Liberal and Democratic Union
Liberal and Democratic Union | |
|---|---|
| Historic leaders | Archibald Peake (1906–10) |
| Founded | 1906 |
| Dissolved | 1910 |
| Merged into | Liberal Union |
The Liberal and Democratic Union (LDU) was a
Labor taking over the middle ground, Kingstonian
liberals like Peake had to choose.
At the
Price-Peake administration was formed. At the 1906 election
, the LDU won 10 percent of the vote and nine of 42 seats and continued to support the Price Labor government.
When Price died in 1909, Labor as the largest single party in the lower house demanded it retain the premiership in their coalition, however Peake refused. Invited to form a ministry, he filled it with LDU members and became premier, treasurer and minister of education. The ministry survived with the parliamentary support of two independent conservative parties, the Australasian National League (formerly National Defence League) and the Farmers and Producers Political Union, and in December was reconstructed to include members of both.
Liberal Union
with Peake as leader. The parties readily approved the merger, however, the LDU which salvaged the fewest of their principles from the merger were more hesitant. Peake persuaded a party conference that 'the day of the middle party is passed', and approved the merger by just one vote.
See also
- Members of the South Australian House of Assembly, 1906–1910
- Members of the South Australian House of Assembly, 1910–1912
- Members of the South Australian Legislative Council, 1910–1912
References
- Grainger, G. Peake, Archibald Henry (1859 - 1920), Australian Dictionary of Biography