Editing Edmund Barton (section)

==Prime minister==
{{main|Barton government}}

===Appointment===
{{further|Hopetoun Blunder}}
[[File:Federation Pavilion, Centennial Park 01 (cropped).jpg|thumb|right|The [[Federation Pavilion]] at [[Centennial Parklands|Centennial Park, Sydney]], during the swearing-in ceremony on 1 January 1901
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{{center|'''External video'''}}
{{center|[[file:Nuvola apps kaboodle.svg|16px]] [https://aso.gov.au/titles/documentaries/inauguration-commonwealth/ Footage from ''Inauguration of the Commonwealth'']}}]]
Barton was appointed [[Prime Minister of Australia|prime minister]] on 1 January 1901, the day on which the new federal constitution came into effect. He and various other dignitaries were driven through the streets of Sydney in a procession watched by thousands of onlookers, beginning in [[The Domain, Sydney|The Domain]] and ending at [[Centennial Parklands|Centennial Park]]. A swearing-in ceremony for the new government was held at the purpose-built [[Federation Pavilion]].<ref>{{cite book |last=La Nauze |first=John |author-link=John La Nauze |title=Alfred Deakin: A Biography |publisher=[[Melbourne University Press]] |year=1962 |page=214}}</ref> The main focus was on [[John Hope, 7th Earl of Hopetoun|Lord Hopetoun]], Australia's first [[Governor-General of Australia|governor-general]], who swore three separate oaths and read a message from [[Queen Victoria]]. Barton and his ministry only took oaths of allegiance, and were not formally sworn in to the [[Federal Executive Council (Australia)|Federal Executive Council]] until later in the afternoon.{{sfn|La Nauze|1962|p=215}} The events of the day were captured on film and distributed under the title ''[[Inauguration of the Commonwealth]]'', although the visibility of the leading participants is poor.{{sfn|Bolton|2000|p=228}} The film has been described as Australia's first feature-length documentary.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://aso.gov.au/titles/documentaries/inauguration-commonwealth/notes|title=Inauguration of the Commonwealth (1901)|publisher=National Film and Sound Archive|access-date=13 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190114210223/https://aso.gov.au/titles/documentaries/inauguration-commonwealth/notes/|archive-date=14 January 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>

Barton had only been commissioned to form a government one week before he became prime minister, due to what became known as the "[[Hopetoun Blunder]]". The new governor-general Lord Hopetoun arrived in Australia on 15 December 1900.{{sfn|Bolton|2000|p=218}} He was tasked by the [[Colonial Office]] with selecting someone to form a caretaker government prior to the first federal election; this individual would be Australia's first prime minister.{{sfn|Bolton|2000|p=219}} It was widely assumed that Barton would be offered the position, and he had begun making preparations for the role, including a draft platform for the first federal elections.{{sfn|Bolton|2000|p=217}} On 19 December, however, Hopetoun commissioned [[William Lyne]] to form a government. His reasons for doing so have been debated, but his decision was widely regarded as a mistake.{{sfn|Bolton|2000|p=220}}{{sfn|La Nauze|1962|p=208}} Lyne, the premier of New South Wales, had actively campaigned against federation, and the leading politicians in each of the other colonies refused to serve under him.{{sfn|La Nauze|1962|p=209}} On 24 December, he informed Hopetoun that he was unable to form a government and advised him to send for Barton.{{sfn|Bolton|2000|p=222}} As a result, the composition of Australia's first cabinet was not formally announced until 30 December, two days before it was sworn in.{{sfn|La Nauze|1962|p=210}}

===Caretaker ministry and first election===
{{further|Barton ministry}}
[[File:Barton Ministry (cropped).jpg|thumb|right|Members of the first [[Barton ministry]], 1 January 1901]]
Barton assembled [[Barton ministry|a ministry]] that was described variously as a "cabinet of kings", "orchestra of conductors", and "army of generals".<ref name=abjorensen>{{cite book |last=Abjorensen |first=Norman |title=The Manner of Their Going: Prime Ministerial Exits from Lyne to Abbott |chapter=Edmund Barton: Tobias Hamlet and the long goodbye |chapter-url=http://honesthistory.net.au/wp/wp-content/uploads/193-Abjorensen-Edmund-Barton_Chapter.pdf |publisher=Australian Scholarly Publishing |year=2015 |page=1}}</ref> It comprised four incumbent colonial premiers (including Lyne), two former premiers, and Barton's key allies [[Alfred Deakin]] and [[Richard Edward O'Connor|Richard O'Connor]]. Deakin was ranked second in cabinet after Barton, and O'Connor would become the inaugural [[Leader of the Government in the Senate (Australia)|Leader of the Government in the Senate]]. Only one change was made to the ministry prior to the election, necessitated by the death of [[James Dickson (Queensland politician)|James Dickson]] on 10 January.{{sfn|Bolton|2000|pp=226–227}} Barton took on the [[Minister for Foreign Affairs (Australia)|external affairs portfolio]] himself and conducted official business through the [[Department of External Affairs (1901–1916)|Department of External Affairs]], as there was no [[Prime Minister's Department (Australia)|prime minister's department]] until 1911.{{sfn|Bolton|2000|p=226}}

