Daglish ministry facts for kids

The Daglish Ministry was a special group of leaders in the Government of Western Australia. It was like a team that ran the state. This team was led by Henry Daglish, who was the Premier. He was part of the Labor Party.

This government started on 10 August 1904. It took over from the previous government, called the James Ministry. The Labor Party won many more seats in the 1904 election. They went from 8 seats to 22 seats out of 50 in the Legislative Assembly. Even with more seats, they were a minority government. This means they didn't have more than half the seats. So, they needed help from four independent politicians to pass laws.

Why Was This Government Special?

The Daglish Ministry was important for a few reasons. It was the very first Labor Party government in Western Australia. It was also one of the first Labor governments in all of Australia. Most of the people in this government had moved to Western Australia in the last 20 years. This was different from earlier governments.

Overcoming Challenges

The new government faced some challenges. The rules said that at least one person in the government had to be from the Legislative Council. This was like an upper house of parliament. John Drew, an independent member, agreed to join. This helped meet the rule.

Also, the Labor Party didn't have any lawyers in their group. So, the job of Attorney-General, who is the state's chief lawyer, was changed. Instead, Robert Hastie was named the Minister for Justice.

How the Government Ended

The Daglish government lasted for just over a year. On 25 August 1905, they lost the support of the parliament. This happened during a "vote of no confidence." This kind of vote means that most politicians no longer trust the government to lead. When they lost this vote, the government had to step down. The next government was the Rason Ministry, led by Hector Rason. He had been a minister in the earlier James Ministry.

Who Was in the Daglish Ministry?

The Governor, Admiral Sir Frederick Bedford, officially set up the main government jobs on 10 August 1904. The following people were chosen for these jobs. They served until the government changed some roles on 7 June 1905.

• Henry Daglish, MLA: He was the Premier (the leader). He was also the Colonial Treasurer (in charge of money) and the Minister for Education (in charge of schools).
• John Drew, MLC: He was the Minister for Lands (in charge of land).
• George Taylor, MLA: He was the Colonial Secretary (a senior government role).
• Robert Hastie, MLA: He was the Minister for Justice and the Minister for Mines (in charge of mining).
• John Holman, MLA: He was the Minister for Labour (in charge of workers' issues) and the Minister for Railways (in charge of trains).
• William Johnson, MLA: He was the Minister for Works (in charge of building projects).
• William Angwin, MLA: He was a Minister without a specific department.

Changes in 1905

On 7 June 1905, some changes were made to the government team. A new group of ministers was sworn in. They served until the government ended on 25 August 1905.

• Henry Daglish, MLA: He remained the Premier and Colonial Treasurer.
• Thomas Bath, MLA: He became the Minister for Education and Minister for Lands.
• John Drew, MLC: He became the Colonial Secretary.
• Robert Hastie, MLA: He remained the Minister for Justice and also became the Minister for Labour.
• William Johnson, MLA: He became the Minister for Mines and Minister for Railways.
• Patrick Lynch, MLA: He became the Minister for Works until 4 August 1905.
• William Angwin, MLA: He continued as a Minister without a specific department.