| Election Name: | 1908 Victorian state election |
| Country: | Victoria |
| Flag Year: | 1901 |
| Type: | parliamentary |
| Ongoing: | no |
| Previous Election: | 1907 Victorian state election |
| Previous Year: | 1907 |
| Next Election: | 1911 Victorian state election |
| Next Year: | 1911 |
| Seats For Election: | All 65 seats in the Victorian Legislative Assembly 33 seats needed for a majority |
| Leader1: | George Prendergast |
| Leader Since1: | 1904 |
| Party1: | Australian Labor Party (Victorian Branch) |
| Leaders Seat1: | North Melbourne |
| Percentage1: | 34.78 |
| Swing1: | 1.85% |
| Last Election1: | 14 seats |
| Seats1: | 21 seats |
| Seat Change1: | 7 |
| Leader2: | John Murray |
| Leader Since2: | 1908 |
| Party2: | Liberal |
| Colour2: | F7E894 |
| Leaders Seat2: | Warrnambool |
| Percentage2: | 33.94 |
| Swing2: | 33.94% |
| Last Election2: | Did not exist |
| Seats2: | 18 seats |
| Seat Change2: | 18 |
| Leader3: | Thomas Bent |
| Leader Since3: | 1907 |
| Party3: | United Liberal |
| Colour3: | 8EB5D1 |
| Leaders Seat3: | Brighton |
| Percentage3: | 19.98 |
| Swing3: | 31.38% |
| Last Election3: | 49 seats |
| Seats3: | 24 seats |
| Seat Change3: | 25 |
| Premier | |
| Before Election: | Thomas Bent |
| Before Party: | United Liberal |
| After Election: | John Murray |
| After Party: | Liberal |
The 1908 Victorian state election was held in the Australian state of Victoria on 29 December 1908 to elect 40 of the 65 members of the state's Legislative Assembly.[1] The other 25 seats were uncontested.
The election was in single-member districts, using first-past-the-post voting.
The National Citizens' Reform League, led by Thomas Bent, had disbanded shortly after the 1904 state election, leading to the majority of Liberals and Conservatives sitting separately again for around three years.[2] [3]
Bent formed the United Liberal Party in February 1907, two years before the federal Commonwealth Liberal Party was founded.[2]
However, after only a single year, Liberals John Murray and Alexander Peacock successfully moved a no confidence motion against him.[4] This led to the ULP splitting and the Liberal Party forming.[4]
The Labor side of politics was controlled by the Political Labor Council. In 1904, George Prendergast became the first leader of the Parliamentary Labor Party.
See main article: Results of the 1908 Victorian state election (Legislative Assembly). Despite winning the highest number of seats, the United Liberal Party was defeated. John Murray would be chosen as Premier on 6 January 1909 following a conference of both Murray's and Bent's supporters.[1]
25 seats were uncontested.[1]
| Votes | % | Swing | Seats | Change | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Labor | 30,605 | 34.78 | +0.38 | 21 | 7 | |||
| Liberal | 29,866 | 33.94 | +33.94 | 18 | 18 | |||
| United Liberal | 17,578 | 19.98 | −31.38 | 24 | 25 | |||
| Independent Liberal | 5,455 | 6.20 | +6.20 | 2 | 2 | |||
| Independent Ministerialist | 539 | 0.61 | −8.86 | 0 | 1 | |||
| Victorian Socialist | 167 | 0.19 | +0.19 | 0 | ||||
| Independent | 3,785 | 4.30 | +1.94 | 0 | 1 | |||
| Formal votes | 87,995 | 99.47 | ||||||
| Informal votes | 0.53 | |||||||
| Total | 87,995 | 65 | ||||||
| Registered voters / turnout | 263,876 | 53.64 | ||||||
On 8 January 1909, John Murray successfully moved a motion of no-confidence in Bent's government and succeeded him as Premier.
Four months later, the federal Commonwealth Liberal Party was formed, into which the Liberals merged.[5] [6] [7]