Price-Peake government

[1] After the 1905 election when Labor increased their representation from five to fifteen MPs in the 42-member lower house, Labor leader Thomas Price formed a minority government with the support of eight liberals led by Archibald Peake, forcing conservative Premier Richard Butler to resign, with a policy of development and progress, expansion of business and honest government: "they would not be frightened by the nonsense that had been talked about socialism".

Price retained the premiership at the 1906 double dissolution election with an additional five Labor seats in the House of Assembly, just two short of a parliamentary majority in their own right.

Peake, who had meantime forged a loose alliance between his LDU and the two independent conservative parties, the Australasian National League (formerly National Defence League) and the Farmers and Producers Political Union, refused and was able to form a minority government which lasted for a year.

Following this, the LDU merged with the two independent conservative parties to form the Liberal Union with Peake as leader.

Verran's government became unpopular as a result of its inability to deal with a rash of industrial disputes, and Peake came to power following 1912 election.