That year he unsuccessfully contested the NSW Legislative Assembly seat of Upper Hunter.

In 1914, he won the 1914 Canterbury by-election, joining his brother John, then Colonial Secretary, in the Legislative Assembly.

He was Secretary for Mines and Minister for Labour and Industry from April 1920 to October 1921, when he became Secretary for Mines and Minister for Local Government until the defeat of the James Dooley government in December 1921.

He opposed Lang's leadership and as a result lost preselection for the 1927 election where he ran unsuccessfully as an independent for Lakemba.

[4] He died on 18 October 1948(1948-10-18) (aged 77) in the Sydney suburb of Strathfield, survived by his wife.