 The First World War had broken out in the middle of the 1914 election campaign, with both sides committing Australia to the British Empire.Fisher campaigned on Labor's record of support for an independent Australian defence force, and pledged that Australia would "stand beside the mother country to help and defend her to the last man and the last shilling".Labor won the election with another absolute majority in both houses and Fisher formed his third government on 17 September 1914.