The current (for the moment) Prime Miniature of Australia is about to lose his "safe" seat of Bennelong in today's election and in so doing, he will become only the second incumbent Prime Minister to do so in Australia's history.
The last to do so was the Nationalist Party's Stanley Bruce in the 1920's. The following is a (surprisingly accurate) Wikipedia excerpt of his last term in office.
"He formed an effective partnership with the Country Party leader, Dr Earle Page, and exploited public fears of communism and militant trade unions to dominate Australian politics through the 1920s. Despite predictions that Australians would not accept such an aloof leader, he won a smashing victory over a demoralised Labor Party at the 1925 election. He pursued a policy of vigorous national development and, in foreign affairs, support for the British Empire and the League of Nations.
Strikes of sugar mill workers in 1927, waterside workers in 1928, then of transport workers, timber industry workers and coal miners erupted in riots and lockouts in New South Wales in 1929. Bruce responded with a Maritime Industries Bill that was designed to do away with the Conciliation and Arbitration Court and return arbitration powers to the States. On 10 September 1929, Billy Hughes and five other Nationalist members joined Labor in voting against the Bill. The Bill was lost 34 votes to 35 when Littleton Groom, the Speaker, abstained, bringing down the BrucePage government and sending Australians to the polls in the 1929 election just one year after the Nationalists won the 1928 election. Labor won a landslide victory and Bruce lost his own seat the only prime minister to have done so."
Sounds a bit familiar.
The last to do so was the Nationalist Party's Stanley Bruce in the 1920's. The following is a (surprisingly accurate) Wikipedia excerpt of his last term in office.
"He formed an effective partnership with the Country Party leader, Dr Earle Page, and exploited public fears of communism and militant trade unions to dominate Australian politics through the 1920s. Despite predictions that Australians would not accept such an aloof leader, he won a smashing victory over a demoralised Labor Party at the 1925 election. He pursued a policy of vigorous national development and, in foreign affairs, support for the British Empire and the League of Nations.
Strikes of sugar mill workers in 1927, waterside workers in 1928, then of transport workers, timber industry workers and coal miners erupted in riots and lockouts in New South Wales in 1929. Bruce responded with a Maritime Industries Bill that was designed to do away with the Conciliation and Arbitration Court and return arbitration powers to the States. On 10 September 1929, Billy Hughes and five other Nationalist members joined Labor in voting against the Bill. The Bill was lost 34 votes to 35 when Littleton Groom, the Speaker, abstained, bringing down the BrucePage government and sending Australians to the polls in the 1929 election just one year after the Nationalists won the 1928 election. Labor won a landslide victory and Bruce lost his own seat the only prime minister to have done so."
Sounds a bit familiar.
