George Reid led the Free Trade Party and was Opposition Leader for 6 of the Australian Parliament's first 7 years of existence.

[3] Following the March election, Barton's Protectionists won 27 seats in the newly formed 75 member Australian House of Representatives.

[4] Reid's government continued the early work of establishing the legislative frameworks of the newly formed Australian Federation.

George Reid led the Free Trade Party and was sworn in as Prime Minister on 18 August 1904, replacing the Watson government.

Watson encouraged Alfred Deakin to abandon the Free Traders, saying: "We, and especially me, don't want office, but I have the utmost anxiety to stop the retrogressive movement which Reid is heading."