Edward Pulsford - Federal Politics

Federal Politics

At the first federal election in March 1901, Pulsford was elected as a senator for New South Wales in the sixth and final position, narrowly defeating fellow Free Trader John Gray. He continued his fervent support of free trade and was one of the few senators to oppose the White Australia policy, describing "the whole of the inhabitants of Asia as friends". He opposed the 1901 Immigration Restriction Act, supported Asians' eligibility for the old-age pension, and decried the treatment of Kanaka labourers as "cattle". In his opposition to immigration restriction he highlighted the diplomatic insult to Japan and other Asian nations, and published a pamphlet in 1905 supporting the protestations of the Japanese government against the policy.

Pulsford spoke for five hours in the debate on the 1902 Customs Tariff Bill, although he later supported time limits for speeches. Missing out on a frontbench portfolio when the Free Traders were briefly in government from 1904 to 1905, he was absent from parliament for most of 1907. Described by the Tribune as "the best living authority on Australia's tariff question", his pamphlet to the Cobden Club in 1907 attracted a favourable reception. He opposed women's suffrage on the grounds that it would put Australia "in advance of public opinion throughout the world", believing it would lead to the "vulgarisation of women".

The Fusion in 1909 between the Free Trade and Protectionist parties to form the Liberal Party was difficult for Pulsford, who had "no faith in either the old Protection or the new Protection", and although he did join the new party, his support of any protectionist legislation would be "in order to show that all such legislation must be a failure". He was defeated at the 1910 election when the Labour Party won all the Senate seats in New South Wales.