The first goal for Barton and his ministry was to retain office at the [[1901 Australian federal election|first federal elections]], which were held in late March 1901. His old rival [[George Reid]] became the chief opponent of the government during the campaign and the ''de facto'' [[Leader of the Opposition (Australia)|opposition leader]]. There were no national political parties in 1901, but most candidates self-declared as either protectionists or free-traders, following the primary divide in colonial politics. Reid, a free trader, made the tariff issue his primary focus, but its significance was diminished by the fact that the new federal government would have to depend on tariffs for its revenue.{{sfn|Bolton|2000|p=234}} Barton instead delivered "an electoral masterstroke"<ref name=adb/> by making White Australia the centrepiece of the government's campaign, thereby attracting many working-class voters concerned about "coloured labour". Supporters of the government won 32 out of the 75 seats in the [[Australian House of Representatives]], with their grouping calling itself the [[Protectionist Party]] (or Liberal Protectionists).{{sfn|Bolton|2000|p=235}} Barton himself was elected unopposed in the [[Division of Hunter]], having previously represented the area in the New South Wales parliament.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://primeministers.naa.gov.au/primeministers/barton/elections.aspx|title=Elections|work=Australia's Prime Ministers|publisher=National Archives of Australia|access-date=30 December 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190715221044/http://primeministers.naa.gov.au/primeministers/barton/elections.aspx|archive-date=15 July 2019|url-status=live}}</ref> The government's continuation was secured by the support of the newly formed [[Australian Labor Party]] (ALP), which had 17 MPs. Reid and his [[Free Trade Party]] formed the [[Opposition (Australia)|official opposition]] with 26 MPs.{{sfn|Bolton|2000|p=235}} The situation in the [[Australian Senate|Senate]] was similarly complicated, with the government's position even less secure. However, [[party discipline]] was virtually non-existent and Barton was widely seen as having won a [[Mandate (politics)|mandate]] to govern.{{sfn|Bolton|2000|p=236}}

===Domestic policy===
Barton outlined his platform for the first federal election at a speech on 17 January 1901, delivered at the [[Maitland Town Hall|West Maitland Town Hall]] within his prospective electorate. His plans included the establishment of the federal capital, the High Court and the [[Inter-State Commission]], and a "moderately protectionist tariff" in order to raise the revenue to introduce old-age pensions and a uniform postal system. He also promised to introduce [[universal suffrage]] for federal elections, build the [[Trans-Australian Railway]], legislate to allow federal intervention in industrial disputes, and ban immigration from Asia and the Pacific Islands.{{sfn|Bolton|2000|pp=230–232}}

In April 1901, Barton announced that the government would sponsor a [[1901 Federal Flag Design Competition|competition]] to design a new national flag for Australia. The winning design was the basis for the current Australian national flag, although Barton personally favoured the existing [[Australian Federation Flag]] that had been popular in New South Wales for many years. As it was primarily intended to be used in shipping, the design had to be submitted to the [[Admiralty (United Kingdom)|British Admiralty]] for approval and was not officially adopted until 1903.<ref>{{cite journal|url=https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Senate/Powers_practice_n_procedures/~/~/link.aspx?_id=A0A94E3E819F4BA094C3DD2F61DC20BE&_z=z|title=National Parliament, National Symbols: From British to Australian Identity|first=Elizabeth|last=Kwan|year=2007|volume=47|journal=Papers on Parliament|publisher=Australian Parliamentary Library|access-date=25 January 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190125183630/https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Senate/Powers_practice_n_procedures/~/~/link.aspx?_id=A0A94E3E819F4BA094C3DD2F61DC20BE&_z=z|archive-date=25 January 2019|url-status=live}}</ref>

