Editing Joseph Cook (section)

==Prime minister==
[[File:Joseph Cook - Broothorn Studios.jpg|thumb|right|upright|Cook c. 1914]]

At the [[1913 Australian federal election|1913 election]], Cook championed private enterprise and attacked Labor's "socialist objective" as the "principle that the state must become more 
and more omnipotent, until it eventually takes over all the 
actions of the individual, shaping and determining all our 
production, distribution and exchange".<ref>Gorman (2023), ''Joseph Cook'', p.81.</ref> The Commonwealth Liberal Party led by Cook won a one-seat majority in the House of Representatives over the Labor Party, led by [[Andrew Fisher]], and defeated its [[1913 Australian referendum|6 referendum proposals]].

Cook thus became the sixth [[Prime Minister of Australia]]. However, Labor still had a majority in the Senate. Unable to govern effectively due to the hostile Senate, Cook decided to trigger a [[double dissolution]] under section 57 of the [[Constitution of Australia]], the first time that provision had been used. He introduced a bill abolishing preferential employment for trade union members in the public service. As expected, the Senate rejected the bill, giving Cook an excuse to seek a double dissolution. World War I broke out in the middle of the resulting campaign for the [[1914 Australian federal election|September 1914 election]]. Andrew Fisher was able to remind voters that it was Labor that had favoured an independent Australian defence force, which the conservatives had opposed. Cook was also greatly hindered by the fact that he had to cut short his campaign to focus on war matters, at a time when there were few alternatives to in-person political rallies.<ref>Gorman (2023), ''Joseph Cook'', p.91.</ref> Cook was defeated after a five-seat swing, and Fisher's Labor Party resumed office.<ref name=pms/>

===World War I===
{{see also|Military history of Australia during World War I}}
Cook was prime minister for the first six weeks of [[Australia in World War I|Australia's involvement in World War I]]. On 30 July 1914, he was informed via telegram that the British government was considering a declaration of war and advised that Australia should take appropriate defence precautions.{{sfnp|Newton|2015|p=17}} He told an election meeting at [[Horsham, Victoria]], the following day to "remember that when the Empire is at war, so is Australia at war".{{sfnp|Newton|2015|p=25}} At the suggestion of Governor-General [[Ronald Munro Ferguson]], Cook called an emergency cabinet meeting for 3 August. It was attended by only four members of his ministry, as the others were out campaigning and unable to travel to Melbourne in time.{{sfnp|Newton|2015|p=18}} The government decided to offer an expeditionary force of 20,000 men – "of any suggested composition to any destination desired [...] at complete disposal of the Home Government; cost of despatch and
maintenance would be borne by this Government" – and to give the [[British Admiralty]] control of the [[Royal Australian Navy]] "when desired".{{sfnp|Newton|2015|p=20}} Australia's offer was made 40 hours before the United Kingdom declared war on Germany, and it has been suggested that it may have intensified the pressure on the British government to enter the war, along with similar offers made by Canada and New Zealand.{{sfnp|Newton|2015|p=21}} The United Kingdom formally accepted Australia's offer on 6 August, and Cook subsequently authorised the creation of the [[First Australian Imperial Force|Australian Imperial Force]] and the [[Australian Naval and Military Expeditionary Force]]; the latter captured and then occupied [[German New Guinea]] within a few months. Writing in 1962, [[Malcolm Henry Ellis]] described him as "the activator and originator of Australia's war effort".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-673245390/view?partId=nla.obj-673317017 |title=Joseph Cook: The Incredible Prime Minister |last=Ellis |first =Malcolm Henry |author-link=Malcolm Henry Ellis |work=[[The Bulletin (Australian periodical)|The Bulletin]] |volume=85 |number=4317 |date=10 November 1962}}</ref>
Cook would have three sons serve in the AIF during the war, one of whom was twice wounded at Gallipoli but miraculously survived.<ref>Gorman (2023), ''Joseph Cook'', p.92.</ref>