august october australian politician served prime minister australia separate occasions fisher second government completed vast legislative programme founder statutory structure new nation fisher government legacy reforms national development lasted divisions later occur world war conscription push fisher second prime resulting federal election represented number australia elected federal majority government australia elected senate majority world labour_party majority government national level minority governments world labour_party government national level time labour_party controlled house legislature time party controlled houses legislature time represented culmination labour involvement politics passing acts government period reform commonwealth 1940s serving collective total years months fisher second australia longest serving labor prime minister labour changed labor early life fisher born mining village near scotland second children fisher education consisted primary schooling night schooling reading books library cooperative father helped establish age began work coal worked days week hours day trek night school elected secretary local branch step road politics union called strike demand cent increase wages prove ultimately unsuccessful fisher lost job result finding employment led miners strike higher wages time sacked unable find work fisher brother migrated queensland despite leaving homeland fisher said retained distinctive scottish accent rest life fisher worked engine driver role involving operation machinery raise lower shaft attaining necessary qualifications year elected president engine drivers union active president branch member parliament fisher elected president branch labour_party elected labour member following year labour deputy leader maiden speech pushed cent cut military spending declared support federation policy area captured attention term employment workers sugar plantations practice fisher labour strongly opposed lost seat campaign charged opponent dangerous revolutionary anti catholic accusations propagated newspaper establishment newspaper response intended medium broadcast labour message newspaper played vital role fisher return parliament time scare campaign conservative candidate consistently painted supporter black labour alleged economic social accompanied year secretary seven day government parliamentary labour government world state labour parties mps mixed support fisher firm supporting union australian colonies campaigned yes vote queensland referendum fisher stood electorate wide bay inaugural federal election won seat held continuously rest political career end fisher married previous daughter labour improved position election gaining seats par legislative time colloquially known government resigned declined office resulting labour taking power labour prime minister month period fisher established demonstrated ministerial capabilities minister trade customs fourth labour member ministry watson hughes fisher promoted deputy leader party adopted strategy trying party system labour non labour lines prior election renamed envisaged spectrum running socialist anti socialist middle attempt struck chord politicians westminster tradition regarded party system norm election remained prime minister labour gained considerably seats watson resigned fisher succeeded labour leader hughes stood position fisher considered better understanding economic matters better handling caucus better relations party organisation unions touch party opinion share hughes passion free trade watson hughes defence later conscription political terms radical left party strong sense labour british working class history fisher argued female representation parliament majority seats government labour caucus early future minority government ministry trouble talked fisher watson possible coalition following report agreed providing labour majority cabinet immediate legislation old age carried following election government promise progressive land tax coalition formed pressure labour brought productive change agreed royal commission post office old age provided surplus revenue fund set aside ships declared invalid high_court june fisher found proposals unsatisfactory caucus dissatisfied old age pension proposals labour support government fell november prime government fisher formed minority government government amended seat government act providing new federal capital area passed manufacturers encouragement act provide iron steel manufacturers paid fair reasonable wages ordered torpedo boat destroyers assumed local naval defence responsibility placed disposal royal_navy wartime fisher government saw passage provided payment compensation seamen engaged australian registered ships trading certain cases british foreign ships engaged trade killed injured course occupation fisher committed labour constitution commonwealth power labour wages prices expanding navy providing compulsory military training youths extending land tax construction railway replacement pound sterling australian currency protect sugar industry conservative merged form liberal joined labour majority seats led ousted labour office fisher failing persuade governor general lord dissolve parliament second government election labour gained sixteen additional seats hold total seventy seats eighteen senate seats election hold total thirty seats gave labour control houses enabled fisher form australia elected federal majority government australia elected senate majority world labour_party majority government acts passed years second fisher government exceeded output second government similar period fisher government represented culmination labour involvement politics period reform commonwealth 1940s fisher carried reforms defence constitutional matters finance transport communications social security achieving vast majority aims government establishing old age disability workers compensation issuing australia paper currency forming commencement construction trans australian railway expanding bench founding canberra establishing government owned fisher second government introduced uniform postal charges australia carried measures break land forward proposals regulation working hours wages employment conditions amended arbitration act provide greater authority court president allow commonwealth employees industrial unions registered land tax aimed breaking big estates provide wider scope small scale farming introduced coverage arbitration system extended agricultural workers federal public servants addition age women entitled old age pension lowered introduction particularly major reform enabled attended doctors leading reductions infant mortality compulsory preference trade federal employment introduced compensation act navigation act enacted improve conditions working sea arrangements seamen eligibility widened december onwards residents longer wait years eligible pension year value home excluded consideration assessing value property fisher wanted additional commonwealth power certain areas referendum asked questions defeated cent voting additional questions asked referendum defeated cent voting election led defeated single seat government labor retained control senate cook frustrated labor controlled senate blocking legislation recommended new governor general sir houses parliament dissolved elections called australia double dissolution election election world war broken middle election campaign sides committing australia british_empire fisher campaigned labor record support independent australian defence force pledged australia stand mother country help defend man labor won election absolute majority houses fisher formed fisher party immediately underway organising urgent defence measures planning implementing australia war effort fisher visited new_zealand time saw acting prime minister months fisher labor continued implement promised peacetime legislation including river murray waters act freight arrangements act sugar purchase act acts wartime legislation included acts giving governor general power regulations national security trading enemy act acts crimes act belgium grant act enemy contracts act december war act passed provide grant death members members residents australia death resulted employment connection operations october journalist reported situation gallipoli fisher request advised fears justified described dardanelles expedition series disastrous terrible chapters history concluding fisher passed report hughes defence minister ultimately leading evacuation australian troops december report fisher served high commissioner london fisher resigned prime parliament october absent parliament explanation sitting days days later unanimously elected leader fisher seat narrowly won percent margin wide bay election high commissioner united_kingdom fisher served australia second high commissioner united_kingdom january january fisher opposed conscription dealings difficult hughes asked fisher support cable weeks referendum fisher unable sign appeal position subsequently refused publicly comment issue hughes referendum conscription vote cent referendum vote cent fisher visited australian troops serving belgium france later presented album battlefield photos showing conditions experienced troops including fisher interviewed witnesses issued final report issued concluded expedition poorly planned executed difficulties problems exacerbated supply shortages personality clashes high levels allied troops dedicated failed campaign half casualties report conclusions regarded figures political military heavily report commission information gathered inquiry remain key source documents campaign final years death fisher wanted continue serve high commissioner london term expired hughes permit return australia attempts secure fisher seat parliament lead interested returned london lived retirement remainder life final years fisher gradually succumbed effects ultimately lose ability sign caught severe bout september died month later buried west honours end world war france awarded declined like decorations kind adhered view life federal electorate fisher named canberra suburb fisher created memory streets reflecting mining theme honour fisher occupation entering public life britain labour prime minister unveiled memorial fisher cemetery memorial garden dedicated fisher birthplace late 1970s honoured postage stamp bearing portrait issued home listed labor prime minister launched biography titled written turn presented item belonged fisher slightly battered gold pen engraved fisher signature held years
Andrew Fisher