many members also advocated use of minimal tariffs for government revenue purposes only. Its most prominent leader was George Reid, who led the Reid government as the fourth Prime Minister of Australia (1904–1905).

In New South Wales, it was succeeded by the Liberal and Reform Association in 1902, and federally by the Anti-Socialist Party in 1906.

Liberal Party
.

History

George Reid, Prime Minister of Australia 1904–1905

The party was centred on New South Wales, where its leaders were Sir Henry Parkes and Sir George Reid. It dominated New South Wales colonial politics before federation. It first contested the 1887 New South Wales election.

At the

Opposition Leader with William McMillan as his deputy, later becoming Prime Minister in 1904–05. Dugald Thomson became deputy leader of the party in early 1904 following McMillan's retirement. Thomson would himself hand over the Deputy position to Joseph Cook on 28 July 1905 following the fall of the Reid government
.

A separate Tasmanian Revenue Tariff Party contested the 1903 federal election in Tasmania and won two seats. However, the Tasmanian party sat and merged with the Free Trade Party in federal Parliament.

After the question of tariffs had largely been settled, Reid cast around for another cause to justify his party's existence. He settled on opposition to socialism, criticising both the

Australian Labour Party and the support offered by it to the Protectionist Party, led by Alfred Deakin. Reid adopted a strategy of trying to reorient the party system along Labour vs non-Labour lines – prior to the 1906 election, he renamed the Free Trade Party to the Anti-Socialist Party. Reid envisaged a spectrum running from socialist to anti-socialist, with the Protectionist Party in the middle. This attempt struck a chord with politicians who were steeped in the Westminster tradition and regarded a two-party system as very much the norm.[8]

The Labor Party and the FTP/ASP continued to grow in electoral strength at the expense of the Protectionist vote. Some Protectionists continued their exodus to Labor and the ASP.[citation needed]

When Deakin proposed the

Commonwealth Liberal Party, a "Fusion" of the two non-Labour parties, Reid announced his intention to resign as party leader on 16 November 1908. Joseph Cook was elected leader unopposed on 26 November,[9] and he led the party until the merger with the Protectionists. No deputy leader was elected under Cook.[10]

Leaders

New South Wales Parliament

No. Leader
(birth–death) 		Portrait Electorate Took office Left office Term Premier (term)
1 Henry Parkes
(1815–1896) 		St Leonards, NSW 1887 22 October 1891 4 years Parkes (1887–1889)
Dibbs (1889)
Parkes (1889–1891)
2 George Reid
(1860–1947) 		East Sydney, NSW 18 November 1891 17 July 1894 9 years, 131 days Dibbs (1891–1894)
Sydney-King, NSW 17 July 1894 29 March 1901 Reid (1894–1899)
Lyne (1899–1901)

Australian Parliament

No. Leader
(birth–death) 		Portrait Electorate Took office Left office Term Prime Minister (term)
(2) George Reid
(1860–1947) 		East Sydney, Aus 29 March 1901 16 November 1908 7 years, 232 days Barton (1901–1903)
Deakin (1903–1904)
Watson (1904)
Reid (1904–1905)
Deakin (1905–1908)
Fisher (1908–1909)
3 Joseph Cook
(1860–1947) 		Parramatta, Aus 26 November 1908 26 May 1909 181 days

Electoral results

Parliament of New South Wales

Legislative Assembly
Election year # of
overall votes 		% of
overall vote 		# of
overall seats won 		+/– Leader
1887 78,238 (#1) 60.75
79 / 124
–
Henry Parkes
1889 73,348 (#1) 48.63
66 / 137
Decrease 13
Henry Parkes
1891 65,850 (#2) 36.49
44 / 141
Decrease 22
Henry Parkes
1894 60,966 (#1) 30.34
50 / 125
Increase 6
George Reid
1895 56,347 (#1) 37.15
58 / 125
Increase 8
George Reid
1898 58,214 (#2) 32.89
45 / 125
Decrease 13
George Reid

Parliament of Australia

House of Representatives
Election year # of
overall votes 		% of
overall vote 		# of
overall seats won 		+/– Leader
1901 151,960 (#2) 30.03
28 / 75
–
George Reid
1903 247,774 (#1) 34.37
24 / 75
Decrease 4
George Reid
1906 363,257 (#1) 38.17
26 / 75
Increase 2
George Reid
Senate
Election year # of
overall votes 		% of
overall vote 		# of
overall seats won 		+/– Leader
1901 1,053,012 (#2) 39.44
17 / 36
–
George Reid
1903 986,030 (#1) 34.33
12 / 36
Decrease 5
George Reid
1906 1,384,662 (#1) 46.53
14 / 36
Increase 2
George Reid

See also

References

  1. ^
    ISBN 9780522873498
    .
  2. ISBN 978-0521536349
    .
  3. ^
    doi:10.13140/RG.2.2.12644.01927
    .
  4. ^ "Australian Free Trade and Liberal Association". oxfordreference.com. Oxford University Press.
  5. ^ Griffiths, Phil (2024). "White Australia and the Labour Movement" (PDF). The Queensland Journal of Labour History (37 ed.): 20.
  6. ^ "FREE TRADE PARTY". Sydney Morning Herald. 11 February 1906. p. 7. Retrieved 8 January 2025.
  7. ^ "PROTECTION AND THE LABOR PARTY". Herald. 26 May 1906. p. 9. Retrieved 8 January 2025. The Anti-Socialistic Party is the Free-trade Party; protection is socialistic.
  8. ^ Fusion: The Party System We Had To Have? - by Charles Richardson CIS 25 January 2009
  9. ^ "The Direct Opposition: Mr. J. Cook Chosen Leader". Argus. 27 November 1908.
  10. ^ "Federal Opposition: No Deputy-Leader To Be Appointed". Australian Star. December 1908.

Bibliography
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