Cook, Joseph

Joseph Cook was the sixth Prime Minister of Australia, elected in 1913. He was the son of an English coalminer and grew up in poverty. He began his political career aligned with Labor, but internal disagreements saw him serve later as an independent Labor member. However, it was as leader of the conservative Liberal Party that he won government in June 1913 by the narrowest of margins. The resulting instability allowed Labor to force a double dissolution, and new elections were held in September 1914. Labor won comfortably.