federal elections in 1924. In the 1922 election the Nationalist Party maintained power, announcing a conservative domestic policy First and foremost, we are against class legislation and class government Hughes, 1922). In 1925, the first election under compulsory voting, the Nationalist Party maintained power but shifted dramatically on these issues It has to be recognized that even under the conditions existing in Australia, the wages of our workers are not sufficient to enable them to safeguard against these evils sickness, unemployment, and old-age]’’ (Bruce, 1925). In just a three-year span, the majority party made a clear
turn toward progressive domestic policies, and the introduction of more working-class voters into the
electorate and increased presence of the Labor Party may have provided impetus for such a change. (173-
174)
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