The Ministry came about in part due to the circumstances of the 1901 election, whose result had been indecisive.
Leake advised the Governor to dissolve Parliament, but the request was declined and on 12 November, Leake advised the Legislative Assembly that as soon as the Supply Bill had passed a third reading, his government would resign.
As was the law at the time, having accepted offices of profit under the Crown, the Ministers were required to resign their seats and contest them at ministerial by-elections.
According to Brian de Garis (Stannage, p. 348), Leake and his supporters set about "the best organised campaigning the state had ever witnessed" for the by-elections, and three of the ministers—Frank Wilson, Matthew Moss and Frederick Moorhead were defeated.
This turn of events gave the Opposition a narrow majority with Independent or Labour support.