Federal Politics
When the Constitution came into effect on 1 January 1901, Barton formed the first federal ministry, and Kingston was appointed Minister for Trade and Customs. In March 1901 he was elected as one of South Australia's seven members of the first Australian House of Representatives. (South Australia was not divided into electoral divisions in time for the election, and Kingston topped the statewide poll with 65% of the vote.) In 1903 he became the first member for the Division of Adelaide. His Central District seat in the Legislative Council was won by George Brookman.
Kingston was a "high protectionist": he favoured very high tariffs to protect Australia's fledgling manufacturing industries. Most of his time as minister was spent negotiating a customs bill through both houses of the Parliament since no one party had a majority in either House and the forces of the Free Trade Party resisted his bill at every stage. Negotiating with his opponents was not among Kingston's many talents, and his bullying style made him many enemies. He also insisted on involving himself in the administrative details of his department and inisted on prosecutions of businesses to enforce his high-tariff policies.
In July 1903, Kingston resigned suddenly in a fit of anger due to the opposition of John Forrest and Edmund Barton to his attempt to impose conciliation and arbitration on British and foreign seamen engaged in the Australian coastal trade. He never held office again, and although Labor offered him a position in Chris Watson's ministry, he turned this down, presumably because of ill health. He remained as Member for Adelaide, being allowed to run unopposed at both the 1903 and 1906 elections.
Kingston died in Adelaide of a sudden stroke in May 1908 and was buried at the local West Terrace Cemetery, survived by his increasingly eccentric wife. An Adelaide by-election was held to elect a new MP. The Division of Kingston is named after him.
Read more about this topic: Charles Kingston (politician)
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