An early piece of legislation of the Barton government was the [[Immigration Restriction Act 1901|''Immigration Restriction Act'' 1901]], which put the [[White Australia policy]] into law. The Labour Party required legislation to limit immigration from Asia as part of its agreement to support the government, but Barton had promised the introduction of the White Australia Policy in his election campaign. Barton stated, "The doctrine of the equality of man was never intended to apply to the equality of the Englishman and the Chinaman". One notable reform was the introduction of women's suffrage for federal elections in 1902.<ref name=apmio>{{cite web|title =Edmund Barton, In office|work=Australia's Prime Ministers|publisher =[[National Archives of Australia]]|url =http://primeministers.naa.gov.au/primeministers/barton/in-office.aspx|access-date =8 February 2010|archive-url =https://web.archive.org/web/20100301061504/http://primeministers.naa.gov.au/primeministers/barton/in-office.aspx|archive-date=1 March 2010|url-status=live}}</ref>

Barton was a moderate conservative, and advanced liberals in his party disliked his relaxed attitude to political life. A large, handsome, jovial man, he was fond of long dinners and good wine, and was given the nickname "Toby Tosspot" by ''[[The Bulletin (Australian periodical)|The Bulletin]]''.<ref name=apmff>{{cite web |title=Edmund Barton, fast facts |url=http://primeministers.naa.gov.au/primeministers/barton/fast-facts.aspx |url-status=live |work=Australia's Prime Ministers |publisher=[[National Archives of Australia]] |access-date=8 February 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141109050443/http://primeministers.naa.gov.au/primeministers/Barton/fast-facts.aspx |archive-date=9 November 2014}}</ref>

===External affairs===
[[File:Edmund Barton Vanity Fair 16 October 1902.jpg|thumb|upright|Caricature in ''[[Vanity Fair (British magazine)|Vanity Fair]]'', October 1902]]
For much of 1902, Barton was in England for the [[Coronation of Edward VII and Alexandra|coronation]] of King [[Edward VII]], which was postponed from June to August, delaying Barton's return. Accompanying him on this trip was Sir [[John Forrest]], [[Minister for Defence (Australia)|Minister for Defence]], and the trip was also used to negotiate the replacement of the naval agreements between the Australian colonies and the United Kingdom (under which Australia funded [[Royal Navy]] protection from foreign naval threats) by an agreement between the Commonwealth and the United Kingdom at the [[1902 Colonial Conference]].<ref name=adb/> Deakin disliked this arrangement and discontinued it, moving for a substantial expansion of Australia's [[Royal Australian Navy|own navy]] in 1908.<ref>{{Australian Dictionary of Biography  |last=Norris  |first= R.  |year=1981  |id=A080275b  |title= Deakin, Alfred (1856–1919)  |access-date=16 September 2007}}</ref> On their way home from the United Kingdom, Barton and Forrest visited Canada, including Toronto, Ottawa (where they were guests of the Governor-General), and the Pacific Coast.<ref>{{Cite newspaper The Times |title=Latest intelligence – Sir Edmund Barton in Canada|date=5 September 1902 |page=3 |issue=36865}}</ref><ref>{{Cite newspaper The Times |title=Latest intelligence – Sir Edmund Barton in Canada|date=11 September 1902 |page=3 |issue=36870}}</ref>

===Retirement===
On 24 September 1903, Barton resigned as prime minister to become one of the founding justices of the High Court of Australia. Speculation about his political future had been rife for several months, particularly after the ''[[Judiciary Act 1903]]'' was passed in August. There were several factors at play in his decision to retire from politics. Some within his own party thought that he lacked the energy and commitment to continue as the leader of the government.{{sfn|Abjorensen|2015}} Barton had also suffered from bouts of ill health, including a fainting spell in his office earlier in the year. He was advised by his doctor to quit active politics. Finally, he had a history of financial difficulties and appreciated the security that a lifetime appointment would bring.{{sfn|Bolton|2000|p=294}} The appointment of the new judges was made by the governor-general on the advice of cabinet, many of whom had ambitions of their own and encouraged Barton to accept the post.{{sfn|Abjorensen|2015}} His appointment was largely uncontroversial, given his role in drafting the constitution, experience as a barrister, and acceptance of a [[puisne judge]]ship rather than the position of [[Chief Justice of Australia|chief justice]].{{sfn|Bolton|2000|p=299}}